On this year’s World Food Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with its members, is focusing on food as a human right under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future: Leave no one Behind”. Although food is a basic human need, access to adequate food remains out of reach for billions of people. Therefore, today we raise awareness that everyone should have access to sufficient, safe, adequate and nutritious food to maintain good health and normal physical development.

The COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and weather-related shocks have increased the number of people at risk of hunger. Last year, more than 730 million people suffered from hunger. This means that one in eleven people in the world is deprived of their right to food. Women are disproportionately affected compared to men: despite being responsible for half of the world's food production, women are almost a third more likely to be severely food insecure. The second Sustainable Development Goal of the 2030 Agenda – ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture – is therefore a major challenge for the international community and will be difficult to achieve by 2030.

Slovenia feels a great responsibility to contribute to the fight against food insecurity. Since 2021, its support for development and humanitarian projects with food security as a principal or significant objective has increased significantly. More than €2 million was allocated to food aid in 2022 and more than €3 million in 2023. Slovenia provides assistance in this area through established international or national organisations and partners, such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and through development and humanitarian projects implemented by Slovenian non-governmental partner organisations.

Read more about Slovenia's contribution to food security here.