On Monday, 16 October, FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific will observe the 37th World Food Day during a ceremony at its Bangkok premises. During the event, five “Model Farmers” from across Asia and the Pacific will receive awards for their special and innovative approaches to the region’s food systems. The farmers come from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and Thailand.

The Model Farmers will receive the awards, on behalf of FAO, from FAO’s Guest of Honour, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. Her Royal Highness is also the UN FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger in Asia and the Pacific.

The 2017 World Food Day theme, “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development,” focuses the world’s attention on the need to better understand the link between migration (internal and cross-border), food security and the need for greater rural development and investment to ensure that migration is an option and not a movement made under duress.

The ceremony will be opened by Ms Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.

The Keynote Speech will be made by Dr Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, United Kingdom.