Some 850 million people go hungry every day. It is a massive number, but what it means to many is tough decisions and risky behaviours in order to survive. Parents might place their children in hard labour instead of school so they can help earn enough money to put food on the table. Or a single mother might sell sexual services in order to feed her children, creating opportunities like HIV and other diseases to spread. For children it always means malnutrition and abnormally high rates of death before the age of five.

World Food Day, happening Oct. 16th, offers the chance to stand with those suffering due to hunger. The theme for 2008 is “World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy”. Food Security is about ensuring people have both the availability and access to nutritious foods.

This year’s theme for World Food Day points out how food security is being compromised by both climate change and the conversion of foods to biofuel. Climate change is creating drought that can ruin crops, and the reduction of available food in a local economy increases prices of the food items that remain available. These challenges are hard for farmers and low-income earners in Canada, and other western nations, but for the billions of people earning one or two dollars a day in the developing world, the effects are devastating.

This coming year all of World Vision Canada’s youth programs are taking on the global food crisis. Here are some ways you can get involved and take action:

• World Food Day is two days after Canada’s federal election. Ask local political candidates what they will do improve food security in Canada and internationally.
• Hold an event that creates awareness of global hunger and provide practical ways that people can respond. Local political candidates and food experts could form a panel discussion on food security.
• Hold a food drive. Thanksgiving and Halloween are natural times to mobilize people around food.
• Invite local farmers to speak at your school about how they view the local and global food situation.
• Join the global Stand Up movement and make it a week of actions!
• Do the 30 Hour Famine. It isn’t too early to begin planning. This year’s program will have an exciting new ways to make your voice heard.
• Attend Youth Empowered in February 2009. All participants will receive an action guide on global food issues.