WCC news: Breaking the hunger cycle: WCC to host Webinar on food security and nutrition for World Food Day

On 16 October, during World Food Day, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will host an international webinar to address the worsening global food crisis. Featuring voices from the United Nations, civil society, academia, and faith communities, the event will examine the systemic causes of hunger and explore ways to empower women and children, the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Women unload emergency food aid in Akobo, South Sudan, on October 6, 2021. Like several locations around the troubled country, the combination of fighting and flooding has worsened food insecurity.  The 50 pound bags of sorghum, provided by the United Nations' World Food Program, were transported by river barge to the remote community, a lengthy and dangerous process. On October 2, as it was traveling in a convoy of boats carrying relief supplies, the boat was fired upon and two people were wounded. They were hospitalized after the boat arrived in Akobo, which is near the Ethiopian border. Photo: Paul Jeffrey 10 October 2024 "The time to act is now," said Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia. "This crisis disproportionately impacts women and children. They face heightened risks of malnutrition and hunger. We must work together to find sustainable solutions and protect the most vulnerable."  The webinar will explore the interconnected issues of food security, nutrition, gender, and health, focusing on challenges caused by climate change, conflict, and economic instability. Participants will hear from leading experts and learn how faith communities can be crucial in transforming food systems. The goal is to ensure access to sufficient, nutritious food for all. Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, emphasized the urgency: “Faith communities are uniquely positioned to advocate for those most affected by hunger, particularly women, who are often the primary food producers but also the most vulnerable." This event will also contribute to the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, where faith communities will offer insights on creating more equitable and sustainable food systems. After the webinar, participants can access additional resources and join local advocacy groups to take action in their communities. “WCC is fully committed to addressing hunger, food security, and nutrition. To this end, we will continue to engage in prayer and concrete action upholding the principles of Food for Life,” added Mtata.  Registration for the webinar is open and all are encouraged to join this critical conversation. Register here See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland