December 2014


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The 2014 World Food Day theme, Family Farming: “Feeding the world, caring for the earth,” was chosen to raise the profile of family farming and small-hold farmers. It focuses world attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas. Staff and students of The UWI, St. Augustine campus joined others in a show of solidarity and commitment to reduce poverty, malnutrition and hunger at a candlelight vigil on November 6. The vigil took place in front of the Administration Building, which once was the Administrative Centre and Library of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture and where the Faculty of Agriculture opened its doors in 1960 to 67 students.

Every year, World Food Day provides a sobering reminder that, in a world of plenty, more than 800 million people go hungry each day. The organizing committee tried to ensure that the pledge taken by each individual present would propel them to action by distributing cassava sticks and various seeds for planting. The Guild of Students and other student associations took the assembled on a brief symbolic walk.

One student representative said, “Our food import bill must be lessened and this can be achieved simply by making wise food choices. Visit the local markets, grow your own food; support the local agriculture sector!”

The pledge that was taken ends with the personal recognition that, “action begins with me,” there really is no limit to what your role can be!