We set the table (World Food Day). José Manuel de las Heras

Only 36 years ago the United Nations for Food and Agriculture (FAO) announced that on October 16 of each year World Food Day would be held. He set the date on the calendar of commemorative days was carried out with the aim of raising awareness among member countries on issues of world power, poverty and scarcity.

Every day consumers go to supermarkets with shopping list in hand, to fill your basket to provide your table, assuming it is a healthy food, quality and according to our state of well-being and quality of life, but without dwell where these foods come from, nor in those who can not access them if they wanted.

The food industry of our country represents 8.4% of GDP, with the support and the basis of our diet. We stock the pantry of the 45 million Spaniards, every day, without miss the appointment, always. Fruit, vegetables, milk, oil, wine … From our fields we work so that we can fill the basket.

In this sense, and for this, we believe it is essential to keep alive and dynamic rural environment, where indeed almost a million jobs are generated, and over two million taking into account all the food environment and the distribution.

For that 45 million Spaniards can see the table set three times a day (and I wish we could get out to seven billion people in the world) also a commitment to society with its rural environment is necessary: ​​that in small towns our children can go to school or college, you can access the doctor or hospital when needed, that our seniors have decent pensions and dispongamos of infrastructure and basic public services enjoyed by, almost unconscious, big cities .

Our sector is responsible for 16% of total Spanish exports. We are the dark side of that mark Spain of so much talk lately and want to sell it both inside and outside the country.
However, I believe that food should not be treated as a commodity, so it may be useful to seriously consider whether to or not likely, that the power is absolutely subject to the guidelines of the World Trade Organization and the vagaries of speculation in financial markets, which does not seem to be doing much, or rather nothing else, to eradicate hunger in the world.

Today is World Food Day and from our organization we want to invite society to reflect on where she gets food and who does not know how these foods are produced and under what circumstances – economic, social or family – is performed.
Recently, the media echoed the challenge that will mean feed a population that did not stop growing and more if we consider the effects that climate change will result in farm work. You think this is also a task that we must carry out with each other to make a more just, responsible society and, ultimately, better society.

José Manuel de las Heras, coordinator Union of Unions.