World Food Day is celebrated on 16th October every year. The date commemorates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) by the United Nations (UN) in 1945.
This year (2020) is particularly significant as it is the 75th year of the event, occurring at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic threatens food security in many parts of the world.
Every year, World Food Day has a theme. For 2020, the theme is Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
It aims to raise awareness of (and action for) areas and communities whose access to food has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It also focuses on Food Heroes who work to produce healthy and sustainable food:
Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
Our Actions Are Our Future, Healthy Diets for A # ZeroHunger World
Our Actions Are Our Future, Ending World Hunger by 2030 is Possible
Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.
Climate change: "Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too
Social Protection and Agriculture: Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty
Find out what each year's theme was, all the way back to 1981 (Wikipedia).
Use books and the internet to collect fascinating facts about where food is grown, how far it travels 'from farm to fork', and how much we consume. You could use the information children gather to form a class display or part of a presentation in assembly. To get you started, here are some facts about food scarcity and sustainability:
Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together.
When talking about World Food Day with your class, make it meaningful by providing context. Food security and food poverty are significant issues in the country they live in, and likely in their local community, too. It's a good time to talk about food banks, free school meals and the importance of nourishing food for health, happiness and even for effective learning. Here is some handy information for your class discussion:
Food security means being able to have adequate supplies of food to live healthily. To have food security:
Sustainable food systems are balanced. Effective, sustainable food systems affordably provide an adequate amount of food to meet demand while also supporting the ecosystems they rely upon for the production of food.
A good example of a more sustainable food system is the new greenhouse system in Norfolk and Suffolk, set to produce 10 per cent of UK tomatoes. The greenhouses will be heated by warm water pumped from nearby water treatment plants (the heating of the water is a consequence of the water treatment process). This method produces far lower carbon emissions than traditional growing methods. It also reduces food miles and establishes a more reliable supply of food in the local area.
Does your school have strong links to community groups or religious organisations already? Church of England schools have a long-standing tradition of celebrating harvest festival by collecting store cupboard food items for the elderly and vulnerable in their community. This year, Sukkot, the Jewish harvest festival, is celebrated 2nd-9th October. Find out what—if anything—your school already does at this time of year, and link it to learning about food security in other parts of the world.
If there's not much happening at your school, why not arrange to do something to help those less-well off in your community? Find out where your nearest food bank is. Many will list the items they are most in need of each week on their website. Send a list home with children in your class, asking if anyone can donate any of the items on it. You could even arrange for a food bank coordinator/volunteer to come and talk to your class about it.
World Food Day has excellent links to the primary curriculum. Most schools teach cooking and nutrition in some form, so it's ideal if you can coincide your cookery lessons with World Food Day. As well as teaching cooking skills and food hygiene, teach 'around' the recipe you're learning, for example, you might try to find out about the food journey of one or more of the ingredients.
TEACHERS: Here at PlanBee, we believe that good teaching and learning about food preparation is vital for children's wellbeing. For that reason, we've created Design & Technology: Cookery and Nutrition schemes of work with comprehensive coverage of primary National Curriculum objectives. They're packed with the resources you need to teach children how to cook – even if you're a disaster in the kitchen, yourself!
World Food Day is an excellent national day for learning about in schools because it has good links to many areas of the primary National Curriculum. Here are some activity ideas to try with your class:
Take a look at the human digestive system and the functions of organs such as the stomach, liver, gall bladder and intestines.
Learn about the ways in which diverse ecosystems provide for us, and why it is important to protect and sustain them.
World Food Day is the ideal time to break out some practical, one-off Science investigations and experiments involving food. Why not look at some ways in which food is produced and preserved, such as baking bread, pickling vegetables or making butter?
Prepare healthy, nutritious and seasonal meals from a variety of ingredients.
Design functional, attractive food packaging which also shows features such as ingredients and nutritional values.
Find out about fair trade products, and how they help ensure food security for food producers in other parts of the world.
Learn how reducing waste, including food waste, can help protect the environment.
Discover how circular economies work – and how sustainable food systems are a vital part of a circular economy that can protect and sustain the planet.
TEACHERS: Check out the Education for Social Responsibility curriculum, with ready-to-teach mini-schemes of work all about fair and ethical trade.
Discover where our food comes from, and how different foods can be produced in different climate biomes around the world.
Learn about various traditions of world religions involving food, and discover why certain foods are considered 'special' in different religions.
TEACHERS: You can find out more about what's happening during World Food Day 2020 by following the hashtags #WorldFoodDay and #FoodHeroes on social media. For more activity ideas and resources you can use to celebrate World Food Day in school, check out our World Food Day collection.
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