Tucked away in a corner of the Student Union, two groups celebrated World Food Day Tuesday through advocacy — and of course — a meal.

Greeted by music and colorful paper chains, students walked into the Intercultural Center ready to eat. But there was more in store for them.

The Intercultural Center and Food Recovery Network served tacos with a side of awareness about food waste and food insecurity. World Food Day is an internationally recognized day from the United Nations focused around global hunger.

“The issue in the world is not the supply of food, yet one in 10 people still go hungry,” said Jake Leitz, a graduate assistant at the center.

At the center of the room, a poster board was displayed with information about World Food Day, ways to help and the center’s mission. It also let students know about the center’s current food drive.

Next to it, the FRN handed out flyers, stickers and T-shirts to get the word out. The network collects excess food from campus dining halls and repackages it for those in need to prevent food waste.

Avoiding food waste is why agricultural business freshman Devony Ross joined the network. Ross said there is so much food that is wasted, especially in the U.S. She said she was interested in the opportunity to give some of that back.

“It’s not just about getting food to people who don’t have access to it.” Ross said. “It’s also ensuring that the people who do limit our waste.”

In a separate room, students could build their own tacos. First, students chose between a soft tortilla or hard shell. Then, they added on meat, tomatoes, cheese and lettuce. Plus, there was even a side of chips and salsa.

Most students that came in were following the sign that said ‘Free Tacos.’ For accounting senior Hailey Landry it was simply curiosity. As a resident assistant, Landry said she is always looking for information to share with residents.

Landry grabbed two soft tacos and walked around the room to learn more. She said she had never heard about most of what she learned. Landry left looking forward to the center’s future event for World Children’s Day.

“I didn’t know it even existed,” Landry said.

Some students left with a motivated mind. Delia Banda, a psychology freshman, said she learned the importance of not wasting food and wants to try to be more conscious going forward.

As students scanned the QR code to check-in, members told them quick facts about food insecurity, including that Louisiana has one of the highest rates.

Saachi Johnson, the center’s special projects lead, said food insecurity happens right here at LSU. She said some students do not have parents or family to support them, which means they have to be self-supporting.

Members mentioned resources on campus, such as the LSU Food Pantry, and encouraged students to make small changes that matter like supporting local farmers. Leitz said he hopes students leave able to recognize the issues and think about how to help.

This was the case for Jaelyn Pickering, a member of FRN. Pickering said she has always been interested in sustainability and conservation, which is why she joined the network.

After looking at the poster board, Pickering said she learned that many different countries are struggling with food issues and finding solutions for them.

“It’s a global issue that we should all work together to try and prevent,” Pickering said.