World Food Day

Have you heard about world food day?

World food day is an international day that encourages people to think about food problems and aim to make society where everyone can have enough food to eat. It’s celebrated every year on October 16 and started in 1981 to mark the founding of FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). The main idea is “Food for all.”

Many countries around the world do various activities for world food day but, I researched Japan and China.

I’m going to talk about what problem they have and how they try to solve.

 

★Japan

Japan has mainly two problems, Rice stock and low food self-sufficiency rate.

In recent years, the price of rice has increased, and rice production has decreased because of climate change and the aging of farmers. As a result, many people are concerned about the future supply of rice.

Another issue is Japan's low food self-sufficiency rate. Japan imports a large amount of food from other countries. Japan depends heavily on foreign countries of food supply. If there are global problems such as wars, disasters, or climate change, Japan may face difficulties in securing enough food.

To solve the rice problem, Japan is developing new rice varieties, supporting farmers, and promoting smart farming technologies such as drones and AI.

To improve its food self-sufficiency rate, Japan supports domestic agriculture, encourages people to buy local food, and works to reduce food waste. Also, specific activities such as food waste reduction campaigns and learning activities at schools are held.

 

 

★China 

China's major problem is the decrease in farmland. As cities continue to grow, more land is being used for housing, factories, and roads. This action leads to reduce the amount of land where available for farming. To address these issues, the Chinese government works to protect farmland and improve farming technology. It also invests in water management projects to support agricultural production.

The UN promotes sustainable agriculture and improves food security. In China, some events to raise awareness about food issue and educational activities about food problems are also held as Japan does.

As above, there are many kinds of food problems that each country has.

I think that learning about food around the world also means learning about the issues related to it. Through these events such as World Food Day, I felt it is important to have opportunities to increase our awareness and understanding of these issues.

Thank you for reading! :)