The event took place in the conference room of the Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies in Yaoundé where several high school and university undergraduate students immersed themselves in this year’s theme » Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future ».
An opening and encouraging speech was presented by Pr. Angele Tchana, Chairperson of this special Scientific event aimed to empower and guide youth on the importance of food sciences to address food safety and security issues in Cameroon and Africa globally and the prominent role they will play in attaining this goal. On behalf of the organizers, The Executive and Managing Director of AFS1HA, Dr Wilfred A. Abia delivered the keynote speech with an emphasis on the Science of Food and Feeding the 8.2 Billion People in the World. He drilled the audience with interactive responses to the question “Where will we be without food?” and invited everyone for a pledge that: « Let’s unite to cultivate a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has reliable access to nourishing food, ensuring that no one is left behind. Together, we can create a future where every individual thrives and no community goes hungry! » – Dr. Wilfred A. Abia (October 2024 speech). Dr. Abia then wrapped off his presentation with the following 3 take-home messages: “We need to understand that World Food Day is not about celebrating the occasion on a single day and speaking about food security and malnutrition, but it is about ensuring that the root cause of hunger, and malnutrition are eradicated for people who do not have such privilege to voice their concern (1). Food safety, hygiene, and sanitation especially in the informal sector is a massive problem in several countries including Cameroon, and we need to do more to raise awareness and combat this problem (2). We need to build a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food so that no one should be left behind (3).
It is also vital to mention that the right to food is a fundamental human right, recognized in many international conventions, including Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It is not just the right not to be hungry, but also the right to access adequate, nutritious and culturally acceptable food. Ensuring this right goes beyond emergency food aid. It is about creating sustainable food systems that protect ecosystems, favor small producers, and allow everyone to choose healthy and nutritious foods to lead a healthy life. However, although public policies are designed carefully to make food systems healthier and more sustainable, it has not always been straightforward, particularly because environmental, agricultural, food and health issues are often considered separately. The concept of One Health has emerged precisely to reason jointly on all of these issues and find solutions that concern both health and the environment. It is based on a simple principle, according to which the protection of human health involves that of animals and their interactions with the environment and this implies the responsibility of everyone, particularly young people.
Pr. Tchana Angèle, Department of Biochemistry, University of Yaounde 1
Mot de Toukap Horchelle,
Director of Food Fraud department of AFS1HA
Mot de CAMFIST