Save the Date
Celebration of World Food Day
FAO / WFP / IFRC Joint Event
“Can we end Hunger?”
Palais des Nations, Room XXIV
Thursday 11 October 2012, 14:00 - 18:00
Lunch Time Buffet Reception from 13:00 to 14:00 outside of the room (Bar du Serpent)
On the occasion of World Food Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is honoured to invite you to attend an interactive panel discussion on the theme “Can we end Hunger?". Speakers from various sectors of society will shed light on the state of global food security, as well as trends, progress and challenges in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. In particular, the panel will discuss the Zero Hunger Challenge launched in June at the Rio+20 Conference by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Special guest speakers will include, among others, Bekele Geleta, Secretary-General of IFRC, and David Nabarro, Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Food Security and Nutrition.
Information on the session:
-The event will be organized around three interactive panel discussions
-Translation in Spanish and French will be made available
14:00: Welcome / Introductory Remarks
14:15: Round Table: “Can we end Hunger? “
17:15: Questions & Answers
18:00: End
The panel discussion will be preceded by the opening of the
FAO Exhibition on the Role of Cooperatives in Food Security
Palais des Nations, Bar du Serpent, E Building, 1st floor
Thursday 11 October 2012, 13:00-14:00
Lunch Time Buffet Reception from 13:00 to 14:00 outside of the room (Bar du Serpent)
The exhibition will illustrate the crucial role played by agricultural cooperatives in feeding the world population, as well as FAO’s multidisciplinary work that covers all agricultural sectors (agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries) and other cross-sectoral topics such as biodiversity, bioenergy and climate risk management.
Background:
World Food Day was established in 1980 by the UN General Assembly to mark solidarity with those who suffer from hunger and commemorate the founding of FAO on 16 October 1945. This year’s World Food Day is observed under the theme “Agricultural cooperatives - key to feeding the world” which was chosen to highlight the role of cooperatives in improving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger. Interest in cooperatives and rural organizations is also reflected in the decision of the UN General Assembly to designate 2012 “International Year of Cooperatives.”
Despite progress in the fight against hunger in recent decades, FAO estimates that nearly one billion people around the world are still malnourished which means that almost one-sixth of humanity is suffering from hunger. At current rates, many countries, particularly in Africa will not achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the number of poor by 2015. Thus, it is essential to bring relief to those who suffer from hunger but also implement sustainable solutions to feed a world population expected to exceed nine billion people by 2050.
For more Information and Registration:
ssofia@unog.ch
www.fao.org
www.fao.org/europe/log/en
http://desiebenthal.blogspot.ch/2008/02/madagascar-social-credit-experiment-for.html
Cooperatives with local communal capital creation ( L 3C ).
