World Food Day 2011. World Food Day, 16 October 2011. Overview.

>> FAO/Italy: history in the making

On 16 October 1945, at Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Canada, representatives from 34 countries signed the Constitution of FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The first official Conference for the new body was held on 16 October, 1945 in Quebec City, Canada.  The Conference translated the general principles stated at Hot Springs into Recommendations for action by member nations. The first Director-General was also elected. This was Sir John Boyd Orr, a Scot who held the post from 1945 to 1948.  In 1949, Orr was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.

In the introduction to the founding document of the new Organization, the member countries undertook to:
– increase the nutritional levels and living standards of their populations;
– improve the efficiency of the production and distribution of all agricultural and food products;
– improve the living conditions of rural communities;
– contribute to the expansion of the global economy and ensure that humanity is free from hunger.

>> FAO’s move to Italy

The headquarters of the new Organization was provisionally established in Washington DC, but at the V Session of the General Conference, in 1949, Member States decided that many aspects of its mandate coincided with those of IIA, and with a majority vote they opted to move the offices to Rome. IIA officially ceased to exist on 27 February, 1948, and FAO took over its structure, operations and staff.

In February 1951, FAO, headed by Norris E. Dodd from USA, officially moved its headquarters to the Terme di Caracalla, in a building previously intended for the Ministry of Italian Colonies in East Africa.

At the time, the Organization had a staff of about 580 people, but in the beginning, fewer that a half of these were transferred to Italy. In February 1951, two Italian ships – Saturnia and Vulcania – set sail with the first 76 employees and their families for Rome.

Since then, the number of people working for FAO has risen to 2,139 in Rome alone.

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Video on the 60th Anniversary of FAO’s transfer
from Washington DC, USA, to Rome, Italy

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> World Food Day 2011. Run for Food.

Video on the 6th Edition of the Run for Food

Run for Food Race
RUN FOR FOOD race – Stadium Terme di Caracalla, Rome

The funds collected through the Run for Food race 2010 were donated to the “Fruit trees for Haiti” project. This project is designed to bring attention to the desperate need for tree-planting in Haiti (country devastated by the earthquake on 12 January 2010). Once mature, fruit trees also provide additional nutrition for poor children. FAO Goodwill Ambassador and Olympic track legend Carl Lewis visited the “Fruit trees for Haiti” project in June 2011 and planted trees with schoolchildren in Haiti.

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“Run for Food Race against Hunger Project”
6th Edition in Rome
Sunday, 16 October 2011 – 10.00 hours
Stadium delle Terme di Caracalla

The 6th Edition of the Run for Food race will be organized by the Athletic Association Bancari Romani (GSBR) in partnership with The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), Bioversity International, FAO Staff Coop, with the support of the Municipality of Rome, the sponsorship of Youth and United Natons Global Alliance (YUNGA) and United Nations Federal Credit Union (UNFCU). The race has the Patronage of Rome Province and with the participation of the partners such as United Nations Women’s Guilt (UNWG), the Department of “Scienze Documentarie, Liguistico-filologiche e geografiche della Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia”, of the Sapienza Univerity of Rome, John Cabot University, Liceo Manara “Associazione Italiana Insegnanti di Geografia (AIIG)”, “Società Geografica Italiana”, “Centro Turistico Stdentesco (CTS)”.

As in previous years, this race will take place in the framework of the World Food Day and this year the theme is “Food Prices-from crisis to stability”. 

The objectives of World Food Day are to:

• to raise public awareness
• focus attention on food security
• disseminate information
• mobilize public opinion and funds in favor of the global fight against hunger

There are now almost 1 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger. With all the advances in science and technology, the world has the means to eliminate hunger but this will require the firm commitment of all sectors of society. The power of the sport can contribute to mobilize public opinion and  resources towards the eradication of  hunger.

Working together FAO, IFAD, WFP, Bioversity International and the FAO Staff Coop together with Comune di Roma, GSBR and their partners, are joining forces to battle hunger and extreme poverty.

Aims of the 6th Edition of the Run for Food

1) Awareness raising on the fact that hundreds of millions of people worldwide don’t get enough to eat each day and for them.

2) Fund raising: the inscription fees of the race will be donated to the FAO TeleFood projects in the Horn of Africa.

FAO launched the TeleFood Programme  in 1997 after the first World Food Summit as an annual campaign of awareness-raising events (broadcasts, concerts, sports) and other activities to harness the power of media, celebrities and concerned citizens to help fight hunger. For example, the Run for Food had important testimonials such as FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Gina Lollobrigida, Beatrice Faumuina, Justine Pasek, Carl Lewis, Raoul Bova, Anggun, WFP Goodwill Ambassador, Maria Grazia Cucinotta and other celebrities such as Fiona May, Nino Benvenuti and Andrew Howe.

Donations to TeleFood finance small, self-contained agriculture, livestock and fisheries projects that help poor families produce more food; not a penny is spent on administrative costs.  Although small in scale and cost, TeleFood projects make a significant impact.

For more information: http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/telefood/en/

When and where: Sunday, 16 October 2011 inside the Stadium (Terme di Caracalla) open from 8.00 hours with a Food Fair and Cultural activities by the FAO Staff Coop. Race starts at 10.00 hours from Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Roma.

Distance: 10 kilometres competitive race and 5 kilometres non-competitive race.

Race: Competitive for those with a valid FIDAL card

> World Food Day 2011. Schools.

YOUTH AND THE RUN FOR FOOD RACE

All young people love sports. Exercise helps develop a strong body and a balanced mind. We burn a lot of energy when we run, swim, or play. The Run for Food Race wants to draw people’s attention to the fact that many, way too many people not only don’t have enough energy to do some exercise, but also they don’t have even the minimum energy to survive! They are poor people living mainly in developing countries, they don’t have enough to eat nor enough money to feed themselves, and often they are children and young people just like you. This situation is not acceptable and something has to be done! If you are young and energetic and if you want to send a message to those who don’t know yet that almost 1 BILLION people are in this situation, participate in the Run for Food Race which will take place in Rome on October 16, 2011 and take the opportunity to spread the message. Get ready and discover why your participation to this event is so important!
Also, the money raised from the race will be donated to small-scale projects aimed at helping the populations in the Horn of Africa hit by drought and famine.

Additional Resources

Make this event an occasion to learn and discover something new! Don’t just go and run… everybody could do that, but not everybody knows what is really going on behind the scenes! Below are some useful resources that you should definitely check out.

THE RIGHT TO FOOD is a rather complicated issue, but comics can help understand it, especially when they are “illustrated by young people for young people”. Download the comics in PDF format at www.fao.org/docrep/010/a1300e/a1300e00.htm