The Day after Food Day (Celebrating Food Year)

Anti-hunger and nutrition advocates around the country observed  Food Day on October 24 with a number of activities to bring attention to a number of food related issues.  

Many of those were listed on Facebook, For example, Food Day New Mexico's campaign placed  big emphasis on buying local.   

The national organizers of Food Day also had advocacy in mind.  They were urging supporters around the country to urge Congress to support Food Day's Goals.

• Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
• Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
• Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
• Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
• Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
• Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

And at least a couple of members of Congress have responded.  Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) wrote a great piece for the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call entitled, On Food Day, Count Our Blessings and Make a Difference. Harkin  is ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Here is an excerpt

Since the first Thanksgiving almost 400 years ago, Americans have spent each fall counting our blessings for the abundance produced by this continent’s food and agriculture system. It is a gift that has kept on giving: We Americans today are, in general, able to consume more food, with more variety and convenience, more suited to our individual tastes and costing a lower share of our incomes than ever before in human existence.

Even as we recognize this abundance, another long-held American tradition is continually working to improve on our present circumstances — to keep pushing for innovative and better ways of doing things. That has certainly been so in agriculture, nutrition and health. In that spirit, people throughout our country will take part today in a number of activities organized around Food Day. We are proud to be honorary co-chairmen of this special and important day.

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But every year Food Day is just  a milestone, a page marker.  Our challenge is to make sure that any efforts from this day are ongoing.  So Happy Food Year everyone!