On October 16th the United Nations and the world celebrates World Food Day. In their communications the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasizes: “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.” And they urge everyone: “Let's adapt agriculture to climate change to build the Zero Hunger Generation.”
According to Vladimir Rakhmanin, the European regional director of FAO, “while we have enough food to feed the entire human population, there are still millions out there starving. The problem is, he says, is not the quantity of the food we produce, it is the unbalance in distribution.”
Rakhmanin also pointed out the importance of adapting the agriculture to the effects of climate change, by switching to sustainable, local agriculture.
Volunteers of different faith groups discuss the tasks before the food distribution begins.
With its organic farm Krishna-valley, ISKCON Hungary has been one of the most well known champions of sustainability in Europe. To respond to the appeal of the UN FAO about the balanced distribution of food, on Sunday October 16th, ISKCON Hungary organized a major free food distribution event to the needy in Budapest.
Volunteers have distributed 1,600 plates of hot lunch, and gave out tons of dry food, including pasta, flour, vegetable oil, rice and other items from which families can cook from for weeks.
Hare Krishnas, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists worked together to help the needy on World Food Day.
The special feature of the charity event was that at this time, people from other religious communities have also joined the Krishna devotees in their effort in helping the poor. Dozens of Hungarian Muslim, Jew, and Buddhist volunteers contributed with money, food and their time to make the World Food Day free food distribution program in Budapest a great success.
People on the receiving end not only appreciated the food and kind words they got from people of different faiths today, but also the good example they witnessed in their way of cooperation, and their acting upon shared values.
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