World Food Day was established by member countries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1979 – the date chosen, October 16, is the day on which FAO was founded in 1945.

This year, FAO notes a World Bank finding that in 2010-2011 rising food costs pushed nearly 70 million people into extreme poverty.

FAO has chosen “Food Prices – From Crisis to Stability” as the theme for the 2011 World Food Day theme, to bring attention to this trend and to ways that the most vulnerable can be protected.

In support of World Food Day 2011, Oxfam America is asking families to dedicate their Sunday dinner on October 16th to a conversation about where your food comes from, who is behind its cultivation and what can be done to the food system more just and sustainable.

“We are all tied to a global food system that is broken,” the organizers note. “Yet there is a strong and growing movement of individuals and organizations working to repair and improve the system. In a world facing the challenges of the current famine in East Africa, constrained land and water, and an erratic climate, one of the best ways to combat global food insecurity is to invest in farmers and remove the barriers that limit their productivity.”

To assist those who chose to participate, Oxfam has provided a range of resources, including videos from Desmond Tutu and Frances Moore Lappe, a discussion guide and recipes from famous chefs, and will mail posters, placemats and other materials to those who order them by October 12.

To access these resources, visit: www.oxfamamerica.org\worldfoodday