World Food Day

Here at Carbon Free Dining, we are super passionate about ending poverty, World Food Day is here and it's definitely an event worth talking about. The 16th of October is a day to raise even more awareness on #ZeroHunger - an initiative that aims to ensure every member of our population has access to a healthy, nutritious diet.

Introduction
Here's a video from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations which outlines the goals of #WorldHunger:

Summary:

• Over 820 million people suffer from hunger.
• Even more people than this are overweight and/or obese.
• The goal of #ZeroHunger goes beyond hunger - it means enough nutritious food for everyone, everywhere.
• Transforming food systems from farm to fork and changing what & how we eat.
• We can redefine our future and shape our planet. We need to take action to make healthy diets available to all 
• "Our actions are our future".

There has been a huge focus on ending world hunger, which has always been an issue, but while this has been a focus, unhealthy eating and lack of access to healthy foods have not been nearly as much of a focus as they should've been.

#WorldFoodDay is a fantastic initiative - it's a reminder that even those with access to food, don't necessarily have access to healthy foods, or are not educated enough on healthy eating. 

But what can you do to help?

What can I do?

World Food Day is about educating and bringing awareness to #ZeroHunger, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have provided a range of resources so you can educate yourself and those around you.

These resources include communication handbooks, videos, brochures, posters, activity books, web banners and Trello Boards - all of which can be used anywhere, from schools to offices. All of these resources can be found here.

There are also ways you can make a difference, and contribute to ending hunger in your local area:

• Donate food to local food banks and other organisations - this food will go to people in need in your local area. This food can often be any cans or jars, even making use of discounts at your local supermarket (picking up twice you need in that 2-for-1), so you can donate food without it costing you any extra.Some organisations will also accept fresh foods, but this is something you should check before donating.

• Support local organisations that donate food - even if cannot donate any food, or do not have any local organisations, you can donate money to soup kitchens, churches and any organisations that feed those in need. 
  
  
• Get your friends/family/colleagues involved - when I was in high school, I remember every winter we used to do a huge collection of food. They made it into a competition within our form groups, and the winning form in each year group won a prize! You could host something similar in any workplace - a little competition never hurt, especially when it's for a good cause!

Along with these methods, you can also try the following to make a difference to overall world hunger:

• Do some research - find out who and where needs help, look into different organisations that are working towards ending world hunger. Different organisations help different people, in different places, and in different ways - it's up to you to decide who you want to support, who you consider donating if that's what you want to do.
  
  
• Be conscious of what you're buying - buying Fairtrade foods, buying local or sustainable produce, choosing sustainable clothing and supporting companies who pay fair wages in developing countries are all ways to make a significant difference. Everything you buy can make a difference; it's up to you to be buyer-conscious. Every small change we make is making a difference to someone somewhere.

The Carbon Free Dining story 

Carbon Free Dining is actively working towards ending poverty and saving the environment. We are a United-Nations-Environment-backed initiative who have partnered with restaurants around the globe. When restaurants are Carbon Free Dining Certified, all of their diners can add an optional 99p (99¢ or $1.25) to their bill, which plants a fruit tree in the developing world. The fruit on these trees can be eaten, and the surplus can be sold to create an economy. This allows impoverished communities to build better houses, build schools, educate themselves and their children and more. 

Here's Marvin Baker, Founder of Green Earth Appeal and Carbon Free Dining, sharing his story:

Carbon Free Dining is having a huge impact on thousands who are less fortunate. But how can you get involved?

If you work in a restaurant, share this initiative with your managers, bosses and owners - it is free for a restaurant to join! There's also plenty of perks for the restaurant too - find out more about signing up to be a Carbon Free Dining Certified restaurant here.

As a diner, it's also super easy for you to become involved too. There are Carbon Free Dining restaurants all around the UK, with several restaurants also in  Europe and America. Check and see if any of your restaurants are a Carbon Free Dining partner, and you can enjoy your meal guilt-free as you know the micro-donation on your bill is saving lives. View a list of all of the Carbon Free Dining Certified restaurants here.

What now?

So now it's your turn to make a difference. Don't keep thinking 'I'll donate later', 'I'll do that when I have some free time'. The sooner you make that first move to make a difference, whether that's donating to a reputable charity, spending a few pennies extra and picking Fairtrade chocolate, or even sharing this blog post on your social media, the closer we will be to having a #ZeroHunger world.