World Food Day 2026 is on Friday

About World Food Day

World Food Day focuses on the gap between the food the world produces and the people who cannot get enough of it. FAO estimates that around 645 million people faced hunger in 2025 and that about 2.69 billion could not afford a healthy diet. The day reaches farmers, governments, businesses, schools and households, with events in about 150 countries and in up to 50 languages, according to FAO. Recent themes have centered on water, the right to food and innovation in farming and food systems.

October 16 is the anniversary of FAO's founding in 1945. FAO's member nations established World Food Day at the 20th session of the FAO Conference, in resolution 1/79 of November 28, 1979, after a proposal from Hungary. The UN General Assembly backed the annual observance in resolution 35/70 of December 5, 1980, and the first World Food Day was held on October 16, 1981.

FAO's original goals for the day included raising public awareness of world hunger, focusing attention on agriculture and food production, and building solidarity in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Related UN observances include World Food Safety Day in June and the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste in September.

Sources: FAO: World Food Day, FAO: About World Food Day (1993 publication), Yearbook of the United Nations 1981: World Food Day. How we check dates.

How to mark World Food Day

• Plan a week of meals around what's already in your fridge and pantry to cut food waste.
• Donate to or volunteer at a local food bank or community pantry.
• Buy from local farmers and ask how they grow their produce.
• Cook a traditional dish from another country and learn about the crops behind it.
• Learn the difference between best-before and use-by dates so you don't throw out food that is still safe to eat.

World Food Day dates