Amanze Chinonye
As the world marks World Food Day 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is spotlighting the urgent need for collective global action to reshape agrifood systems and ensure food security for all.
This year’s celebration, themed “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” coincides with FAO’s 80th anniversary, amplifying the call for renewed partnerships across borders, sectors, and generations.
Agrifood Systems Under Pressure
FAO warned that agrifood systems are facing unprecedented challenges from conflict and economic shocks to the intensifying impacts of climate change. The organization noted that 673 million people are living with hunger, even as 900 million adults are obese and 35.5 million children under five are overweight evidence of a global food system “out of balance.”
Join our WhatsApp Channel“Conflict, the impacts of extreme weather and climate events, economic shocks, and rising inequality are placing mounting pressure on the land we farm, the water we depend on, and the biodiversity that supports life,” FAO stated.
FAO’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report found that conflict was the leading cause of food crises in 20 countries and territories in 2024, affecting nearly 140 million people with acute food insecurity.
Vital Role of Nature and Small Producers
Plants make up 80% of human calories and produce 98% of the oxygen we breathe, yet only nine plant species account for 66% of global crop production, leaving global diets vulnerable to biodiversity loss.
Meanwhile, livestock systems contribute about 15% of global calories, and FAO estimates that more sustainable livestock practices could cut methane emissions by up to 30%.
Despite the growth of industrial agriculture, small-scale farmers still produce around one-third of the world’s food, while small-scale fishers supply 40% of the global fish catch underscoring the need to protect and empower local producers.
FAO warned that 10% of all land is now degraded, with 60% of that degradation linked to agriculture. At the same time, nearly one-third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, with 13% lost during harvest and transport and 19% wasted at the retail and consumer stages.
“The actions we take today will directly impact the future. We must produce more with less. Let’s work towards a future that is more inclusive and more equitable,” FAO urged.
Guterres: ‘A Moral Outrage That Hunger Still Exists’
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called global hunger “a moral outrage,” urging world leaders, businesses, and citizens to unite for systemic food reform.
“Around the world, 673 million people still go to bed hungry every night,” Guterres said in his World Food Day message. “#WorldFoodDay is a call for solidarity across borders, sectors, and communities. Let us come together once again to build food systems that nourish people and protect the planet.”
Guterres emphasized that hunger is not inevitable but a result of “choices and inequalities that can and must be changed.”
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Pope Leo: ‘Food Must Never Be Used as a Weapon’
At FAO headquarters in Rome, Pope Leo condemned the weaponization of food in conflict zones, calling hunger “an ethical derailment” and urging global cooperation.
“No nation should tolerate hunger as a political tool,” he said. “When food becomes a weapon, humanity itself is under attack.”
WFP: Funding Decline Deepens Hunger Risks
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that global funding shortfalls are worsening hunger in fragile nations. Humanitarian financing has fallen by 40% in 2025, forcing aid cuts in high-risk regions such as Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Haiti, and the DRC.
“We are cutting assistance at a time when need has never been greater,” the agency cautioned.
FAO at 80: Working Hand in Hand
Marking its 80th year, FAO reaffirmed its mission to deliver practical, lasting solutions to end hunger and malnutrition. In 2024 alone, the organization provided agricultural support to 43 million people across 75 countries, working with over 400 national and local partners.
FAO reiterated that everyone from policymakers and farmers to consumers and youth has a role to play in shaping sustainable food systems.
“Greater and more targeted investment, new ideas, and deeper cooperation are needed,” FAO emphasized. “The choices we make every day shape the world we live in.”
Global Action and Local Inspiration
This year’s World Food Day is being celebrated in over 150 countries, featuring hundreds of activities in up to 50 languages from youth-led climate-food campaigns to smallholder farmer exhibitions and food waste reduction drives.
Stories of innovation and resilience from Mauritania’s desert restoration projects and Gaza’s livelihood protection programs, to bee venom entrepreneurship in Mongolia and climate-smart farming in Cabo Verde, reflect the human spirit driving global transformation.
“Together, we can create a better, more sustainable food future for all,” FAO declared. “Make #WorldFoodDay your day join the call and take action.”
Amanze Chinonye is a Staff Correspondent at Prime Business Africa, a rising star in the literary world, weaving captivating stories that transport readers to the vibrant landscapes of Nigeria and the rest of Africa. With a unique voice that blends with the newspaper's tradition and style, Chinonye's writing is a masterful exploration of the human condition, delving into themes of identity, culture, and social justice. Through her words, Chinonye paints vivid portraits of everyday African life, from the bustling markets of Nigeria's Lagos to the quiet villages of South Africa's countryside . With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the complexities of Nigerian society, Chinonye's writing is both a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and a powerful call to action for a brighter future. As a writer, Chinonye is a true storyteller, using her dexterity to educate, inspire, and uplift readers around the world.
