Right to Foods: World Food Day 2024

Farmers produce enough food to feed the entire world population. But 733 million people still face hunger every day and even more people are unable to afford a healthy diet. This happens due to extreme weather, conflicts and economic shocks. World Food Day raises awareness on this inequality and emphasises that transforming food systems has great potential to make adequate food available for everyone.

HDHL has long supported efforts to address these challenges by fostering research and innovation in healthy, sustainable food systems. This World Food Day, HDHL highlights our past contributions and look to the future.

HDHL has actively funded innovative research to create healthier, more sustainable diets by tackling challenges related to food production, security, and nutrition.

• Our previous calls, such as FOODRETEC, exemplify our commitment to driving innovation in food technologies and exploring underutilized resources to meet the rising global demand for sustainable and healthy foods. FOODRETEC supports research on new ingredients and technologies that can contribute to healthier diets while addressing issues of food security, safety, and consumer acceptance.
• Another significant contribution is the SYSTEMIC knowledge hub, which targets food and nutrition security (FNS) in the context of pressing global challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity. Its most recent article, “Determinants of Consumers’ Acceptance and Adoption of Novel Food in View of More Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review,” sheds light on the determinants that affect consumer acceptance of novel foods. This research highlights barriers such as food neophobia and unfamiliarity while identifying drivers like healthiness and environmental sustainability. The findings provide critical insights into promoting new ingredients and innovative food products within the European food system.

We are not only focused on the past but are also looking toward the future.

Preparations are underway for a call focused on ultra-processed foods. Growing evidence linking higher consumption of these foods to increased risk of multiple common non-communicable diseases has drawn public, scientific, and policy attention to the health implications of food processing. By initiating this call, we aim to stimulate research that will clarify the connections and mechanisms behind the harmful effects of ultra-processed foods. Additionally, we seek to explore strategies for shifting towards more nutritious, whole food-based diets.