TEHRAN – Two Iranian children have won awards at the World Food Day Poster Contest that has been organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Atrin Afshari-Tavana took first prize in the 5-8 age group, the organizers have announced. About her painting, she wrote, “Farmers are the best champions in the world.”

Atrin’s sister, Anahita, took third in the 9-12 age group. “My food heroes around the world are women and mothers who cultivate food with all their might and give it to people all over the world,” she said about her work.

The art contest was organized for children between ages 5 to 19 to celebrated World Food Day. The organizers called on all children around the world to use their imagination and create a poster of their favorite food hero at work.

“The world is full of food heroes – from farmers to drivers, shop assistants, food bank or government representatives etc., who, despite various challenges such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, work hard to make sure that food makes its way from farms to our table,” the organizers said in their statement for the contest.

“Let’s celebrate their great efforts this World Food Day. Young minds can be inspired by our World Food Day Activity Book that talks about the important role food heroes play in the food system and how everyone can come together and take action to support our food heroes so they can provide the healthy diets we need, while protecting the planet,” added the statement.

The winner of second prize in the 5-8 age group is  Joone Huzaifa Jamali from Tanzania. “Each and every farmer around the world is working hard so that we don’t face starvation… despite various challenges, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic; working hard to ensure that ‘food makes its way to our table’,” she wrote about her artwork.
 
Third prize went to Tao Yanxi from China.

Deepshikha De from India won first prize in the 9-12 age group.

“There are many books on superheroes who save the world. I have shown the Food Heroes in the pages of the book I painted. In the middle, I have shown balanced nutrition that is possible only because of the Food Heroes,” she wrote.

Manya Anoop from the United Arab Emirates won second prize in this category.

“There is an increase in demand for supplies, and we are all sending a thank you to our farmers when we come home with fresh vegetables… during this pandemic situation,” she wrote.

The winners of the 13-15 age group are Pavel Milanovski from North Macedonia, Nafisa Nuren from Bangladesh, and Xinyu Du from China.

In the 16-19 age group, Soyeon Kim from South Korea received first prize. Amgalangoo Tsend Ayush from Mongolia and Arina Afla Safa Putri from Indonesia won second and third prizes respectively.

Photo: This combination photo shows paintings by Iranian sisters Atrin and Anahita Afshari-Tavana, who won prizes at the FAO World Food Day Poster Contest.

MMS/YAW