World Food Day, 17 October 2024

World Food Day falls during Anti-Poverty Week in Australia. 

In Australia, more than 3.32 million people or 13.4% of the Australian population are living below the poverty line. The Foodbank Hunger Report 2024 revealed that 3.4 million households in Australia have run out of food in the last year.

The theme for this year's World Food Day invites us to reflect on the right to food for a better life and future.

In his message for World Food Day Pope Francis urges leaders to " listen to the demands of those at the bottom of the food chain, such as small-scale farmers" and in a post on X he calls for  military expenditures to be transformed into into investments to combat hunger and the lack of healthcare and education.

In his message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres challenges everyone to "step up the fight against hunger and malnutrition" and "take action to uphold the right to food for a better life and a better future"