On Oct. 9, 2020, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the World Food Programme (WFP) with this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The Prize was awarded because of the WFP’s “efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.”
What is The World Food Programme?
The WFP is the leading international body tackling hunger, food insecurity, and nutritional gaps. In 2019, WFP helped 97 million people in 88 different countries around the world, distributing 15 billion rations. Yet despite their efforts, the world is not on track to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger by 2030. SDG2 aims to end hunger and malnutrition, double agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, ensure sustainable food production systems, and maintain the genetic diversity of plants and animals to protect the integrity of our resources. The WFP’s vision to achieve Zero Hunger rests on five pillars:
- Put the furthest behind first by investing in social protection programs for the most vulnerable
- Pave the road from farm to market
- Reduce food waste
- Encourage a sustainable variety of crops
- Make nutrition a priority, starting with a child’s first 1,000 days
The work of the WFP began in 1961 and the organization’s efforts are currently critical for the survival of millions of individuals around the world. But what makes this year special enough to earn the Peace Prize?
Coronavirus.
In April, the WFP projected that COVID-19 would double the number of people around the world who are suffering from acute hunger, bringing the number to more than a quarter of a billion by the end of 2020.People all around the world are facing food insecurity as the pandemic disrupts supply chains, transportation, and declining currency values, with the largest areas of need in South Asia and Africa. The WFP reports that these countries are most affected by conflict, climate change, and economic crisis. Arif Husain, the WFP’s Chief Economist, said that “COVID-19 is potentially catastrophic for millions who are already hanging by a thread. It is a hammer blow for millions more who can only eat if they earn a wage. Lockdowns and global economic recession have already decimated their next eggs. It only takes one more shock – like COVID-19 – to push them over the edge. We must collectively act now to mitigate the impact of this global catastrophe.”
“COVID-19 is potentially catastrophic for millions who are already hanging by a thread.”
Arif Husain, World Food Programme Chief Economist
Conflict.
Another key reason the WFP has received the Nobel Peace Prize this year is because they have provided for those in areas of conflict. The organization seeks to end the use of hunger as a weapon and thus, as the Norwegian Nobel Committee states, “The World Food Programme plays a key role in multilateral cooperation on making food security an instrument of peace.”
In Yemen, where five years of civil conflict have devastated the country and killed thousands, 20 million people face food insecurity, of which 10 million face acute food insecurity. The WFP has been able to provide food to 13 million people, nutritional support to 1.1 million pregnant and nursing women and children under 5, food assistance to 8,500 refugees, and nutritious snacks to 950,000 school children. In each initiative, the WFP’s focus is on emergency response and getting aid to those who need it most. In Yemen, as in many other places around the world, the work of the WTP is critical to prevent the use of hunger as a tool of conflict and weapon of war.
“The World Food Programme plays a key role in multilateral cooperation on making food security an instrument of peace.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee
The WFP has done so much to address hunger around the world. But, there is clearly a long way to go before every individual has reliable, sustainable access to nutritious food — especially as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nobel Peace Prize this year is well deserved, but their work is certainly not over yet.
What can you do?
Feeling inspired by all the good work? Worried about how much farther we have to go? Consider helping out and starting local:
- Donate non-perishable food items to your local food bank
- Volunteer to work shifts at the food banks
- Organize food drives
Or if you want to think internationally, here are some suggestions from the WFP:
- Donate to the WFP directly
- Organize a fundraiser
- Play Freerice – it is an online game that tests your vocabulary and donates 20 grains of rice through the WFP for every correct answer & it is a great way to study for the SAT, ACT, and GRE!
- Become a Zero Hunger Champion and join the conversation as an advocate on social media
- Download the SharetheMeal app and share meals with children in need at the touch of your finger.
wfp nobel prize
Fantastic! Informative, inspiring, and illuminating. Keep up the great work!