ROME -- The Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences was awarded the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Achievement Award Wednesday at a ceremony held by the FAO to mark the 44th World Food Day in Rome, Italy.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu presented the prestigious FAO Achievement Award to the IPPCAAS and described their groundbreaking work in combating the Fall Armyworm as having a profound impact in China, across Asia, and globally, making significant strides in protecting crops and securing food supplies.

This year's World Food Day, with the theme "Right to foods for a better life and a better future," aims to raise global awareness about the right to foods and advocates for transforming agrifood systems to support peaceful, resilient, and inclusive livelihoods for all.

According to the FAO, around 730 million people are currently facing hunger, and over 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. This means that even if their calorie intake is sufficient, they may not be receiving the necessary nutrients and dietary diversity to maintain good health.

In his address, Qu called for renewed "commitment to building more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems that can nourish the world," saying, "There is no time to lose; we must take immediate action."

In a video message, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that a zero-hunger world was possible, but "food systems need a massive transformation," to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

As part of the World Food Day celebrations, a World Food Forum event is being held at FAO headquarters from Oct 14 to 18.

The FAO Award for Achievement is awarded every two years to honor an entity or individual for outstanding technical cooperation or humanitarian work in the fields of sustainable agriculture, rural development, or food security at the country level.