By Jhannah Gaad and Khrystyn Andaya
This year’s World Food Day is being celebrated with the theme “Safe Food for a Healthy Tomorrow”, stressing that the production and consumption of safe food have “immediate and long-term benefits for people, the planet, and the economy.”
Despite progress toward a better world, far too many people have been left behind as many individuals are still unable to reap the benefits of human development, innovation, or economic growth.
Supply is simply one aspect of ending hunger. Sustainability is a must. Access to the availability of nutritious meals is a problem that is being made more difficult by a number of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, war, climate change, inequality, rising food prices, and geopolitical tensions. Global challenges are having a cascading impact on people all across the world.
World Food Day promotes building a sustainable world in which everyone, everywhere has constant access to a sufficient supply of food.
In 2018, the Philippine Republic Act 11037, or the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act” was enacted. This creates a national feeding activity for children, and also has programs on health and nutrition education and promoting sanitation and hygiene.
Aside from this, there are local and international organizations that helped address hunger in the Philippines. Some of them are:
Reach Out and Feed Philippines
Feed, Nourish and Empower are the three main goals of Reach Out and Feed Philippines. More than addressing malnutrition in the country, they aim to help children reach their full potential by providing nutritious food. One of their well-known programs is #ProjectBaon. Children whose families earn less than P200 per day are given a packed lunch. The organization has fed over 22,000 children in 147 communities.
Actions Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger is a global organization that had been working in the Philippines since 2000. Their goal is to address hunger from its core: The lack of nutritious food, food security, water sanitation, and poverty. They are primarily active in disaster-stricken areas through emergency response programs. Recently, they distributed aid to victims of Typhoon Odette.
Food for the Hungry Philippines
Food for the Hungry started out by helping Vietnamese refugees until they branched on to different countries with the goal of ending poverty by providing clean water, food, education, and spiritual counsel. Their approach is divided into these phases: Discovery, Growth, Support, and Flourish.
In the Philippines, they have sponsored at least 10,000 children across 79 communities and had partnered with 41 Churches.
Rise Against Hunger Philippines
With the goal of eradicating hunger by 2030, Rise Against Hunger provides the most vulnerable individuals in the world with food and other life-altering aid, 8.21 billion Worldwide individuals don’t get the nutrients they need to be active and healthy.
Kabisig ng Kalahi
A non-profit, non-governmental group called Kabisig ng Kalahi was founded in August 2001. It continues to expand nationwide and actively participates in multi-sectoral activities to reduce poverty and improve nutrition.