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World Food Day is recognised annually on 16 October and is a day dedicated to eradicating hunger on a global scale.

To celebrate the occasion, Guinness World Records has put together some of the most thought-provoking record facts about food production, and some inspiring charitable feats achieved by the most generous of record holders…
 
1. Largest single humanitarian operation

The world's largest and most expensive humanitarian operation was undertaken by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), feeding the 27.1 million people of Iraq, following the war there. The food-aid operation began on 1 April 2003 and finished in late October 2003 with 2.2 million tonnes (4.8 billion lb) of food commodities being delivered under a budget of $1.5 billion (£927 million, €1.3 billion).
 
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2. Country with greatest risk to food supply
 
According to the Food Security Risk Index 2010, Afghanistan is the country at greatest risk to disruption of its food supplies. The war between NATO forces and the Taliban is the principle reason for its exposure to this risk but poverty, poor infrastructure and failing roads and telecommunications, as well as the potential for droughts and floods, also contributed to the adverse assessment. The other nine in the top ten at risk of disruption to their food supply are all African nations.
 
3. Most fruit and vegetables donated in 24 hours
 
As part of their “Farm-to-Fork” program that aimed to eradicate local hunger, the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau of California, USA recently donated the most fruit and vegetables in 24 hours with 77,529.73 kg (170,923 lb 12 oz).
 
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4. Largest food drive in 24 hours

However, the largest ever food drive in 24 hours was set by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Food Drive who collected 254,493 kg (559,885 lb) of food in Durham, North Carolina, USA, in March 2011.
 
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5. Most food wasted (by country)

A report published in 2012 by environmental charity the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that the USA leads the world in the amount of food it wastes. The NRDC found that an astonishing 40 percent of the food produced in America goes uneaten – 10 times the amount wasted by more thrifty nations, such as those in Southeast Asia. The report also revealed that food production in the USA currently uses 10 percent of the national energy budget, 50 percent of country’s land and 80 percent of its freshwater supply.
 
6. Largest smoothie

But McGill University (Canada) didn’t waste anything when they made the largest smoothie. It measured 3,121.7 l (686.6 gal, 824.7 US gal) and was achieved by in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 1 September 2015. The supersized smoothie was given out to students and 1,000 l was then taken to a local homeless shelter.
 
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7. Longest line of food cans

The longest line of food cans consists of 44,966 cans, measures 3.28 km (2.04 miles) and was created by the IUFoST 2014 World Congress at Palais de Congres in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 20 August 2014. The cans were then donated to the local food bank, Moisson Montréal, which has had difficulties procuring food donations in recent years.
 
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8. Most inefficient food to produce

David Pimentel, professor of ecology in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, New York, USA, published a study in 1997 in which he found that beef is the most inefficient type of food in terms of the resources it takes to produce. Cattle need to be fed plant-based food. Pimentel calculated that the ratio of plant protein consumed to animal protein produced is 54:1 for beef – even though beef protein is only 1.4 times more nutritious. The most efficient meat to produce is chicken, for which this ratio drops to 4:1. Pimentel found that if humans stopped eating meat, the amount of plant-based food produced by the USA alone would feed 800 million people.
 
9. Largest donation of pet food in one week

The most pet food donated in one week weighs 15,469.48 kg (34,104 lb 5.92 oz) and was collected by Remax Properties Benoni (South Africa) in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, between 24 February and 3 March 2014. The food was donated to a total of 28 different animal shelters.
 
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10. First food grown in space

On 10 October 1995, the US Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral’s Pad 39-B with an important cargo on board – five potato leaves, of the variety Norland. During the course of Columbia’s 16-day mission in orbit around the Earth, these leaves were encouraged to grow in the Astroculture plant growth facility – a special plant incubator built at the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics, in which levels of water, nutrients and ultraviolet light can be carefully controlled. By the end of the mission, the leaves had indeed begun to sprout tubers – making this the first time a food crop had ever been grown successfully in the microgravity environment of space.