For immediate release: October 11, 2008

Voices from the food crisis to be heard on World Food Day

A Bangladeshi farmer, an African cattle herder and a Canadian food bank client are three of the people affected by the global food crisis who will be heard in Winnipeg on World Food Day.

They are among the characters in an original play by Winnipeg playwright Geoff Hughes - Unequal Harvest: Voices from the Global Food Crisis - which will premiere at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Broadway Disciples United Church, Broadway and Kennedy.

Activities also include the Golden Carrot Awards at 9:30 a.m. at the Legislature and an inter-faith service at 7 p.m. the evening before at Broadway Disciples Church.

All events are open to the public and free of charge.

The public can also make a donation to Hunger for Hope by stopping by CJOB, 930 Portage Ave., between 7 and 9 a.m., when Robin's will be serving coffee and donuts, or between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., when Soup Pierre and Winnipeg Harvest will be serving soup and crackers.

World Food Day was established by the United Nations in 1945 through the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Events in Winnipeg are organized and supported by: Manitoba Food Charter; Canadian Foodgrains Bank; and Winnipeg Harvest.

"The Manitoba Food Charter Golden Carrot Awards were created to honour Manitobans who are getting good food to Manitoba tables, educating young people about food issues, or sharing their food traditions with others,"
said Paul Chorney, Community Liaison of the Manitoba Food Charter.

"Media attention has been focused on the latest developments in the global food crisis. We want to encourage all Manitobans to think about the issues raised in this play: The long-term systemic problems that force people to live with hunger and poverty in Canada and around the world," said James Kornelsen, Public Engagement Coordinator of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

"On World Food Day, Manitobans must confront the fact that people still live with hunger and poverty in a world with enough food for everyone. We must ask ourselves fundamental questions about how we can create a world without hunger and poverty," said David Northcott, Executive Coordinator of Winnipeg Harvest.

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For more information, please contact:

Golden Carrot Awards
Paul Chorney
Community Liaison, Manitoba Food Charter
(204) 943-0822 (o)
paul@mbfoodcharter.ca
www.manitobafoodsecurity.ca

James Kornelsen
Public Engagement Coordinator
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
(204) 944-1993 (o)
j_kornelsen@foodgrainsbank.ca
www.foodgrainsbank.ca

Jacquie Johnson-Weight
Communications Coordinator
Winnipeg Harvest
(204) 982-3584 Office (204) 227-9551 Cell media@winnipegharvest.org www.winnipegharvest.org