President Erdoğan said, "With the Black Sea Initiative we launched with the United Nations, we were able to prevent a global food crisis by facilitating the shipment of 33 million tonnes of grain products to international markets."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to the 2023 World Food Day event, where he greeted the participants and expressed his hope that the day would be auspicious for all humanity, particularly those who are in need.
President Erdoğan expressed that the event was organised under the theme "Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind," and he believes that the events to be held under this significant theme will raise awareness about water, which is the essence of life.
President Erdoğan stated that, Türkiye, as a water-stressed country, is striving to make the most efficient use of its water resources, and went on to say:
"In essence, we do not see any difference between protecting our water and protecting our homeland. For this purpose, as the government, we have implemented many important projects that will guarantee the water and food security of our country in the last 21 years. This year, we have updated our strategy and action plan to address drought and developed a road map. In addition to agricultural irrigation, we are also striving to reduce industrial and individual water consumption. Therefore, we request that everyone, including our own citizens, use water with caution."
"21 tonnes of the 127 tonnes of food produced every second around the world are wasted"
President Erdoğan highlighted that humanity is slowly shifting away from the goal of achieving "Zero Hunger by 2030," which is one of the crucial components of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and he added:
"According to Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates, one out of every nine people around the globe suffers from hunger. However, 4 to 5 billion tonnes of food are produced annually worldwide. While this amount is estimated to be sufficient for the world population in 2050, it is not sufficient for the world population in the present. Because 21 tonnes of the 127 tonnes of food produced every second around the world are wasted. This figure indicates that we could currently feed 735 million people who are hungry four times over. On the other hand, I regret to inform you that wasting food contributes to the rapid depletion of our water resources. However, efforts to prevent waste are being diverted to artificial and risky solutions for human health."
"Let's start today, not tomorrow, and put an end to food waste"
President Erdoğan stated that recent wars and conflicts in the region, where Türkiye is also located, have exacerbated the food crisis, and added:
With the Black Sea Initiative we launched with the United Nations, we were able to prevent a global food crisis by facilitating the shipment of 33 million tonnes of grain products to international markets. We continue to alleviate the plight of regions at risk of hunger, particularly Africa. I would like to express that Türkiye, which is one of the most generous countries in the world when it comes to development aid, will not hesitate to take on responsibility for finding the solution to any problem, including food and water crisis. I also invite all my counterparts to take the initiative towards the goal of “zero food loss,” which is one of the components of the 'Zero Waste' project initiated by my spouse, First Lady Emine Erdoğan, and turned into a global movement under the umbrella of the UN. Let's start today, not tomorrow, on October 16, World Food Day, save our food and put an end to food waste."
President Erdoan wished for the success of the events.