FAO: 890 tons of food is the balance of the Donation Convoy celebrating the anniversary

The power of cooperation and partnerships was demonstrated this morning by the convoy carrying food donations that rolled through downtown Budapest, organized by the Hungarian Food Bank Association and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The convoy of trucks delivered 40 tons of donations from domestic and international food companies to families and communities in need – during which they also made a short stop at Heroes’ Square for a press event.

80 years to eradicate hunger

This year’s World Food Day celebrates a double anniversary. It marks 80 years since the establishment of FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and 20 years since the Hungarian Donation Convoy, which has delivered a total of 890 tons of food to tens of thousands of families in need. FAO’s programs convey a clear message. A sustainable, quality future is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility.

“For eight decades, FAO has stood by countries and communities around the world, sharing data, knowledge and innovation to help improve agricultural policies and practices, and supporting those who produce, process and deliver food to us,”

– said Nabil Gangi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative.

“But the truth is that no country, no organization can achieve this alone. As the theme of this year’s World Food Day suggests, we can only move forward together, through real partnerships and strong collaborations.”

“This year’s World Food Day motto is: “Hand in hand for better nutrition and a better future”, which slogan – according to Dr. Oszkár Ökrös, Deputy State Secretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture – perfectly highlights the power of collaboration and the potential of international development projects. Hungary is committed to transforming agri-food systems to eradicate poverty, end hunger and malnutrition and reduce inequalities. We believe that food problems must be solved locally, through sustainable development programs and the development of expertise.”

Even a slice of bread has the potential for change!

“Fiat panis”, or “Let there be bread”, is the motto of the FAO, which is also supported by the Donation Convoy, another organizer of which is the Hungarian Food Bank Association. They emphasize that it is at least as important that once there is bread, it should not be wasted. “If we put the food surplus produced annually in the country on trucks, the line would reach from Budapest to Nuremberg. Of this, the Food Bank has saved more than 288 million portions and distributed them to those in need in the past 20 years. Among the products that are mostly near their expiration date or have packaging defects, leftover baked goods make up the largest share; nowadays we collect approximately 10 thousand kilos from hundreds of stores every day to deliver them to people in need”

– said Szilvia Szabó, the Food Bank’s executive director.

The Food Bank is in contact with hundreds of manufacturers, producers, traders and catering establishments, and the food saved from them is distributed to those in need with the help of volunteers and smaller local charities.

A joint charity project with the band Honeybeast With their action, they are now building a new kind of collaboration, in which they are trying to mobilize the population of the city of Szeged for a good cause:

“We called on the city’s population to make a community donation so that the Food Bank’s lunch rescue program can be launched in Szeged and the food left over from the city’s canteens can reach those in need. One million forints were collected in just a few days and we are still waiting for well-intentioned donations. Because we cannot walk past the fallen, we need to hear their pleas for help, especially if we can help them with flawless food that would be destroyed at the end of the day”