World food day celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025
Launched in 1945 by the newly-established Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Day is an opportunity to highlight positive changes as well as major causes related to diet and supply for the world’s population.
At the end of the Second World War, the issue of food supply and malnutrition was at the heart of concerns. The establishment of a dedicated organization within the brand new United Nations was a matter of course, as was the launch of a World Day focusing on the cause of food. 80 years later, the issue remains just as relevant, even if the problem is now more complex: on the one hand, famine and undernutrition remain a key issue. On the other hand, and often within the same region, the problem of obesity and food waste are also among the major problems faced by populations and governments. Malnutrition, whether linked to individuals who are obese or extremely thin, is underlying, due in part to the prevalence of industrially processed food and the economic issues related to it. On the other hand, sustainable agriculture is struggling to compete, weighed down by climate and socio-political problems. For this 80th year, World Food Day seeks to focus on positive outcomes, whether they concern concrete projects around agriculture or access to a balanced diet at the right price.
The figures speak for themselves: according to UNICEF’s 2025 report on child nutrition, food contexts are highly problematic for children at an international level, with an increase in the number of children aged 5 to 19 concerned by obesity, who are now more likely than the percentage of children to suffer from hunger.
At a national level, recent initiatives highlight a growing awareness in different countries.
In Italy
the Chamber of Deputies passed a law recognizing obesity as a medical condition requiring special care.
In Mauritius
where one in three adults faces obesity, the government has just put in place a five-year plan to combat the problem, in collaboration with the WHO.
In Mexico
a country particularly affected by adult and childhood obesity, the tax on sugary drinks will double in the 2026 budget.
Faced with the scale of the issue, a scientific team has just published a study in the journal The Lancet to propose the idea of a global dietary rebalancing. The concept: an alternative diet that guarantees both the health of humans and the planet, by highlighting plant-based foods, diversity, seasonality, local and respectful agriculture, and refusing ultra-processed foods marketed by multinational industries. This remains an ambitious idea, but is a concrete proposal that you can already draw inspiration from on a daily basis to plan your family meals.