World Food Day – Why we need food systems that lead us to a better future

16 October 2025

A smiling woman wearing a white hat and plaid shirt stands in a greenhouse, holding a wooden crate filled with ripe red tomatoes, surrounded by green tomato plants, celebrating World Food Day.

There is probably nothing more fundamental in our lives than the food we eat. As well as sustaining our minds and bodies, our diets are at the core of our personal lives and national cultures. Every year on World Food Day, we celebrate the value and diversity of food cultures from all corners of the globe, while also drawing attention to the urgent need to transform the world’s food systems. As we approach 2030 and the next UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil, the stakes could not be higher.

According to the FAO’s 2025 report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, between 638 and 720 million people (7.8% and 8.8% of the global population, respectively) suffered from hunger in 2024 – that is, roughly one in 13 people globally.¹ In addition, around 2.3 billion people worldwide were estimated to experience moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024 – an increase of 335 million since 2019, before the pandemic, and 683 million more than in 2015, when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was first introduced.² The number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet in 2024 is estimated to be around 2.76 billion – that’s nearly a third of the world’s population.³

Food systems are responsible for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions⁴⁵ and are a leading driver of deforestation and resource use. For this year’s World Food Day, the FAO calls for ‘global collaboration in creating a peaceful, sustainable, prosperous and food secure future’. However, what global leaders need to realize is that without a shift towards more plant-rich diets and production – especially in the Global North – it will be impossible to create truly inclusive and sustainable food systems. In fact, our current animal-centric, resource-intensive modes of food production are one of the main reasons why so many people are still left behind.

Why plant-rich diets contribute to a fairer food system

Shifting towards plant-rich production and more plant-based diets, especially in the Global North, is key to creating more inclusive and sustainable food systems. Plant-based foods have been shown to be much less resource-intensive and to emit far lower levels of greenhouse gasses than animal-based products.⁶ And, because they can be directly consumed by humans instead of first being consumed by an animal, plant-based staples can feed far more people using far fewer resources.

Last but not least, there are plenty of indigenous crops that are better adapted to local environments and climates, and are much more drought-resilient than the crops grown for animal feed. Preserving and promoting knowledge about these crops and traditional farming techniques can be an important contribution to creating more food security for those who currently rely on water-intensive feed crops that are more vulnerable to climate change.

Promoting systemic change: ProVeg’s role in shaping the discourse at COP30

If we want to create truly inclusive and sustainable food systems that allow for a better life and a better future, a holistic, global approach is needed to create systematic change. While individual action is laudable, what is needed above all is large-scale political commitment. This is why ProVeg actively advocates for a transformation of our global food systems at the UN level.

In the run-up to COP30 (which will take place in Belém, Brazil in November this year), ProVeg has taken a central role in pushing for food systems and diets to be part of the climate agenda.

The Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets

We spearheaded the conception and launch of the Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets – a powerful call-to-action urging governments to put plant-rich diets at the heart of climate, nutrition, biodiversity and food-security strategies. Already endorsed by over 100 stakeholders, including academics, and business leaders, the Declaration calls for governments to commit to National Action Plans promoting plant-based foods. The Declaration was officially handed to COP30 decision-makers during the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June, marking a vital step in integrating plant-rich diets into climate policymaking.

Advocacy, event catering and localisation

Ahead of COP30, we also launched Future Plates, our new guide for sustainable catering at large-scale events. We shared it with the COP30 organizing committee and UNFCCC counterparts. Thanks in part to our advocacy efforts, the COP30 organizers have committed to 40% of the catering at COP30 being plant-based, with scope for further increases.

In Brazil, ProVeg Brazil is implementing the Belém Gastronomia Sustentável (Belém Sustainable Gastronomy) initiative, supporting local restaurants to expand plant-based options ahead of COP30. So far, 13 establishments have signed up, and training is ongoing. We have already trained 71 chefs/cooks and 36 restaurant delegates, in partnership with the Brazilian Vegetarian Society.

These efforts will help to ensure that the COP30 food environment itself reflects the transition we’re advocating.

Looking ahead: hope through action

At ProVeg, we see COP30 not just as an event, but as a gateway to the future: an opportunity to embed plant-rich food systems into global and national climate frameworks, to mobilize action, and to catalyze change across sectors.

The journey is ongoing – and very far from over. But with bold policies, evidence-informed strategies, and broad partnerships, we can build better, more sustainable food systems that nourish people and the planet.

Click hereto learn more about ProVeg’s UN advocacy and follow our plans for COP30. And make sure to follow us on social media!