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Why 16 October matters more than ever in a year of energy shocks
World Food Day is observed every year on 16 October, the anniversary of the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. More than 150 countries mark the day with events on hunger, nutrition and sustainable farming. In 2026 it comes at a difficult time. The war involving Iran has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel for long periods and disrupted Gulf shipping, raising the cost of fuel, fertiliser and transport, which are key inputs to food production.
The FAO-led State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report is the main global measure of hunger. The 2025 edition estimated that around 8.2% of the world's population, roughly 670 million people, faced hunger in 2024. That was a slight improvement on previous years, but still far from the UN goal of Zero Hunger by 2030. Progress is uneven: hunger has been falling in parts of Asia and Latin America but remains high, and in some places is rising, in Africa and conflict zones.
Nitrogen fertilisers such as urea and ammonia are made from natural gas. The Gulf is a major exporter of both gas and fertiliser. When shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted and Qatar's LNG exports are under force majeure, fertiliser prices rise. Farmers may then use less, which can reduce the next harvest.
Diesel powers tractors, irrigation pumps, lorries and ships. Higher fuel costs raise the price of producing and moving food. War-risk insurance for ships in the Gulf has jumped from about 0.25% to 3–10% of a vessel's value, adding to shipping costs.
Many poorer countries import food and fuel in US dollars. With the US Federal Reserve raising rates and the dollar strong, those imports become more expensive in local currencies.
Wars in the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine and parts of the Sahel disrupt farming, trade and humanitarian access, and drive acute hunger.
Extreme weather is now a constant pressure on food systems:
Food security will be on the agenda at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye (9–20 November 2026). The Türkiye presidency has listed food security among its priority areas.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 16 October every year |
| Origin | FAO founded on 16 October 1945, in Quebec City, Canada |
| First observed | 1981 |
| FAO headquarters | Rome, Italy |
| Global hunger (SOFI 2025) | About 8.2% of the world population in 2024 |
It marks the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on 16 October 1945.
The FAO's SOFI 2025 report estimated roughly 8.2% of the world's population, around 670 million people, faced hunger in 2024.
Oil and gas costs raise the price of fertiliser, farm machinery fuel, processing and transport, all of which feed into food prices.
Sustainable Development Goal 2: ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition by 2030.
World Food Day 2026 shows how closely energy, conflict, climate and food are linked. Disruption in a Gulf shipping lane can raise bread and rice prices thousands of kilometres away. Building more resilient food systems is now an economic and security necessity as well as a humanitarian one.
