World Food Day: Steps Towards a Sustainable Future

Sunday, October 16th is World Food Day 2011. It is a day for uniting people, from all walks of life, in order to increase awareness and understanding about the need to alleviate worldwide hunger.

While there are many ways people can participate and contribute on World Food Day, here are a couple of ideas you can use to help get you, your family and your friends taking steps towards sustainability and doing something about ending world hunger:

1) Sign the petition to end hunger. Nearly one billion people live life in a constant state of hunger. Sign the petition letting your government know you don’t think people should go hungry, especially when there are things that can be done.

2) Dedicate your Sunday dinner. Oxfam America is encouraging families to dedicate their Sunday dinner to a conservation about where our food comes from, the farmers and growers who contribute to our meals, and what can be done to increase sustainable growing.

3) Shop local. For your Sunday dinner, how about hitting the Farmers’ Market or local growers. Doing so contributes to the local economy, helps local growers and gives you some fresh produce and other items perfect for your dinner table. Use Localharvest to help find real food resources near you.

Image by Peyri Herrera / Creative Commons

4) Take some advice from CNN on how to make an impact on hunger. With 1 out of every 6 people feeling the constant pain of hunger, how can it be that the world is already producing enough food to feed everyone? Where is all that food going? What can you do to help?

5) If you miss World Food Day, October 24th is Food Day 2011. It is a day when Americans can ban together in a “push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way”. Let’s face it, it starts with each one of us. If we don’t make the decision and demand a change, how can we expect the necessary changes to take place?

In many parts of the world, cost and convenience have taken the place of natural and home-grown, or healthy and sustainable. What happened to home-cooked meals, like the ones we grew up on? What about all those people around the world who don’t have access to fresh or locally-grown foods? Where does sustainability fit in?

There is no doubt that changes need to be made. No person deserves to go hungry. The first step in making a difference is becoming aware, then getting educated on what you can do to help. So, what steps can you take towards a sustainable future in honor of World Food Day and Food Day?