World Food Day 2014

Today is World Food Day, something which was started on the 16th october 1981, and has continued to be remembered each year since then. The aim of the day is, in summary, to raise awareness of the problems surrounding food and hunger, and to encourage those involved in its production across the world.

2014 is the year of family farming, and so this is the theme which has been given to World Food Day this year, with the aim of raising the profile of family farming and smallholder farmers around the world.

World Food Day aims to raise awareness towards their cause to eradicate world hunger, to achieve a world with 'zero hunger'. Despite the numerous emergency situations around the world, the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners are making a real difference for children, families and communities around the world.

Eradicating world hunger seems like a huge task, and it is, but it is so true that every little helps, and where better to start eradicating hunger than on your doorstep. Why not donate a little bit of non-perishable food to the Milton Keynes food bank which distributes food to hundreds of needy people across the city, or you could even volunteer to help at one of these food banks. So far this year, the food bank has distributed over 10247 food parcels across Milton Keynes and continues to do so every day. Things such as these save lives, and help start the steps at home towards a world without hunger.

2014: Year of family farming

2014 is the international year of family farming, but what does that mean for you if you don't happen to have your own family farm?! The focus on family farming for the year has been declared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, to highlight the important role that family farms play in the world's food production, and to raise awareness so that this production can be optimised.

So what is the importance of family farming? Across the world, family farming helps preserve traditional food products, and helps safeguard the sustainable use of natural resources. Ultimately, it provides small-scale farmers with the opportunity to help boost their local economy. By focussing on family farming for the year, the aim is to help increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders, and to find effective ways of supporting family farmers.

Many small farms lack the resources needed to succeed and keep going through difficult times, whether that be through weather conditions, financial issues or lack of manpower. By raising awareness throughout this year, the hope is that governments and other bodies will be forced to direct more help to family farms across the world, of which there are over 500 million. Family farming is of course important in the UK, but even more so in poorer, underdeveloped countries where running and taking care of  land can mean the difference between feeding their families or going hungry. One of the aims of this year of family farming is to try and eradicate hunger and poverty, and ultimately to improve the livelihoods of farm owners across the world which in turn will improve global food security.

Why not be inspired by this year of family farming and get out and planting veg in your own garden or allotment? Or take a trip to a local farm with the kids this summer holidays? Have a look for some local farms in the Milton Keynes area to visit, click here.