When

Monday, October 16, 2017

Location

Cost

Free

Register

Contact

The UC Merced Blum Center will be hosting their first annual World Food Day event, in which they will have interactive activities for students on the topic of food insecurity. This event will be taking from 10am - 2pm. They will also be having a raffle, and giving away utensil kits to promote sustainable and healthy diets.

World Food Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations in 1945. This day focuses on hunger and food insecurity and highlights a new theme each year. This year's theme is “Change the Future of Migration: Invest in Food Security and Rural Development” which aligns with the mission of the UC Merced’s Blum Center. 

The Central Valley is a top agricultural producer, yet families within our own communities face insecurity at alarming rates. According to the 2016 Feed America Report, 86% of all food insecure communities are considered rural. In Merced County, food insecurity affects 13% of residents (36,560 individuals) from an estimate by the 2017 Map the Meal Gap report. The UC Merced Blum Center has been dedicating its efforts to tackling food insecurity, through partnerships including the Global Food Initiative, CropMobster, and the Civic Engagement Center.  We will support these initiatives, as well as other projects that promote the health of our communities both on and off campus.