World Food Day is on 16 October. It marks the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and focuses on hunger and food systems.
The date is 16 October.
How to use the World Food Day Countdown#
- Open the page. The world food day countdown starts as soon as the page loads and follows the clock on your device.
- Pick which one. Stay on the next World Food Day, or look a year further ahead.
- Read the date. World Food Day is on 16 October every year. The weekday is listed under the big number.
Why 16 October#
The FAO was founded on 16 October 1945. Its member countries established World Food Day at the 1979 FAO Conference, and it has been celebrated since 1981. Each year has a theme, often linked to farming, nutrition, water or climate.
The day is a reminder that hundreds of millions of people still go hungry while a large share of food produced is wasted.
Doing something with it#
Schools run food drives and farm visits. Households can plan a week of meals that waste less. If you farm or work in agriculture, it’s a day to share good practice. Our seed rate calculator and herbicide calculator help with planning on the farm.
When is World Food Day in the next few years?#
World Food Day is on 16 October every year.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16 October | Friday |
| 2027 | 16 October | Saturday |
| 2028 | 16 October | Monday |
| 2029 | 16 October | Tuesday |
| 2030 | 16 October | Wednesday |
Hunger and waste at the same time#
The FAO’s latest hunger report estimates that roughly 730 million people did not have enough to eat in 2023, and that several times that number could not afford a healthy diet. Yet about a third of the food produced for people is lost or wasted somewhere between the field and the plate. In poorer countries much of the loss happens after harvest, through poor storage, transport and markets. In richer ones it happens in shops and kitchens.
What you can do in your own kitchen#
Plan meals for the week and buy only what you need. Learn the difference between a “use by” date, which is about safety, and a “best before” date, which is about quality. Freeze bread, cooked rice and overripe fruit. Use the grams to cups converter to scale a recipe down to the number of people eating, so you cook less surplus.
For farmers and traders, cutting post-harvest loss through dry, clean storage is often the cheapest way to raise the amount of food that reaches the market.
Organising something#
Work back from Sat 16 October 2027, a Saturday in 2027:
| When | What to do | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 5 weeks out | Choose a food drive, a farm visit or a talk | Sat 11 September 2027 |
| 3 weeks out | Announce and collect pledges | Sat 25 September 2027 |
| 1 week out | Sort and deliver donations | Sat 9 October 2027 |
If you donate food, ask the charity what it needs most, and give items with a long shelf life.
Quick facts#
- Roughly one in three people in the world cannot afford a healthy diet, according to UN estimates, even when they have enough calories.
- Small farms of under two hectares produce a large share of the world’s food, and they dominate African farming.
- Cassava, yam, maize and rice are staples across Nigeria, and each has its own storage problems, from mould in grain to rot in tubers.
- A hectare of land that is planted at the wrong density can lose a large share of its yield, which is why a tool like the seed rate calculator helps.
For weed control, the herbicide calculator works out the product and water needed for the area you are spraying, so you do not over- or under-apply.
Frequently asked questions#
16 October.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Since 1981, following a decision at the FAO Conference in 1979.
Food loss happens early in the chain, on the farm, in storage and in transport, usually through poor handling or lack of equipment. Food waste happens late, in shops, restaurants and homes, when edible food is thrown away. Fixing loss needs investment in storage and roads. Fixing waste is more a matter of habits, planning and shopping.
Shop with a list, store food properly, use older items first and plan to use leftovers. Freeze what you will not eat in time. Cook smaller portions if you often throw food away, and turn peels, stalks and bones into soups or stock. Composting what is left cuts the methane that rotting food produces in a landfill.