COMMEMORATING WORLD FOOD DAY 2026
16 October 2026
AgroRef Uganda joins the global fraternity in commemorating the World Food Day observed annually on 16 October. The 2026 theme, “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” calls for forward-thinking solutions that combine modern innovation, traditional knowledge and inclusive approaches to build sustainable food systems for present and future generations. World Food Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in addressing hunger and malnutrition, recognizing the contribution of farmers and other food system actors, and renewing our collective commitment to ensuring that every person has access to sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food.
Situational Analysis
Ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture all represent the Zero Hunger target, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations (UN) to guide the actions of the international community over the next 15 years (2016-2030).
The number of people affected by moderate or severe food insecurity shows a similar upward trend. Food insecurity is a condition that exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, or economic access to food. Moderate food insecurity refers to a lack of consistent access to food due to lack of money or other resources, which reduces dietary quality, changes common eating patterns, and potentially has detrimental consequences for health. People facing severe food insecurity are short of food, experience hunger and spend days without eating, and put their health at high risk.
Food security challenges have consistently constrained global progress. In the 1980s, Hunger (not getting enough to eat) and malnutrition (not getting the right things to eat) led to the death of 13-18 million people a year; 75% of these deaths being children. Hunger and malnutrition not only kill, they also maim through brain damage, sterility, and other permanent physical defects.
It is further noted that whereas crop failures, floods and other natural disasters contribute to hunger, they are not its root cause. There is enough food to eat in the world, however, many of the people in the poorest countries cannot afford to buy it. In the wealthy countries, a typical family spends 20-25% of its income on food, while in poorest countries the typical rural family spends 75-80%of its income on food. The root cause of hunger is poverty. Most hunger is caused by a failure to gain access to locally available supplies of food or to the means to produce the food directly.
Research further shows that soaring food prices mainly affect three groups: the poor whose ability to buy food is undermined; governments of low-income countries that face higher import bills, soaring costs for safety net programmes and political instability; and aid agencies that must cope with increased demands for food, cash and technical assistance.
However, after having remained unchanged from 2014 to 2019, the prevalence of undernourishment, rose to about 9.9% in 2020, from 8.4% the year before, with the number of undernourished people in the world gradually increasing. In Africa, the PoU is higher than in Asia and other continents, probably due to the large number of developing countries.
Major drivers of food insecurity are economic slowdowns and downturns (further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic), conflict and food crisis, poverty and inequality, and climate-related natural disasters.
The global perspective: Food security is a shared responsibility
Globally, food insecurity remains one of the most pressing development challenges, despite advances in agricultural technology, food production and international cooperation. The 2025 edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report by the United Nations estimated that 673 million people (about 8.2% of the global population) faced chronic hunger in 2024, representing a decrease of 15 million people compared to 2023. Furthermore, an estimated 2.6 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2024, demonstrating that the challenge is not simply producing enough food, but also ensuring that people can access and afford the food they need for healthy lives. Conflict, climate-related shocks, economic instability and high food prices continue to undermine food security, particularly among low-income households and vulnerable communities.
The African perspective: Transforming agricultural potential into food security
Africa possesses significant agricultural potential, including fertile soils in many areas, diverse agroecological zones, extensive farming communities and a youthful population capable of driving agricultural transformation. Nevertheless, this potential has not translated into food and nutrition security for all. According to FAO et al. (2025), hunger continued to rise in Africa, where more than one in five people experienced hunger in 2024. The continent faces interconnected challenges, including climate change, limited access to affordable agricultural inputs, inadequate irrigation, post-harvest losses, constrained financing, weak market linkages and the effects of conflict in affected areas. Addressing these challenges requires moving beyond subsistence-oriented production towards productive, inclusive and climate-resilient agrifood systems.
The Ugandan perspective: Turning agricultural potential into food and nutrition security
For Uganda, World Food Day is both a celebration of the country’s agricultural potential and a reminder of the work that remains to be done. Agriculture supports the livelihoods of many Ugandan households and contributes to employment, rural incomes, food availability and national economic development. However, national food availability has not automatically translated into adequate food consumption for every household. Poverty, limited purchasing power, seasonal food shortages, inadequate storage, post-harvest losses, uneven access to markets and climate-related production risks continue to affect food security in some communities. FAO’s Uganda country overview identifies persistent food insecurity in parts of the country, particularly in Karamoja, Teso and Acholi, and highlights the importance of strengthening agricultural productivity, water for production, extension services and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
The urgency of addressing these challenges is illustrated by Uganda’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released in September 2025. The analysis projected that approximately 1.42 million people would face high levels of acute food insecurity between August 2025 and February 2026, with particularly severe conditions in parts of Karamoja. Although the projected situation was expected to improve following a stronger harvest, the analysis underscored the continuing need for food assistance, resilient livelihoods, improved water access, better post-harvest management and climate-smart agricultural practices (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC], 2025). These figures refer to the specified projection period and should not be interpreted as a current estimate for October 2026. They nevertheless illustrate why Uganda must continue investing in long-term solutions that address the underlying causes of food insecurity rather than relying exclusively on emergency responses.
AgroRef Uganda calls for a stronger national commitment to making agriculture more productive, profitable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable. Smallholder farmers must be supported with accessible extension services, quality seeds, appropriate fertilizers, affordable financing, reliable markets, irrigation and practical climate information. Greater attention must be given to soil health, water conservation, crop diversification, agroforestry, sustainable land management and integrated pest management. Equally important is the need to strengthen farmer organisations and cooperatives, improve rural infrastructure, expand local processing and storage facilities, and reduce losses between harvest and consumption. Agricultural innovation should not be understood solely as the adoption of sophisticated technologies; it should also include locally developed solutions, indigenous knowledge, improved farming practices and innovations that farmers can afford, use and maintain. In this regard, the 2026 World Food Day theme offers Uganda an opportunity to connect innovation with practical, farmer-centered solutions that increase productivity while protecting natural resources.
AgroRef Uganda further emphasizes that food security must be measured not only by the quantity of food produced, but also by its nutritional quality, affordability, safety and accessibility. A household may have access to staple foods yet lack the resources to obtain a sufficiently diverse and nutritious diet. Strengthening nutrition therefore requires closer collaboration among agricultural institutions, health services, schools, local governments, researchers, civil society organisations and the private sector. Public awareness on food preparation, safe storage, dietary diversity and the reduction of food waste should complement interventions that improve household incomes and access to nutritious food. Particular attention should be paid to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older persons, people with disabilities, low-income households and communities affected by climate shocks or displacement.
Our call to action
On this World Food Day, AgroRef Uganda calls upon the Government of Uganda, development partners, agricultural research institutions, local governments, the private sector, farmers’ organisations, civil society and communities to strengthen their collective efforts towards ending hunger and malnutrition. We urge policymakers to prioritise investment in sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, rural infrastructure, agricultural research, farmer education and inclusive food markets. We encourage the private sector to develop affordable technologies, strengthen local value addition and create fairer market opportunities for producers. We call upon farmers and their organisations to embrace appropriate innovations, share knowledge and strengthen collective action, while urging consumers to value local food systems, support responsible production and minimise food waste. Above all, we call for policies and programmes that place smallholder farmers, women, young people and vulnerable communities at the centre of agricultural transformation.
As we commemorate World Food Day 2026, AgroRef Uganda reaffirms its commitment to promoting agricultural development and food systems that support resilient livelihoods, healthy communities and environmental sustainability. We believe that Uganda’s future food security depends on the decisions, investments and partnerships we make today. By combining scientific innovation with indigenous knowledge, empowering farmers, protecting our natural resources and ensuring that nutritious food is accessible to all, we can move closer to a Uganda and an East Africa where no one is left behind.
Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow. Together, let us build a food-secure Uganda and a hunger-free world.
