The Oscar-winning British Actor Jeremy Irons is taking on the new role, as the UN Goodwill Ambassador for raising hunger awareness around the world, joining the likes of other notable stars, Susan Sarandon and Celine Dion. 　　After being named as the newest Goodwill Ambassador at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome on the World Food Day earlier this week, Irons spoke about the famine in the Horn of Africa and other challenges to world food security. 　　He called for more attention and action on the global issue, adding that "failure to anticipate and prevent famine carries a huge cost in debts, disruptive lives and livelihoods and the destitution of whole communities." 　　Jeremy Irons has been supporting activities to end world hunger for years. In 2010, he participated in the advocacy project of the "1 billion hungry" campaign, aiming at drawing awareness to and spurring action on chronic hunger, which affects an estimated 1 billion people globally every day. 　　Commemorating FAO's founding in 1945, World Food Day is celebrated on October 16th in at least 150 countries worldwide. Amid five consecutive years of unstable and often rising food prices, which currently stand close to record levels, ''Food prices - from crisis to stability," was chosen as the World Food Day theme for 2011.