The day aims to raise awareness about global hunger and food insecurity.
The day highlights the role of farmers, women, youth, and communities in creating a hunger-free world.
According to the United Nations (UN) State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report 2025, global hunger has started to decline for the first time since 2017.
However, about 673 million people (1 in 12 people globally) still suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.6 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.
The day was founded in 2011 by The Hunger Project, a global organisation established in 1977 to work towards ending hunger.
The theme for the year 2026 is “The End of Hunger is in Our Hands.”