International Human Rights Days

Annually October 16, World Food Day is observed worldwide commemorating the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. The day dedicates raising global awareness about hunger, food insecurity and the right of every person to adequate nutrition. The 2025 World Food Day slogan, “Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind,” emphasizes the inextricable connection between sustainable food systems and the protection of water resources.

Food insecurity has been one of the gravest human rights challenges of our time. According to the 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, 713 to 757 million people faced chronic hunger in 2023 and nearly one-third of the global population (2.33 billion people) experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. In Africa, over 307 million people were undernourished while millions of South Asians still face hunger for rising food prices and climate shocks. Malnutrition remains a leading cause of child mortality; approximately 45% of deaths among children under five are linked to under nutrition.

The right to food is firmly rooted in international human rights law. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, 1966) both recognize the right of every individual to adequate food and an adequate standard of living. The FAO’s Right to Food Guidelines (2004) and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 “Zero Hunger”  reaffirm the international community’s commitment to end hunger by 2030 globally. These frameworks hold governments accountable for respecting, protecting and fulfilling this fundamental human right.

However, the world faces increasing challenges to achieve food security for all. Armed conflicts, economic instability and the intensifying impacts of climate change have disrupted food systems worldwide. In 2024, severe droughts and floods devastated agricultural production across parts of Africa and Asia; global inflation continued to make healthy diets unaffordable for billions. Rural women, smallholder farmers, refugees and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected reflecting deep structural inequities in food access and resource distribution.

Bangladesh can be a concrete example  where climate induced floods have increasingly threatened production of staple crops. Bangladesh has made measurable progress in improving food security and rural livelihoods even if UN-FAO promoted climate resilient farming and women-led agricultural cooperatives. This demonstrates how inclusive and sustainable agricultural practices can translate the right to food into tangible results.

World Food Day serves as a reminder that hunger is not only an economic issue but also a violation of human rights. Governments, international organizations and civil societies must strengthen food systems; expand social protection and prioritize sustainable water as well as land management. The right to food must be established through justice, policy, and accountability but not through charity. Humanity can achieve a future free from hunger and malnutrition only by ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities.