World Food Day 2024 - Opening Remarks

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen: 

• I am delighted to welcome you to the observance of World Food Day, under the theme of "Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future". A special thank you should be given to our co-host this evening, ARTECHOUSE, for welcoming us in this beautiful space.
• It is a great honor to have esteemed ambassadors, representatives from the UN family, global foundations, local government and members of the New York Community.
• I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all Member States and partners present today for your continued support to FAO's mandate to end hunger and malnutrition.
• Today, we still confront a sobering reality: about 730 million people are experiencing hunger and over 2.8 billion people, one third of the global population, are unable to afford a healthy diet.
• This is not acceptable. Today's observance is not only a recognition of World Food Day, but also a wake-up call that everyone has the right to food, and that we must make this happen.
• Transforming our agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable is the key to ensuring that everyone has access to adequate foods and healthy diets.
• Governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, farmers, academia, and individual citizens, let all of us work together and scale up our efforts to ensure agrifood systems uphold everyone's right to food, for a better life and a better future, leaving no one behind.
• Thank you!