World Food Day was observed on Friday to create awareness about the issue of hunger and develop strategies for ensuring food security.

This year the theme of the day is "Grow, Nourish, and Sustain together. Our Actions are our Future".

In her message, Country Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Mina Dowlatchahi said this year is a very special one - for FAO and for the global fight against hunger and malnutrition. It comes at a challenging time when the world is facing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic amidst multiple natural hazards shocks and transboundary pests.

She said despite the achievements of the past, five years into the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger. 

The Country Representative FAO Pakistan said on food availability, Pakistan has fared well, with a 2.7 percent growth in the agriculture sector in 2019-20 within an overall economic contraction of 0.4 percent.

She said our future food systems need to ensure affordable and healthy diets for all, and decent livelihoods for food system workers, while preserving natural resources and biodiversity. This will help go a long way towards achieving Zero Hunger.