This week on the 11th of October a delegation from the Western Cape Government and members of ProVeg South Africa are visiting Uniondale for World Food Day to address crucial hunger, health and nutritional needs in the region.
World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year worldwide on October 16 to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945, with the 2024 theme being focused on the “Right to foods for a better life and a better future.” This vital outreach event comes during National Nutrition Week from 9 – 15 October.
The day’s programme includes briefings and talks at the Uniondale Town Hall and Sports Grounds by Dr. Mogale Sebopetsa (Head of Department: Agriculture at Western Cape Government) Dr. Ivan Meyer (Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape) Andrew Stroebel (Executive Mayor Garden Route Municipality) Jackie von Brandis (Executive Mayor George Municipality) and Donovan Will (Country Director, ProVeg South Africa). Dignitaries will perform household, community and school site visits in the area including Dirk Boshoff primary school, Avontuur primary and Haarlem primary school. A sampling of healthy plant-based foods will be provided to attendees at the Uniondale Sports Grounds
ProVeg will be distributing 4000 interactive educational booklets about healthy plant-based nutrition to primary school learners.
While globally we have high rates of childhood overweight and obesity, we also have one in four South African children under five years affected by stunting, a medical condition that robs them of reaching their full potential and makes them more vulnerable to developing Type 2 diabetes and other nutrition-related diseases as adults. It’s not just the youth who need more awareness of the South African guidelines for healthy eating. Parents, educators and employers will all benefit from focusing on these healthy eating principles; particularly in rural and remote areas where food insecurity and malnutrition are commonplace.
