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:
#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:
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.