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FAO welcomes $10 million USA contribution to its COVID-19 response efforts. Funding is intended to support FAO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery and One Health programmes. In a letter to FAO, the U.S. State Department said the funding is intended to support the agency’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, part of its broader One Health programme.
More... 23-12-2021 |
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Transforming food systems through the power of photography. The winners of the FAO World Food Day photo contest for Europe and Central Asia announced. Let us rewrite the story of food for a better, more sustainable world. The 2021 FAO World Food Day photo contest for Europe and Central Asia inspired many, regardless of their age or nationality, to share what food and food systems mean to them. Discover the winning photos and their messages!
More... 22-12-2021 |
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Central Asia and global partners discuss the future of animal health and One Health in the region. Regional animal health networks offer a framework for building strong technical capacity, competency, leadership, and a critical mass of regionally networked specialists. With this in mind, a two-day workshop of the Central Asia Animal Health Network (CAAHN) took place in Nur Sultan on 8–9 December, bringing together not just chief veterinary officers and epidemiology and laboratory focal points from Central Asian countries, but also specialists from all major international players in the region.
More... 21-12-2021 |
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Enhancing rice production in North Macedonia through land consolidation. Rice is a strategic commodity within Macedonian agriculture production that has the potential for export and additional income for around 3 500 farming families in Kochani valley, the biggest rice production region in the country. Among the villages here is Spanchevo, characterized by fertile soil, plentiful water, favourable natural conditions for agricultural production – and fragmented land structures.
More... 20-12-2021 |
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Forging bonds: Syrian refugees find more than new livelihoods in Turkey. Food cooperatives offer income, dignity and friendships for Syrians fleeing conflict. When Tuka arrived in the Turkish port of Izmir, seeking temporary protection after fleeing the conflict in Syria in 2017, it felt as though she had found a safe haven, but lost almost everything else. The violence had claimed several of her loved ones. The tailoring workshop she had painstakingly built up in her home city of Aleppo was no longer.
More... 17-12-2021 |
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Annual meeting of FAO’s Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM) discusses 2022-2025 phase. Interest in the FMM is growing, with New Zealand and Australia the latest Members to join. The flexibility of the FMM is helping FAO eliminate world hunger and achieve the goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). The critical importance of this flexibility was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when FAO was able to deploy technology to replace physical meetings and quickly allocate resources to the most critical areas.
More... 17-12-2021 |
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Georgia eyes becoming a sustainable agritourism destination. With its storied gastronomic traditions, rich cultural heritage and striking scenery from mountains to shores, Georgia has set its sights on becoming a top sustainable agritourism destination in the Caucasus region in the next decade. A new roadmap seeks to help Georgia invest in developing its agritourism industry in a responsible, inclusive and eco-friendly manner.
More... 16-12-2021 |
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Hunger in the Arab region continues to worsen. New report calls for radical changes to the Arab region’s agrifood systems to deliver food security and nutrition for all. The 2021 Near East and North Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition released today shows that the number of hungry people in the region reached 69 million people in 2020, triggered by protracted crises, social unrests and exposure to multiple shocks and stresses such as conflicts, poverty, inequality, climate change, scarce natural resources and the economic repercussions associated with the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
More... 16-12-2021 |
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Virtual training series helps countries prepare for emergencies affecting livestock. Natural and man-made disasters occur in various forms, and all of them can severely affect people’s livelihoods through loss of assets, including livestock. In emergencies, helping households protect their livestock and survive the immediate crisis can contribute to a faster recovery of the whole community.
More... 15-12-2021 |
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Number of hungry in Asia-Pacific swells by more than 50 million since the arrival of COVID-19. According to the 2021 Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition by FAO and UNICEF. According to the 2021 Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, in this region alone, more than one billion people did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – an increase of almost 150 million people in just one year.
More... 15-12-2021 |
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New interactive report shows Africa’s growing hunger crisis. Leaders of three regional agencies call for more action on agrifood systems transformation in the face of worsening hunger and malnutrition. “A common vision, strong political leadership and effective cross-sectoral collaboration, which includes the private sector, are essential to agree on trade-offs and to identify and implement sustainable solutions that transform agrifood systems,” they said in Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021: Statistics and Trends.
More... 14-12-2021 |
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FAO and International Fertilizer Association join forces to promote sustainable fertilizer use. The Memorandum of Understanding will boost commitment to sustainable food and agriculture and soil health. The MoU was signed virtually by Beth Bechdol, FAO’s Deputy Director-General, and Svein Tore Holsether, IFA’s Board Chair. The partnership will see FAO and the IFA work together to raise awareness on the International Code of Conduct for the Sustainable Use and Management of Fertilizers (Fertilizer Code), as well as the improvement and dissemination of Fertilizer Statistics.
More... 13-12-2021 |
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Though still low in Europe and Central Asia, hunger rates worsened by pandemic impacts. FAO releases new data and analysis on the region’s hunger and malnutrition situation in a shorter, more compact format. The latest data and trends are now accessible in the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia, produced by the FAO.
More... 13-12-2021 |
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FAO and Wageningen University and Research step up joint efforts to advance innovative and strategic approaches for healthy agrifood systems and a healthy planet. Mobilizing science and innovation to leave no-one behind. The new agreement covers a wide range of activities including improving agrifood economics; ensuring sustainable animal production and health, as well as sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis; safeguarding biodiversity and the environment; improving food security and nutrition; and strengthening agrifood systems and food safety.
More... 13-12-2021 |
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To diversify the country’s economy, FAO offers support for Turkmenistan’s agrifood sector. Turkmenistan is committed to reforming and strengthening the agriculture sector to meet national needs and withstand global challenges, and FAO stands ready to aid the country in this process. Today, as an important milestone, the two parties signed the Country Programming Framework – a document framing their partnership for the period 2021–2025.
More... 11-12-2021 |
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Europe and Central Asia seek ways to create new opportunities for rural youth. In many places across the globe, rural communities are shrinking. Unemployment and rural poverty are among the key drivers of migration by youth, who are often searching for a more dynamic quality of life in urban areas or abroad. Countries of Europe and Central Asia are no exception, where one of the key social and economic challenges is ensuring that agriculture and rural economies offer an attractive path for the younger generation.
More... 10-12-2021 |
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Sustainable tourism can offer mountain communities a path to prosperity and inclusion. FAO and UNWTO launch new publication at high-level event to celebrate International Mountain Day 2021. Sustainable tourism plays a key role in boosting livelihoods, poverty alleviation, and environmental conservation in mountainous areas, according to a new report launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UNWTO at an International Mountain Day 2021 celebration event.
More... 10-12-2021 |
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Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR): FAO calls for more funding to eradicate the disease by 2030. The vaccination programme is ongoing despite price surges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. FAO today called on donors and Members to increase funding to fight PPR, which the United Nations agency, together with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), aims to eradicate by 2030.
More... 10-12-2021 |
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Conference brings gender equality into Uzbekistan’s forestry sector. Attended by a wide range of national and international experts, a conference on implementing the Strategy for Gender Equality in the Forestry System of Uzbekistan was organized in Tashkent by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with Uzbekistan’s State Forestry Committee, Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture.
More... 09-12-2021 |
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Global Environment Facility approves $13.6 million for FAO-led projects. Eight countries will benefit from projects to address land degradation, biodiversity and sustainability of marine resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for four FAO-led projects in eight countries, totalling more than $13.6 million in funding. The decision was made during the 61st Meeting of the GEF Council, its main governing body, held virtually.
More... 09-12-2021 |
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New FAO report on land and water resources paints an alarming picture. Pressures on land and water resources increase to critical point after significant deterioration over the past decade, according to SOLAW 2021. The FAO launched a landmark report highlighting the worsening state of the earth’s soil, land and water resources and the challenges it poses for feeding a global population expected to near ten billion by 2050.
More... 09-12-2021 |
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Rome’s traditional Christmas lighting illuminates SDGs. FAO launches with its host “Let’s give the gift of a sustainable city”. The official ceremony to inaugurate the 25 meter high fir on Piazza Venezia in Rome’s historic city centre took place today as the Italian capital launched the initiative “Christmas in Rome – Let’s give the gift of a sustainable city”. The campaign calls on citizens to join global efforts to build a more sustainable world, starting from their own city, and is symbolized by the giant gift packages at the foot of the Christmas tree, each representing one of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
More... 08-12-2021 |
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Spearheading the shift from disaster response to anticipatory action in agriculture. FAO Director-General: Acting ahead of crises means protecting people's lives and livelihoods with benefits that reach far into the future. Acting ahead of crises means protecting people's lives and livelihoods with benefits that reach far into the future, QU Dongyu said today, highlighting the need to shift towards more proactive anticipatory approaches to predictable shocks, ranging from typhoons, droughts and pest infestations to the consequences of conflicts and economic crises.
More... 07-12-2021 |
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FAO pledges upscaled support for better nutrition and healthy diets for all. FAO Director-General addresses Nutrition for Growth event and stresses the importance of advocacy and awareness-raising. “Advocacy efforts on the importance of nutrition, heathy diets and agrifood systems for human and planetary health are showing results,” he said, citing the mid-term review of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.
More... 07-12-2021 |
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Plastics in agrifood systems: The good, the bad and the ugly. Ocean litter has been making the headlines, but a new report by FAO suggests that plastic pollution is also pervasive in our agricultural soils. The report - “Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability: a call for action” - is the first global report of its kind by FAO and contains some startling numbers.
More... 07-12-2021 |
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Digging deeper into the arid terrain of the world’s largest landlocked country. How Uzbekistan’s farmers are overcoming soil salinity and water shortages. The Central Asian country is double land-locked – meaning it is surrounded by countries that are themselves landlocked – and more than half of Uzbekistan’s soils are salt-affected making it extra hard to farm productively.
More... 06-12-2021 |
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World Soil Day: FAO highlights the threat of soil salinization to global food security. New report on soil shows 55 percent of countries surveyed lack adequate capacities for soil analysis. “Soil is the foundation of agriculture and the world’s farmers depend on soil to produce about 95% of the food we eat”, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said. “Yet, our soils are at risk,” he stressed in remarks ahead of the December 5 event on the theme: “Halt Soil Salinization, Boost Soil Productivity”.
More... 03-12-2021 |
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A life dedicated to the soil. The contribution of Gulmira and everyone to counter soil degradation processes is celebrated annually on 5 December, World Soil Day. Soil is home to more than one-quarter of our planet’s biodiversity; 95 percent of the food we eat comes from the soil. As a soil scientist, Gulmira gathers, interprets, and analyzes information about the chemistry, biology, and physics of soil to better understand this key natural resource.
More... 02-12-2021 |
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FAO requires $1.5 billion to save lives and livelihoods of up to 50 million people in 2022. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is seeking $1.5 billion in 2022 to save the lives and livelihoods of some of the world's most food-insecure people, as acute hunger accelerates its march across the globe. The announcement was made as part of the United Nations’ large-scale humanitarian appeal launched today.
More... 02-12-2021 |
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FAO unveils new Technical Platform for Family Farming. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is launching a technical platform on family farming, aiming to foster innovation and information exchanges across regions. “When resources and knowledge are shared, innovation is accelerated,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said via video in his keynote address at the launch event held in Santiago, Chile. The platform “will enable us to think big, but also facilitates concrete actions,” he said.
More... 02-12-2021 |
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FAO Food Price Index rises in November. Wheat and dairy drive fourth consecutive monthly increase, global cereal supplies “comfortable”. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 134.4 points in the month, its highest level since June 2011 and 1.2 percent higher than during October. The index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, was 27.3 percent higher than its level in November 2020.
More... 02-12-2021 |
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New UN report: Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean rose by 13.8 million people in just one year. A joint publication of FAO, IFAD, PAHO/WHO, WFP and UNICEF. According to the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2021, in just one year, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people living with hunger increased by 13.8 million, reaching a total of 59.7 million people.
More... 30-11-2021 |
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Joint FAO–UNECE sessions focus on future of European forests Protecting and restoring forests, as well as unlocking their potential to ensure livelihoods, green development, and a more sustainable outlook for humanity, were key points discussed during European Forest Week and Foresta2021 by the Joint Session of the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission.
More... 29-11-2021 |
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FAO in 2022: Time for extraordinary efforts to continue walking the talk. Director-General QU Dongyu maps the Organization’s achievements and plans in address to the FAO Council. “We need extraordinary thinking, ways of doing business and extraordinary efficiency and effectiveness next year”, the Director-General said in opening remarks to the 168th Session of the Council, the executive organ of FAO’s Conference.
More... 29-11-2021 |
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How can governments better prepare for and respond to a food safety crisis? FAO experts have been visiting farms across Montenegro this week, to collect up-to-date information and data to be fed into the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) system. Established by the European Union in 1965, the Farm Accountancy Data Network allows farm managers to keep track on their transactions at farm level and, thus better manage their business operations.
More... 26-11-2021 |
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Transforming Africa’s agrifood systems requires coordinated policies across sectors. To make them more sustainable, the transformation of agrifood systems across Africa needs a “cross-sectoral, holistic, coherent and coordinated policy environment,” QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today at a high-level African Union (AU) event. FAO Director-General joins high level participants at the 17th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Partnership Platform meeting.
More... 26-11-2021 |
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Safeguarding mountain vegetation: FAO receives 2021 GEO Sustainable Development Goals Award. The GEO Sustainable Development Goals Award in the Category SDG Custodian Agency was announced in a virtual ceremony held during the GEO Week 2021 under an initiative led by the Group on Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals. FAO’s methodology to simplify and automatize the measuring and monitoring of the Mountain Green Cover Index, is based on Earth Observation products from satellite images and reliable interpretation models.
More... 26-11-2021 |
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Horn of Africa: “We want to prevent as many people as possible from having to rely solely on food assistance”. Interview with Carla Mucavi, FAO Representative in Kenya. Carla Mucavi, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s Representative in Kenya, stresses the need to urgently scale up efforts to improve the resilience of rural and pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa region where the impact of shocks, including severe drought, will continue to be felt into 2022.
More... 25-11-2021 |
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How can governments better prepare for and respond to a food safety crisis? A three-day regional workshop entitled “Preparing for emergencies: Food safety crisis management, response, and communication” starts today to support governments in their efforts to be ready for and handle future issues. The workshop, convened in a virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions, provides an interactive platform to discuss issues related to food safety in depth through a series of technical expert presentations and working group discussions.
More... 24-11-2021 |
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A new partnership between FAO and the Qatar Fund for Development targets food insecurity in Somalia. Efforts to help vulnerable rural communities in Somalia achieve food security and build up resilience towards climate change have received a boost thanks to a new partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the state’s public development institution. A $1.7 million contribution from the QFFD will kickstart the partnership with FAO, which was signed today.
More... 24-11-2021 |
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Antimicrobials must be used sparingly to preserve their utility for agrifood systems and human health. FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption talks about what should be done to avoid the wide use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials to help mitigate and contain the risks of antimicrobial resistance. The benefits of access to medicines is being lost, with the concerns now for retaining access to essential, life-saving treatments. We ask him to explain the challenges for animals, crops and people posed by Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and how they can be tackled.
More... 24-11-2021 |
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Fall Armyworm: Scaling up response across the globe. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today urged all stakeholders to scale up global response to fall armyworm, as the invasive pest continues to spread rapidly to new countries and territories, causing serious damage to food production and affecting millions of farmers across the globe. He spoke at the 5th Steering Committee Meeting on Global Action for Fall Armyworm Control.
More... 24-11-2021 |
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Making agrifood systems more resilient to shocks: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report by FAO is entitled “Making agrifood systems more resilient to shocks and stresses.” It provides an assessment of the ability of national agrifood systems to respond to or recover readily from shocks and stressors. It also offers guidance to governments on how they can improve resilience.
More... 23-11-2021 |
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New platform to tackle human, animal, and environmental health challenges. The first dialogue on the joint FAO-OIE-UNEP-WHO regional partner platform helps operationalize the One Health approach. Participants gathered to discuss benefits and challenges associated with applying the One Health approach and the role of partners and their expected contribution to the partner platform. The dialogue was initiated by FAO, OIE, UNEP, and WHO during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (18–24 November).
More... 22-11-2021 |
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World Fisheries Day 2021 hears calls to halt exploitation of fishers. FAO joins the Vatican and Stella Maris advocating for fishers’ rights and responsible practices. At a virtual event entitled ‘Stemming the tide: Together we can stop human rights violations at sea!’, FAO and the Holy See reaffirmed their commitment to protect the rights of fishers who are among the world’s poorest and most vulnerable and often subjected to exploitation in fisheries.
More... 22-11-2021 |
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FAO publishes new plan to counter antimicrobial resistance. The silent global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) highly impacts the agri-food sector, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned today while presenting FAO’s new five-year plan to help Members tackle the challenge.
More... 19-11-2021 |
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Afghanistan - to avert a catastrophe, agricultural assistance is urgently needed. Farmers and herders are vital if the country is to climb out of a hunger trap, says FAO. In Afghanistan today at least 18.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity - meaning they are unable to feed themselves on a daily basis - and that number is projected to rise to 22.8 million people by the end of 2021.
More... 19-11-2021 |
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Small-scale fishers celebrated for contributing to human well-being and the safeguarding of natural resources. Launch ceremony of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 highlights role in eradicating poverty and making agri-food systems more sustainable. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in his address underscored that the vision underpinning the Year is aligned with FAO’s “4 Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all – leaving no one behind.”
More... 19-11-2021 |
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Dreamworks Trolls and the UN launch campaign for healthier eating and more sustainable living. As part of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, the Trolls encourage fans to become food heroes. As part of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, the Trolls encourage their fans to become food heroes by taking actions including eating healthy and reducing food waste, and adding these actions to the United Nations’ ActNow initiative.
More... 19-11-2021 |
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Use antibiotics effectively and responsibly in dairy production, FAO recommends. Right animal husbandry practices can significantly reduce the need for antibiotic use and thus the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To this end, an FAO publication provides practical tips to cattle producers for improving animal health and hence limiting the use of antibiotics. The release of the Russian version coincides with the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
More... 18-11-2021 |
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A revamped state-of-the-art forest and land monitoring tool to reverse forest loss and combat climate change. Producing sound data on forests and land-use has become easier with the launch of a new phase of the FAO's state-of-the-art forest and land monitoring platform SEPAL. The second phase of SEPAL - System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring – can directly support FAO member countries in their efforts to generate transparent, accurate and consistent geospatial data, which is critical for reducing deforestation and degradation, and accelerating restoration.
More... 18-11-2021 |
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FAO and KSrelief to scale up cooperation on humanitarian work, data-driven development. New five-year strategic partnership kicks off with $5 million to help vulnerable Yemeni farming families. The agreement also outlines efforts to improve knowledge sharing on agricultural best practices, engage in data-driven development work via FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative, and advance agricultural innovation to help small-scale food producers achieve better production and build better lives.
More... 17-11-2021 |
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New “rooftop farm” at FAO highlights how innovative technology can help safeguard agro-biodiversity. The initiative at the UN agency’s Rome headquarters is fruit of a collaboration with Italian food retailer NaturaSi. The farm will help explore the potential of urban agriculture to alleviate food shortages in areas where agricultural land and soil is limited, such as mountains and cities.
More... 17-11-2021 |
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World Food Forum: follow-up actions to tap young people’s innovative potential. The FAO Director-General maps out the next moves to build on the momentum towards youth-led transformation of our agri-food systems. “FAO is committed to listening to you and investing to enable your participation across the Organization’s work, leveraging your passion and creativity to identify and implement new solutions, based on the latest evidence and the best available science,” Qu said in remarks to the Youth Ag Summit 2021 of emerging agricultural leaders.
More... 17-11-2021 |
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FAO dialogue to spur action for protecting biodiversity in Europe and Central Asia. Mainstreaming biodiversity of all animal, plant, and fungi species in the agricultural sector is an attempt to ensure that important aspects of biodiversity protection are taken into account when selecting policies or farming methods. A two-day FAO virtual event, starting today, strives for improvement across all agricultural sectors in Europe and Central Asia for a better understanding and recognition of the value of biodiversity for food and agriculture.
More... 16-11-2021 |
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FAO wraps up African swine fever preparedness project in the Balkans. A meeting today concludes an FAO project on African swine fever (ASF) emergency preparedness in the Balkans and also allows countries and partners to discuss the achievements and potential future follow-up activities in the five beneficiary countries (Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia).
More... 16-11-2021 |
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UN agencies back bold plan to ensure every child in need gets a regular healthy meal in school by 2030. Integrated school health and nutrition programmes can serve as “springboards” for agri-food systems transformation. United Nations agencies have announced their strong support for an international coalition aiming to rapidly improve the nutrition, health and education of school-age children around the world following pandemic-driven school closures.
More... 16-11-2021 |
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Africa’s Great Green Wall gives viable return on investments, FAO-led study finds. Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) programme to combat desertification in the Sahel region is not only crucial to the battle against climate change but also makes commercial sense for investors, a new study led by the FAO and published in Nature Sustainability shows. Cost-benefit analysis published in Nature Sustainability shows average return of USD 1.2 for every USD 1.0 invested in the land restoration project, despite harsh climatic conditions.
More... 16-11-2021 |
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Statement on the passing of F.W. De Klerk, former President of the Republic of South Africa. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the former State President of the Republic of South Africa, F.W de Klerk. His efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition as a member of the FAO-Nobel Laureates for Food Security and Peace helped to remind the world that every single action to defeat hunger is an act of justice.
More... 12-11-2021 |
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Ensuring rural development through better access to land for women in the Western Balkans. In late 2015, the world pledged to transform our future by committing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which foresees reforms providing women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, in accordance with national laws. This gave further impetus to the joint work of FAO and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
More... 11-11-2021 |
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World food import bill to reach a record high in 2021. FAO’s new Food Outlook report examines drivers of rising prices of food commodities, freight and agricultural inputs. Issued twice a year, Food Outlook offers FAO’s reviews market supply and demand trends for the world’s major foodstuffs, including cereals, vegetable oils, sugar, meat and dairy and fish. It also looks at trends in futures markets and shipping costs for food commodities.
More... 11-11-2021 |
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“We risk a catastrophe if agriculture collapses in Afghanistan”. Richard Trenchard, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Representative in Kabul, calls for urgent action to prevent a worsening crisis. Richard Trenchard, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Representative in Afghanistan, warns that worsening drought and recent economic upheaval are having a severe impact on the country with nearly 19 million people now facing acute food insecurity. He is calling for urgent international action to prevent a catastrophe.
More... 11-11-2021 |
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FAO-WHO 44th session of Codex Alimentarius Commission adopts new standards. The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting virtually on 8-13, 15, 17 and 18 November 2021 to adopt food safety and quality standards. Established in 1963, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in international food trade. It comprises 189 Members and 240 observer organizations, the Codex Alimentarius Commission meets annually to adopt food safety and quality standards and related recommendations.
More... 10-11-2021 |
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Food security crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could worsen in the coming months. FAO and WFP say further scaling up of assistance urgently needed as new report highlights widespread food insecurity. Some 27 million people, one-quarter of DRC’s population, face crisis or emergency acute food insecurity conditions, fueled by poor harvests, violence-driven displacement, disease and collapsing infrastructure, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, which was also issued today.
More... 10-11-2021 |
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Over 300 Russian-speaking veterinarians trained on African swine fever preparedness. Although the media attention is highly focused on the current human pandemic, African swine fever (ASF) is still a very pressing issue. To this end, a four-week virtual course starts today in the Russian language joined by 300 veterinarians from Europe and Central Asia. The course curricula and the platform used, called the Virtual Learning Centre, were developed by FAO.
More... 09-11-2021 |
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COP26: Urgent action is needed to make agriculture greener and more resilient. FAO Director-General tells Glasgow conference time is running out to end hunger by 2030. Eliminating world hunger by the end of the decade requires urgent action and innovative solutions to the way we produce, distribute and consume food, QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said today in a message to the UN’s Climate Change Conference (COP26).
More... 09-11-2021 |
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Enhancing sustainable forest landscapes and tackling commodity-driven deforestation through better data: a new $13.7 million initiative financed by USAID. The Forest Data Partnership, co-led by FAO and World Resources Institute, will improve access to geospatial data to help reduce deforestation and restore degraded lands. An ambitious new initiative announced today aims to reduce commodity-driven deforestation and restore forest landscapes, led by the FAO and the World Resources Institute (WRI) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
More... 09-11-2021 |
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Foods standards body Codex Alimentarius epitomizes the power of effective and efficient partnerships. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today hailed the Codex Alimentarius’ food standards for laying a strong foundation to ensure the foods that we grow, produce, process, trade and consume are safe.
More... 08-11-2021 |
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Supply chain joins deforestation and farming practices as main source of emissions in agri-food sector. The food supply chain is on course to overtake farming and land use as the largest contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the agri-food system in many countries, due to rapid growth driven by food processing, packaging, transport, retail, household consumption, waste disposal and the manufacturing of fertilizers, according to a new study led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
More... 08-11-2021 |
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COP26: Agricultural expansion drives almost 90 percent of global deforestation. FAO Remote Sensing Survey reveals new findings. Agricultural expansion drives almost 90 percent of global deforestation – an impact much greater than previously thought, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said when releasing the first findings of its new Global Remote Sensing Survey today.
More... 05-11-2021 |
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Climate action in agribusiness could reduce emissions by up to 7 per cent. Joint EBRD/FAO report values economic significance of potential savings of up to US$ 360 billion. Targeted action in agriculture could have a massive impact on climate change, according to a joint brief by the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) presented at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.
More... 04-11-2021 |
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Green development of seed industries is vital to feed world’s growing population. Global Conference focuses on farmers’ need to access quality seeds as part of vital agri-food systems transformation. “There are no good crops without good seeds. Seeds are the foundation of agri-food systems. We rely on seeds to produce food, feed, fibre, fuel, and they contribute to a friendly environment,” said Director-General QU Dongyu as he opened an FAO-hosted Global Conference on Green Development of Seed Industries.
More... 04-11-2021 |
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World food prices reach new peak since July 2011. Global cereal production poised to hit an all-time high, stocks set to decline. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of food commodities, averaged 133.2 points in October, up 3 percent from September, rising for a third consecutive month.
More... 04-11-2021 |
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Joint FAO-IRENA report on renewable energy for agri-food systems launched at COP26. FAO Director-General also addresses emissions from dairy systems at global climate talks. The report, Renewable energy for agri-food systems – Towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris agreement, is the result of a joint effort between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
More... 04-11-2021 |
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An indispensable resource for everyone interested in food and agriculture. FAO publishes 2021 edition of its World Food and Agriculture Statistical Yearbook. For the second year running, the yearbook is available in a digital format with interactive charts and downloadable data sets. The Yearbook is accompanied by FAO's Statistical Pocketbook, which provides a quick and easy reference on the main facts and trends of food and agriculture.
More... 03-11-2021 |
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Central Asian ministers ready to help farmers withstand climate change. Smallholder farmers need to become more prepared for and resilient to weather extremes and climate shocks, and further support should be granted to them, concluded the virtual meeting of Agricultural Ministers of five Central Asian countries, convened by FAO.
More... 02-11-2021 |
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Ending child labour by 2025 requires effective action and strong leadership. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu addresses Nov. 2-3 Global Solutions Forum on child labour. A total of 160 million children worldwide – almost 1 in 10 - are engaged in child labour. About 70 percent of these children (112 million) work in crop production, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, according to the latest data available.
More... 02-11-2021 |
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G20: Actions now to feed the world and save the planet, urges FAO. FAO Director-General addresses world leaders at G20 summit. Policy makers must find a way to “feed the world and save the planet at the same time,” QU Dongyu said at the G20 Leaders Summit in Rome. “Climate change will compromise our ability to produce sufficient amounts of nutritious foods and increase poverty and deepen inequalities,” Qu warned, on the eve of COP climate conference in Glasgow.
More... 31-10-2021 |
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World Food Day 2021 celebrated across Europe and Central Asia. World Food Day, commemorated every year on 16 October – the date FAO was founded in 1945 – this year continued an established theme of recent years, that “Our Actions or Our Future”. The day highlighted how transforming agrifood systems could bring widespread improvements to everyone, resulting in better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.
More... 29-10-2021 |
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G20: Strengthening the link between food, health and finance sectors. FAO Director-General addresses G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting. The G20 must continue its efforts to achieve financing levels that enable long-term strengthening of health systems. Together with transformed agri-foods systems that are more sustainable, this can make the world more resilient against future pandemics and achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said at a G20 high-level meeting on Friday.
More... 29-10-2021 |
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G20 Green Garden: Planting for the future in Ancient Rome. FAO, Italy, Lazio and Rome join planting ceremony ahead of G20 Summit and COP 26. The G20 Green Garden in Rome’s famous Appia Antica Park is a multi-partner initiative launched in June 2021 amid the Italian current Presidency of the G20. This open-air museum celebrates biodiversity, nature and the city’s ancient heritage while calling for global solidarity to create a sustainable future for ‘People, Planet, Prosperity.’
More... 29-10-2021 |
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“To feed the world and protect nature we need Glasgow to be forward-looking, ambitious and transformative”. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General of FAO, talks about how agri-food systems are part of the solution to the climate crisis ahead of COP26. Maria Helena Semedo, is an economist and politician from Cape Verde who has development and sustainability close to her heart. Ahead of the upcoming United Nations’ Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, we ask her how the Rome-based UN agency is working to help end world hunger while addressing the climate crisis.
More... 28-10-2021 |
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Desert Locust upsurge may be declining but remaining swarms require vigilance in East Africa and Yemen. $11.2 million donation from Mastercard Foundation to aid control and recovery efforts. "Depending on weather conditions and our ability to reach breeding and migration areas, the upsurge could be over by the end of 2021 or in early 2022,” said Rein Paulsen, the Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience.
More... 28-10-2021 |
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Central Asian countries benefit from Turkish expertise through South-South Cooperation efforts. FAO and Turkey signed a South-South and Triangular Cooperation agreement on deploying Turkish experts to projects sites in Central Asia as part of the FAO–Turkey Partnership Programme for food, agriculture, and forestry.
More... 27-10-2021 |
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Statisticians receive practical help to carry out agricultural census. Halfway through the 2020 round of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture covering the period of 2016–2025, FAO is providing further practical input for the countries of Europe and Central Asia to join this cycle. The five-day FAO webinar presents Volume 2 of the World Programme of the Census of Agriculture (WCA 2020) - “Operational Guidelines” dealing with the practical steps involved in actually conducting an agricultural census in the field.
More... 25-10-2021 |
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Half of Afghanistan’s population face acute hunger as humanitarian needs grow to record levels. UN appeals for urgent assistance as country becomes one of the world’s largest food crises. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report has found that more than one in two Afghans will be facing crisis (IPC Phase 3) or emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity through the November 2021 to March 2022 lean season, requiring urgent humanitarian interventions to meet basic food needs, protect livelihoods and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
More... 25-10-2021 |
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Animal disease threats: FAO launches new global information system. EMPRES-i+ aims to improve intelligence, forecasting and early warning, enabling countries to monitor disease spread and risk of new outbreaks. “We need to prioritize and strengthen the animal health sector“ FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said at an event to launch the EMPRES-i+ system. He added: “Strong international and national animal health systems are key to prevent diseases, ensure safe and nutritious food, and protect farmers’ interests.”
More... 22-10-2021 |
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Creating new income opportunity for local fishing communities in Turkey. On World Tourism Day (27 September), pescatourism tours started in Turkey’s Gökova Bay as part of FAO’s Blue Hope Initiative in the Mediterranean Sea. This is a major step in adapting pescatourism in the country, which aims to reduce the fishing effort on stocks and create new income opportunity for the local communities by offering revenue from other uses of their vessel.
More... 22-10-2021 |
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FAO calls for greater RBA collaboration to implement UN Food System Summit outcomes. With just nine agricultural seasons to go before 2030, it is crucial to strengthen the joint work by the three Rome-based United Nations agencies (RBAs) to implement the UN Food Systems Summit outcomes and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was the main message conveyed by FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, on Wednesday at the fifth informal joint meeting of the governing bodies of the three RBAs (FAO Council, IFAD Executive Board and WFP Executive Board).
More... 21-10-2021 |
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World map of salt-affected soils launched at virtual conference. FAO Director-General opens Oct. 20-22 Global Symposium on Salt-Affected Soils. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today launched the Global Map of Salt-Affected Soils, a key tool for halting salinization and boosting productivity. The map estimates that there are more than 833 million hectares of salt-affected soils around the globe (8.7% of the planet). Most of them can be found in naturally arid or semi-arid environments in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
More... 20-10-2021 |
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Public development banks: Part of the solution to ending hunger. FAO Director-General addresses Finance in Common summit in Rome, strengthens ties with Italy’s CDP. Public development banks are “part of the solution” to ending hunger and transforming agri-food systems, as they have the power and reach to narrow funding gaps and consolidate bridges between stakeholders, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said today.
More... 19-10-2021 |
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World Food Day 2021: FAO hails new momentum and energy on agri-food systems despite unprecedented crises. Pope Francis joins other leaders with messages for global event paying tribute to Food Heroes. A UN Food Systems Summit last month mapped out the broad outlines of how the world needs to move forward to reshape the structures under which our food is produced, distributed and consumed. “Together, we have been rolling up our sleeves to lead the implementation and drive the transformation,” QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said in his address to the FAO-hosted World Food Day celebration.
More... 15-10-2021 |
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Tea and coffee: celebrating their cultural, social and economic importance. FAO Director-General joins global industry experts at event as part of World Food Day celebrations. Global tea and coffee experts came together today to explore and celebrate the cultural, social, and economic importance of the world’s two most popular beverages including their role in making agri-food systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
More... 15-10-2021 |
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Put people at the center of agri-food system innovation. FAO World Economic Forum founder Karl Schwab delivers keynote address at FAO-hosted World Food Day celebrations. “We must build greater trust that food systems work for people – not the other way around,” Karl Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said today in a keynote address for World Food Day celebrations at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
More... 15-10-2021 |
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FAO–Food Bank convoy delivers food to those in need. A long line of trucks today passed through the historic centre of Budapest carrying 33 tonnes of food donated by Hungarian and international food producers and retailers to support thousands of people in need. The event, carried out to mark World Food Day, was organized by FAO and the Hungarian Food Bank Association for the sixteenth consecutive year.
More... 15-10-2021 |
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Albania works toward better adaptation to climate change. Aided by FAO, multiple events took place in recent weeks in Albania to help the country fight climate change and its consequences. In the past decades, the country has been facing floods and droughts and further weather extremes, as well as invasive marine species.
More... 13-10-2021 |
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Kunming COP15: Agri-food system transformation is key for biodiversity conservation. FAO Director-General speaks at Convention on Biological Diversity on building an ecological civilization. “In order to fulfil our shared aspiration of building a shared future for life on earth, we need to pursue the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature,” the Director-General said at the opening session of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
More... 12-10-2021 |
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FAO, WFP and EU discuss heading off food crises before they strike. Brussels Dialogue - “From reaction to prevention: anticipatory action against food crises” – highlights efficiency and cost-effectiveness of anticipatory action. The high-level session was followed by panel discussions featuring partners’ experience at field level and the sharing of lessons learned.
More... 12-10-2021 |
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Eastern and Southeastern Europe commits to restore more than 4 million hectares of land by 2030. The countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe are taking bold action with the commitment to restore more than 4 million ha of land by 2030 under the Global Bonn Challenge. This was announced today at the Ministerial meeting organized by UNECE and FAO as part of the UN’s Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
More... 12-10-2021 |
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Regional meeting aims to strengthen the role of fisheries and aquaculture. Fish is an important animal protein source for billions of people worldwide, providing livelihood for more than 10 percent of the global population who depend on capture fishing and aquaculture. People living in countries across Europe and Central Asia are not an exception either.
More... 11-10-2021 |
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Committee on World Food Security (CFS) kicks off with a call for agri-food systems transformation. FAO stresses the need for strong partnerships to accelerate the end of hunger and malnutrition. According to the latest FAO estimates, the number of undernourished people in the world continues to rise. In 2020, up to 811 million people in the world went to bed hungry, whereas 2.4 billion people lacked year-round access to adequate food, and more than 3 billion people could not afford a healthy diet.
More... 11-10-2021 |
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Smallholder farmers would benefit from an online trading platform, FAO study finds. In the Republic of Moldova, creating a single online trading platform for small-scale agricultural producers could improve sales and market access, thus increase growth and economic competitiveness. Returning migrants could benefit, too, and become agents of change thanks to their digital skills, as well as inspire other farmers who are still reluctant to adopt and use online solutions.
More... 08-10-2021 |
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G20 Parliamentary Meeting: FAO stresses the transformative power of parliaments to face pressing challenges. FAO has been supporting the role of parliamentarians in the fight against hunger and malnutrition for many years. Politicians from the G20 countries have a key role in tackling global challenges such as worsening hunger and the climate crisis, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) seeks deeper cooperation with them to accelerate progress, Director-General QU Dongyu said today.
More... 08-10-2021 |
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G20 Business meeting: FAO calls for more and better agri-food investments to fight hunger. Private sector is key in post-pandemic recovery. Transformed and inclusive agri-food systems are needed to end hunger around the world and drive responses to other global challenges such as the climate crisis, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), told global private-sector leaders on Friday at the Business 20 (B20) summit.
More... 08-10-2021 |
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FAO Food Price Index rises further in September. World cereal production is expected to lag behind global consumption despite hitting an all-time high. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 130.0 points in September, up 1.2 percent from August and 32.8 percent higher than in September 2020. The index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities.
More... 07-10-2021 |
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Trainings on pig disease and farm biosecurity continue. FAO has finished delivering a series of trainings at various locations in Kosovo on detecting and preventing African swine fever (ASF) in pig farms. Four trainings at different locations were held reaching 47 pig keepers and 12 private veterinarians. The training materials were developed by FAO experts and was adapted to local circumstances and delivered by Jeton Muhaxhiri, FAO field activity expert.
More... 06-10-2021 |
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Producing more with less - a new approach and a new business model in fighting hunger. FAO Director-General addresses high-level forum organized by the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Agriculture. “We need a new approach – a new business model. We must produce more with less,” the FAO Director-General stressed in remarks made at the high-profile International Agro-Industrial Forum held on the sidelines of the "Golden Autumn - 2021" Exhibition in Moscow, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation within the framework of the Agro-Industrial Complex Week.
More... 06-10-2021 |
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Agri-food systems transformation: new, ambitious framework proposed to monitor progress. Experts from FAO, John Hopkins University and GAIN seek rigorous metrics system in piece published by the Food Policy Journal. Transforming agri-food systems is the high road to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, and a rigorous, science-based monitoring framework is needed to steer the process and keep all stakeholders accountable, a consortium of experts say in a new “viewpoint” published in the Food Policy journal.
More... 05-10-2021 |
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Food security and water security go hand-in-hand. FAO Director-General spoke at the launch of the WMO-led report “2021 State of Climate Services: Water”. Food security can only be achieved together with water security, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu said today, calling for proactive actions to improve integrated water management while boosting the quality of life and livelihoods. The Director-General spoke at a high-level launch of the report "2021 State of Climate Services: Water" led by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) featuring inputs from FAO experts.
More... 05-10-2021 |
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Vibrant youth gathering sparks ideas and actions to shape the future of our agri-food systems. Youth send out message on food as a basic right at first World Food Forum. Thousands of young people from across the globe followed five days of virtual debates, innovation, science and cultural celebrations in Rome. Rallying under the slogan “Nothing about us without us,” youth leaders called for food to be considered a public good and a basic human right.
More... 05-10-2021 |
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Starvation and hunger-related deaths a reality amid worsening food crises, says FAO. Director-General QU Dongyu tells High-Level UN Event on famine that livelihoods assistance must be prioritized. "Today we face unprecedented food crises on multiple fronts. Starvation and hunger-related deaths are a present reality," FAO Director-General QU Dongyu told the High-Level UN event: Action in Support of Preventing and Ending Famine Now. "As we near the end of 2021, the situation has continued to deteriorate."
More... 04-10-2021 |
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Feeding people while saving the planet - "Change the Game, Change the Future" online platform challenges youth with delicate balancing act. New food loss and waste reduction game platform launched at World Food Forum. The online decision-making platform "Change the Game, Change the Future" was jointly developed by FAO and The Lexicon, a North America-based non-profit organization whose "Green Brown Blue accelerator" mobilizes experts and builds tools to tackle challenges facing food systems. The game platform was introduced during a five-day flagship event of the World Food Forum (WFF), a youth-led movement to help shape the future of food and agriculture.
More... 04-10-2021 |
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2021 Innovation Award winners announced. FAO and Switzerland celebrate annual awards at World Food Forum. The awards were announced in a virtual ceremony with the participation of FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Christian Hofer, Director-General of the Federal Office for Agriculture of Switzerland. The ceremony was held on the first day of the flagship event (1-5 October, 2021) of the World Food Forum – a youth-led movement and network to transform or agri-food systems.
More... 01-10-2021 |
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Pastoralists benefit from the renovated well in Uzbekistan’s arid area. According to experts, overuse of pastures, as well as undergrazing, have a negative impact on the environment. If placed evenly throughout the pasture area, drinking wells for livestock can mitigate these negative consequences. The FAO multi-country project aided in the renovation of a well located near the village of Takham in southeast Uzbekistan, which in turn provides great support for local livestock breeders.
More... 01-10-2021 |
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World Food Forum - Youth take charge of shaping the future of food. Pope Francis and world leaders address youth representatives as five-day meeting kicks off in Rome. The World Food Forum brings together youth from a broad range of backgrounds and expertise with the aim of spurring action to help transform agri-food systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2 ("No hunger").
More... 01-10-2021 |
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FAO Director-General urges G20: invest in rural areas and step up actions to eradicate hunger and poverty. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, QU Dongyu, urged Foreign Affairs and Development Ministers of G20 countries to make more investments in rural areas and double down on actions to eradicate hunger and poverty.
Qu made the appeal at the Italy-presided G20 Foreign Affairs and Development Ministers' meeting where - for the first time - food security and nutrition were at the centre of the agenda.
More... 29-06-2021 |
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Speech of FAO Director-General at G20 Meeting of Foreign Affairs and Development Ministers. QU Dongyu highlights that governments must refocus their energies and investment on rural areas. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu speeks during the joint G20 Foreign Affairs and Development Ministers’ Meeting.
More... 29-06-2021 |
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Improving zoonotic disease prevention and livestock production through nuclear-derived techniques. A symposium organized by FAO and IAEA opened focusing on the prevention of animal disease outbreaks that can cause human pandemics like COVID-19, as well as ways to boost sustainable animal production to feed growing populations. The International Symposium on Sustainable Animal Production and Health virtually brings together over 2000 international experts in veterinary medicine, genetics and biochemistry to discuss topics such as emergency preparedness and response to outbreaks, advances in animal disease vaccine development and the latest biochemistry tools to improve livestock production, breeding and feed.
More... 28-06-2021 |
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FAO Investment Centre’s Annual Review highlights successes in 2020 and beyond. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, FAO Investment Centre has increased support to investment and policies in 120 countries across the world. Despite an unprecedented and challenging year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAO Investment Centre’s work to support sustainable investment in food and agriculture continued apace in 2020 - and is already in full swing in 2021, according to the latest edition of the Investment Centre’s Annual Review.
More... 28-06-2021 |
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Georgia reaches out to agriculture community through first Olympiad competition. A country-wide competition in Georgia that is reaching out to all age groups aims to generate new interest in and knowledge of agriculture. The Olympiad competition, part of an Austria-funded FAO project, will see contestants battle in one out in four categories – farmer, student, schoolchildren, practitioner – with the ten top performers (in online tests) from each category progressing to the final soon.
More... 28-06-2021 |
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FAO supports Ukraine in leveraging its agricultural export potential. Following a by the Government of Ukraine, FAO is supporting the country create a foreign agricultural attaché infrastructure. The idea behind this is to help Ukrainian agrifood producers enter foreign markets, through increased awareness of the country’s food-production potential, and by providing professional in-market support to Ukrainian suppliers and future buyers.
More... 25-06-2021 |
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FAO report maps insights from and threats to Indigenous Peoples’ food systems. Collaborative study looks at eight Indigenous Peoples’ food systems in Amazon, Sahel, Himalayas, Pacific Islands and Arctic, documenting unique capacity to conserve biodiversity and foster resilient food security and calls for recognizing land rights, and traditional practices. The report, titled Indigenous Peoples' Food System, Insights of sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change, was launched on Friday.
More... 25-06-2021 |
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Wholesale food markets are critical for agri-food systems transformation. FAO Director-General calls for greater co-operation to fight food insecurity. Speaking online to the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) Conference held in Florence, the Director-General outlined how the COVID-19 pandemic had made it imperative to address inequalities in access to nutritious and healthy diets. He stressed that 3 billion people in the world could not afford a healthy diet and up to 132 million more could be pushed into hunger by the end of 2020.
More... 25-06-2021 |
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Education is a key lifeline for world’s forests. New survey points out that forest education must be strengthened to meet global challenges. Forest education at all levels – from primary schools to universities – is insufficient in many countries of the world, according to the results of a global survey led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) with the support of other international and regional partners.
More... 24-06-2021 |
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Hunger and malnutrition in the Arab region stand in the way of achieving Zero Hunger by 2030, UN report warns. A United Nations study indicates that hunger in the Arab region continues to rise, threatening the region's efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Zero Hunger goal. The latest edition of the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in the Near East and North Africa, published today, estimates that more than 51 million people in the region are suffering from hunger.
More... 24-06-2021 |
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FAO promotes digital solutions for plant trade. Plant trade has come a long way in recent decades, but it still poses certain challenges and risks. Countries in Europe and Central Asia learned about a cutting-edge tool today, the ePhyto Solution – an electronic system for phytosanitary certification that makes trade between countries safer, faster, and cheaper. The ePhyto system is voluntary and all countries can join.
More... 24-06-2021 |
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FAO and Spain pledge to continue collaborating closely on global food security and nutrition. First Partnership Report marks joint efforts and achievements of the last ten years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Kingdom of Spain today acknowledged their joint efforts to fight global hunger and malnutrition in the past decade and pledged to further strengthen their collaboration in the future at a virtual event to release the first edition of their Partnership Report entitled FAO + Spain: Working for global food security and nutrition to mark their long-standing co-operation.
More... 21-06-2021 |
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FAO launches Green Cities Action Programme for Africa. A big push in a rapidly urbanizing continent kicked off today as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the Green Cities Regional Action Programme for Africa. The Programme aims to apply innovative solutions and turn urbanization into an opportunity for cities to become more sustainable, more resilient, provide access to healthy foods and ensure a better life for everyone.
More... 21-06-2021 |
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FAO Director-General opens the 8th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture. Opening the 8th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture QU Dongyu urged for new solutions and smarter ways to produce more food with less, and stressed that without a healthy environment, there are no healthy foods. The three-day virtual Congress is organized by the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF) and SWISS NO-TILL with the technical support of FAO. Its theme is: The Future of Farming: Profitable and Sustainable Farming with Conservation Agriculture.
More... 21-06-2021 |
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FAO Conference endorses new Strategic Framework to drive agri-food systems transformation. Endorsed at the last day of the 42nd Session of FAO Conference, the supreme decision-making body that brings together all FAO Members - 194 countries plus the European Union, the Strategic Framework 2022-2031 seeks to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
More... 18-06-2021 |
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Private sector has a crucial role to play in ensuring healthy diets for all. The private sector can be a crucial ally in global efforts to make agri-food systems more resilient, sustainable, efficient and inclusive to ensure healthy diets for all. This was a key takeaway from the B20-G20-FAO Dialogue on Sustainable Food System, a joint initiative co-organized by the Business 20 (B20) Italy, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Italian Presidency of the G20.
More... 17-06-2021 |
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Global Environment Facility approves over $46.6 million to support FAO-led projects. Eight countries will benefit from projects designed to support climate resilience and biodiversity, and combat land degradation and unsustainable fishing. FAO welcomed approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for five FAO-led projects in eight countries, totaling more than $46.6 million in funding. The decision was made during the 60th GEF Council Meeting and the 30th Least Developed Countries Fund Council Meeting.
More... 17-06-2021 |
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Canada contributes over CAD 22 million for FAO’s COVID-19 response. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomes a CAD 22.4 million (USD 17.7 million) contribution from Canada to boost the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities - especially women, youth and indigenous peoples - reeling from the impacts of COVID-19 in nine countries across Africa and Latin America. The CAD 22.4 million will benefit vulnerable communities at risk of or experiencing high acute food insecurity.
More... 16-06-2021 |
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Syrian and Turkish women build a cooperative and economic independence in Turkey. FAO provided assistance to Syrian and Turkish women to establish a new cooperative for stuffed mussels in Izmir. FAO provided assistance to 10 Syrian and 10 Turkish women to establish a new cooperative for stuffed mussels in Izmir – an area famous for fresh produce – known as the Turna Cooperative. The local delicacy, called Midye dolma in Turkish, is a niche product with strong and stable consumer demand.
More... 16-06-2021 |
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Ministers at FAO High Level Round Table agreed innovation is key to tackling hunger and climate change. Bill Gates delivers the prestigious McDougall Memorial Lecture during biennial FAO Conference. Innovation is needed across the entire spectrum of value chains in the world’s agri-food systems in order to respond to the two big challenges of climate change and hunger, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said at a high level round table.
More... 15-06-2021 |
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Bill Gates highlights role of data and technology to end hunger at FAO Conference. Helping smallholder farmers, especially in low-income countries, invest in results-oriented climate-resilient agriculture is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and avoiding a "catastrophic economic crash," Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said in a special event during the 42nd Session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
More... 15-06-2021 |
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More trees in Armenia to help counter climate change. Armenia, which is highly vulnerable to climate change, has signed up to increase its forest cover and carbon removal from forests by reducing fuelwood demand and by introducing sustainable and climate-adaptive forest management techniques. This is envisaged through a forestry project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the first large-scale FAO project in Europe and Central Asia to be supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
More... 15-06-2021 |
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Balkan bytes: How digital agri-entrepreneurship is changing a country. In March of 2021, a Montenegrin cow became the first known exemplar of the species – indeed, the first farm asset of any kind – to be bought with a virtual currency in the western Balkans. Comically but appropriately enough, she was named Bitkoinka. The animal went for 0.013 bitcoin, the equivalent of USD 1 600 at the time.
More... 14-06-2021 |
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First virtual FAO Conference kicks off with renewed calls for rebuilding a better world. FAO Members are set to approve the new Strategic Framework for the next decade. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella, Pope Francis, and others made a passionate call for tangible actions, innovative solutions, and continued commitment to rebuild a better, greener world anchored in efficient, resilient, inclusive and sustainable agri-food food systems that can provide healthy and affordable diets for all, and resist future crises.
More... 14-06-2021 |
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PETER RABBIT™ teams up with the United Nations, FAO and the UN Foundation on global campaign to mobilize more food heroes. Worldwide initiative aims at supporting healthy agri-food systems. Peter and his friends from Sony Pictures' PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY are joining the awareness-raising campaign that asks us all to be food heroes. "FAO celebrates food heroes who help transform our agri-food systems and try to make sure everyone, everywhere has access to enough affordable, nutritious and healthy foods," said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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Global food trade is buoyant, as are prices. FAO’s new Food Outlook report tracks the risks associated with rising import bills amid broad upswing in prices. Global food trade is poised for a resilient year ahead even as international food commodity prices are set to remain high amid supply and demand uncertainties, according to a new report released today by FAO. The report notes that trade flows continued to reach new highs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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UN agencies concerned by looming famine in northern Ethiopia, call for urgent life-saving action to avert it. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF call for urgent action to address the dramatic acute food insecurity in northern Ethiopia. The three agencies are particularly concerned about the situation in Tigray region where the risk of famine is imminent, unless food, livelihood assistance and other life-saving interventions continue to be scaled-up, unimpeded access is guaranteed, and hostilities cease.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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Child labour in agriculture is on the rise again, with further deterioration foreseen due to COVID-19. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations called today for agri-food systems to be transformed in order to also address the rise of child labour in agriculture, a situation mainly driven by hunger and poverty and now exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plea was made by the FAO Director General QU Dongyu at a 109th International Labour Conference high-level event, co-organised by UNICEF, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to mark World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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New G20 Garden plants green future in Rome’s ancient heart. FAO and Italy unveil sustainability-themed landscaping project. FAO in co-operation with the Italian Presidency of the G20 opened Rome's first garden dedicated to the concept of sustainable development. The "G20 Green Garden" is being billed as a space where recreation and the embrace of nature meet education on themes of global import.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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Albania steps forward to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet global climate goals. FAO is supporting the Government of Albania define and implement its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). FAO has already started to visit schools, farms, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Tirana and other regions affected by climate-related shocks to raise awareness of climate-change impacts, as well as climate actions that everyone can practise daily to mitigate environmental impacts and adapt to the changing environment.
More... 10-06-2021 |
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Uzbekistan gears up for UN Food Systems Summit through dialogue events. Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organised a national dialogue to prepare for the UN Food Systems Summit, a major global event which is planned for September.
More... 09-06-2021 |
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Off-farm activities are a growing share of food-system greenhouse gas emissions. The report, "Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Food System: Building the Evidence Base", estimates that food-system emissions amounted to 16 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalents (CO2eq) in 2018, an 8 percent increase since 1990. They now represent 33 percent of all human-caused GHG emissions.
More... 08-06-2021 |
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Ambitious $104 million program targets land degradation in Africa and Central Asian countries. Funded by the Global Environment Facility and led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes helps pave the way for initiatives linked to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The Program will be implemented in partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the World Bank, and the World Wildlife Fund.
More... 08-06-2021 |
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FAO, WHO set an example of collaborative action for safe food with a systems approach. A joint Food and Agriculture Organization–World Health Organization (FAO–WHO) virtual event today brought together relevant actors in Europe and Central Asia for World Food Safety Day, to discuss ways of improving food safety in the context of sustainable food systems. World Food Safety Day focusses attention and provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of food safety, demonstrate appropriate actions to prevent illness, and foster collaboration across sectors for improved food safety.
More... 07-06-2021 |
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Project kicks off for efficient and sustainable small ruminant production. A regional virtual workshop marked the launch of an FAO project that aims to increase the effectiveness of small ruminant production and reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity. Funded by Turkey, the project is designed to increase knowledge on efficient small ruminant production systems in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
More... 07-06-2021 |
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Food safety is everyone’s business. Science plays a fundamental role in ensuring the safety of our food now as well as tomorrow as we prepare for new and emerging challenges – that was the main message at a virtual event organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to celebrate the third edition of World Food Safety Day.
More... 07-06-2021 |
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Director-General opens special session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Agroecology, digital technologies and innovation all form part of the holistic redesign of the world's agri-food systems to make them "more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable," QU Dongyu said. The Director-General spoke at the opening of the 48th Special Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the inclusive multistakeholder platform set up to allow all stakeholders to work together to ensure food security and nutrition for all.
More... 04-06-2021 |
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Re-imagine, Recreate, Restore! UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration kicks off. Leaders in global politics, science, communities, religion and culture joined hands today to officially kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration - a rallying call for the protection and revival of millions of hectares of ecosystems all around the world for the benefit of people and nature. Led by the UNEP and the FAO, the Decade on Restoration - which runs from 2021 to 2030 - was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in a 2019 resolution.
More... 04-06-2021 |
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Worsening soil pollution threatens future food production and ecosystems, FAO-UNEP. Worsening soil pollution and waste proliferation threaten the future of global food production, human health and the environment, and require an urgent global response, according to a joint report released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme.
More... 04-06-2021 |
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Global food prices rise at rapid pace in May. Global food prices rose in May at their fastest monthly rate in more than a decade, even as world cereal production is on course to reach a new record high, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 127.1 points in May, 4.8 percent higher than in April and 39.7 percent higher than in May 2020.
More... 03-06-2021 |
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Climate change fans spread of pests and threatens plants and crops, new FAO study. The Scientific Review on the Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests - A global challenge to prevent and mitigate plant pest risks in agriculture, forestry and ecosystems by Professor Maria Lodovica Gullino, University of Turin (Italy), and ten co-authors from around the world was prepared under the auspices of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, hosted by FAO, and is one of the key initiatives of the International Year of Plant Health, which is coming to an end this month.
More... 02-06-2021 |
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UN urges intense restoration of nature to address climate and biodiversity crises. The report, Becoming #GenerationRestoration: Ecosystem restoration for people, nature and climate, highlights that humanity is using about 1.6 times the amount of services that nature can provide sustainably. That means conservation efforts alone are insufficient to prevent large-scale ecosystem collapse and biodiversity loss.
More... 02-06-2021 |
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Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan. FAO’s Collect Mobile app and Smart Milk digital portal are boosting farmers’ livelihoods. These innovations are helping to change the game in Kazakh’s dairy industry. Farmers improve their production thanks to readily accessible technical know-how and advice. And they can boost their incomes through stable sales to processing companies.
More... 01-06-2021 |
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Addressing hunger is the "foundation for stability and peace". Addressing hunger and poverty is the “foundation for stability and peace”, said QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), at a webinar hosted by the Vatican to discuss the link between conflict and hunger. Entitled "Food for All: Food conflicts and the future of food systems", the webinar explored the topic of food insecurity and conflict, and discussed how best to address hunger and food insecurity around the world.
More... 01-06-2021 |
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Global action is stepping up in the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing. Global action is making a major difference in efforts to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, but more needs to be done as consumer demand and fish production continue to rise. The Director-General was speaking at a High-Level Event at the Third Meeting of the Parties of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA), a virtual event hosted by the European Union.
More... 31-05-2021 |
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FAO crop experiment sees lower pesticide use reap rewards in Turkey. FAO, jointly with Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and other local partners, is helping to ensure Turkish consumers get their daily apple free of both pests and pesticides. FAO supports sustainable crop production and provides alternatives to pesticides through the project ‘Lifecycle Management of Pesticides and Disposal of POPs Pesticides in Central Asian countries and Turkey’, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
More... 31-05-2021 |
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Nobel insights into using social media for development. Mass communication using social media is a key tool in development, Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo said today at a seminar hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Duflo's talk was based on research - related to the COVID-19 pandemic - using randomized control trials (RCTs) to make "messaging to poor people" more effective. "That's at the core of a lot of potential strategies in developing countries," she said.
More... 31-05-2021 |
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Climate change and indigenous peoples, afro-descendants and migrants examined at global seminar. Indigenous peoples and afro-descendants' knowledge, innovations and resilience capacities are essential for the transformation to a more sustainable and climate-friendly world and should be included in the policy-making processes, agreed the High-Level Seminar convened today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the governments of Costa Rica, Spain and the Vatican.
More... 28-05-2021 |
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Harnessing the power of the EU-FAO partnership for sustainable agri-food systems transformation. The European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded today the 2021 edition of the EU-FAO Strategic Dialogue, underlining that there is an ambitious common agenda that will put people and the planet at the heart of a partnership towards more efficient, resilient, inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems.
More... 27-05-2021 |
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Digitalization offers agriculture a faster pathway to recovery from COVID-19 crisis. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today carried out a webinar – focusing on Europe and Central Asia – that looked at the multiple challenges of digital agriculture, and at the innovation and change that can result from embracing digital technology. The recording of the event is now available on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it13EvasgvY).
More... 27-05-2021 |
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FAO-UNEP call for bold move to restore world’s ecosystems. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today warned that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – also known as the 2030 Agenda – would not be achieved without large-scale restoration of degraded terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Qu was speaking at a joint "townhall meeting" that brought together staff from FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
More... 25-05-2021 |
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Embedding biodiversity in all we do. Conserving biodiversity is a central part of making peace with nature, and every person, sector and institution has a role to play, global leaders concurred at a United Nations (UN) virtual event today. "We are all part of the solution and you can count on the food and agriculture sector to play its part," QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), said in a panel discussion with the heads of other UN agencies.
More... 25-05-2021 |
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Europe and Central Asia: "economic and agricultural powerhouse" with solutions at hand. The region of Europe and Central Asia is an economic and agricultural powerhouse that boasts diverse cultures, agri-food systems and climatic zones, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today. This diversity, he added, provides opportunities to share experience and good practices within the region and beyond, but to tap this potential the region needs more investment and innovation.
More... 21-05-2021 |
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FAO "walks the talk" on climate. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched a new Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy that aims to reduce the Organization’s total Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by 45 percent by 2030. The ambitious new emissions reduction strategy focuses on improving the sustainability of daily operations, including the introduction of energy efficiency measures in facilities, updating travel policies to reduce travel-related emissions, and improving water use and recycling schemes.
More... 21-05-2021 |
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Strengthening health and agri-food systems must go hand-in-hand. Health and agri-food systems must be strengthened and improved to counter the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to avoid a global food crisis. "Beyond jeopardizing human health, the pandemic is also disrupting our agri-food systems that are the core to our health and life," the FAO Director-General told world leaders at the virtual Global Health Summit of the G20. "We need to take immediate action, to avoid a global food crisis with long-term impacts."
More... 21-05-2021 |
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Celebrating tea is celebrating peace, culture and hope. Global demand for tea has seen a remarkable increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a new momentum to build a sustainable and resilient tea sector while preserving its unique character of bringing people together. This was a key takeaway from a FAO-hosted virtual high-level event to mark the International Tea Day 2021.
More... 21-05-2021 |
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New international expert panel to address the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. International organizations have come together to launch a new One Health High-Level Expert Panel to improve understanding of how diseases with the potential to trigger pandemics, emerge and spread. The panel will advise four international organizations - WHO, FAO, OIE and UNEP - on the development of a long-term global plan of action to avert outbreaks of diseases like H5N1 avian influenza; MERS; Ebola; Zika, and, possibly, COVID-19.
More... 20-05-2021 |
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Bees are fundamental to our lives, says FAO Director-General. Today, on the occasion of the fourth observance of World Bee Day, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the important role that bees and other pollinators play in ensuring ecosystems services, food security, nutrition, and livelihoods, at a high-level virtual gathering under the theme ‘Bee engaged - Build Back Better for Bees'. "We need food systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. Bees play a major role in that. They are important to our food security, nutrition and the environment."
More... 20-05-2021 |
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Potential brewing for Azerbaijani and Georgian tea industries. FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hosted the roundtable event to highlight the countries’ potential to produce high quality and specialty teas. They also shared findings from their joint tea sector reviews, including options for developing the industries sustainably.
More... 20-05-2021 |
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Half of the population in the Central African Republic in the grip of dire food insecurity emergency, UN warns. Nearly half of the population - 47 percent - suffers from high and surging acute food insecurity in the Central African Republic as the country reels from the impacts of ongoing conflict and COVID-19, and braces for another harsh May-August lean season, warn the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
More... 19-05-2021 |
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The challenge of BEE-ing in a pandemic. Women are the new face of beekeeping in rural Georgia, helping keep a steady family income during COVID-19. With the COVID-19 crisis heavily affecting the economy in Georgia, decimating the tourism industry and sales of wine many people of the region have found themselves out of income. Families struggled to meet ends, and very often women became the main provider of income for their households.
More... 19-05-2021 |
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FAO launches dialogue in Turkey to increase social protection for rural communities. What challenges do vulnerable agricultural communities face in accessing rural social protection, and how can social security be extended to those not covered by the system? The online event, coordinated by FAO and Ankara University, emphasized the importance of expanding the social security net to include people in dire need, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More... 18-05-2021 |
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"Digitalization is the way of the new life and the new economy". Digital agriculture can drive the transformation of agri-food systems necessary to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and build a better future for all humankind, QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO said today. "Digitalization is the way of the new life and the new economy," he said at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2021. "This is both a tremendous responsibility and an unprecedented opportunity for all of us."
More... 18-05-2021 |
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The world is converging on the need for sustainable agri-food systems. In a sign that food security and nutrition are increasingly seen as key vectors for sustainable development, the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD) approved a resolution likely to enrich and intensify discussions at the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit. FAO leads UN Commission on Population and Development to call for actions that favor responsible consumption and production patterns.
More... 14-05-2021 |
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EU contribution of €8 million will strengthen gains in Desert Locust fight. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has welcomed an €8 million contribution from the European Union (EU) that will enable countries in the Horn of Africa to maintain a state of readiness in the face of a possible resurgence of Desert Locusts. The European Commission announced the funding as another example of the EU's sustained commitment to control this upsurge since its early days in 2020.
More... 13-05-2021 |
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Veterinary vaccines protect humans as well as animals, says Director-General. Veterinary vaccines and immunization protect not only animals but also public health, says QU Dongyu. He spoke at the virtual launch of a new FAO-led publication entitled "Veterinary Vaccines: Principles and Applications". The Director-General also highlighted the need for scaling up the One Health - One Planet approach to tackle diseases from all fronts, given the interconnected relationship between the health of people, animals, plants and the environment.
More... 13-05-2021 |
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New FAO-led food security and nutrition report for Europe and Central Asia elaborates on the costs of a healthy diet. According to the Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed serious threats to food security and nutrition, especially for low-income and vulnerable populations in the region. Although severe hunger has not been a major issue in Europe and Central Asia in the past 20 years, the region is in part facing an increase of moderate food insecurity.
More... 12-05-2021 |
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Q&A on Pests and Pesticide Management. Pesticides are any substance or mixture of substances of chemical or biological ingredients intended for repelling, destroying or controlling any pest, or for regulating plant growth. The term pesticide applies to insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, molluscicides, wood preservatives and various other substances used to control pests. Pesticides also include plant growth regulators, defoliants and desiccants.
More... 12-05-2021 |
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Director-General hails FAO employees for their dedication and resilience amid pandemic. In April 2020 FAO had its first-ever global town hall meeting. The event brought employees worldwide together virtually with the Director-General for a direct exchange and dialogue. Today the Organization held its third town hall meeting, leading Director-General QU Dongyu to suggest the unprecedented initiative he launched last year is now a "new normal".
More... 11-05-2021 |
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Southern Madagascar: Government and UN sound the alarm on famine risk, urge action. With each day that passes, more lives are at stake as hunger tightens its grip in southern Madagascar. This is the stark warning from two United Nations agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), as they seek to draw international attention to a humanitarian crisis that risks being invisible.
More... 11-05-2021 |
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FAO joins Morocco-led celebrations for the first UN International Day of Argania. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today marked the first UN International Day of Argania by participating in a high-level virtual event in Morocco that highlighted the importance of argan trees in preserving biodiversity and providing livelihoods. Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General, said the event was “a great opportunity” for Morocco and for the dry zones of Africa to highlight the importance of the argan tree.
More... 10-05-2021 |
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Unlock and Unblock: twin track to boost food security in Africa. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, warned that severe underfunding of the agri-food sector was preventing Africa from reaching its potential. He spoke at the launch of FAO's latest report, Public Expenditure on Food and Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, which reveals the gap between long-standing political commitments and financial reality in 13 sub-Saharan African countries.
More... 10-05-2021 |
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FAO will implement a new Nutrition Strategy to ensure healthy diets for all. After an extensive consultative and iterative process over the last two years, the Vision and Strategy for FAO's Work in Nutrition (FAO’s Nutrition Strategy) was endorsed at the 166th Session of the FAO Council last week. The new strategy establishes FAO’s objectives for nutrition going forward and provides a framework to guide FAO’s action over the next five years.
More... 07-05-2021 |
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Science, technology and innovation are crucial to efforts aimed at transforming agri-food systems. FAO Chief Scientist Ismahane Elouafi this week presented the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 Science Days (July 8-9) at a high-level United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) event, and stressed the central role of science, technology and innovation for the transformation of agri-food systems.
More... 07-05-2021 |
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Urgent and scaled-up action needed to reduce suffering in South Sudan. Urgent and scaled-up efforts to help those who produce South Sudan's food can make a notable contribution to mitigate suffering in a country, where three out of every five people cannot meet their daily food needs, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, said today.
More... 06-05-2021 |
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International food prices continue rising in April. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 120.9 points in April, 1.7 percent higher than March and 30.8 percent higher than its level in the same month last year. The index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, reached its highest level since May 2014, and in nominal terms is 12 percent below its all-time peak in February 2011.
More... 06-05-2021 |
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EU and FAO call for the transformation of agri-food systems. The EU and FAO have agreed to increase joint efforts to transform agri-food systems, in order to make them more inclusive, efficient, resilient and sustainable.The FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and EU Commissioners for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen; for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides; and for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, spoke at the launch of the 2021 EU-FAO Strategic Dialogue.
More... 06-05-2021 |
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A high-tech response is helping countries win the battle against Desert Locusts. The Desert Locust is a formidable enemy and in the past year, waves of the insect swept East Africa, Yemen and southwest Asia. FAO, with partners and donors, developed high-tech tools that revolutionised locust surveillance and treatment, helping affected countries to effectively control them.
More... 05-05-2021 |
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FAO assesses Tajikistan’s capacity to detect and diagnose animal diseases. As part of a new initiative to create a Central Asia Animal Health Network (CAAHN), FAO has embarked on assessing the surveillance and laboratory diagnostic capabilities of these countries. The evaluation has concluded already in Kyrgyzstan and recently in Tajikistan, while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are expected to follow later this year.
More... 05-05-2021 |
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Acute food insecurity soars to five-year high warns Global Report on Food Crises. The number of people facing acute food insecurity and needing urgent life and livelihood-saving assistance has hit a five-year high in 2020 in countries beset by food crises, an annual report launched today by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) - an international alliance of the UN, the EU, governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises together - has found.
More... 05-05-2021 |
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FAO Council ends successfully and paves the way for the first virtual Conference in history. The 166th Session of the FAO Council, the third session held entirely virtually, ended today with its Members praising the Organization's main actions and initiatives to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and to foster sustainable development, as well as supporting the proposed documents to guide the Organization's work over the next years.
More... 01-05-2021 |
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FAO and WFP launch global consultation to help alleviate hunger and transform agri-food systems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched an online public consultation to obtain inputs on how the UN agencies can collaborate in key areas in the coming years. The consultation will feed into the operationalization of FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and the preparation of WFP's Strategic Plan 2022-2026.
More... 30-04-2021 |
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FAO and BADEA scale-up partnership in support of African countries. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) have formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed by FAO Director-General Dr QU Dongyu and BADEA Director General Mr Sidi Ould Tah in a virtual ceremony on the margins of the ‘High-Level Dialogue on Feeding Africa: Leadership to Scale up Successful Innovations’ Even.
More... 29-04-2021 |
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UN General Assembly to hold High-level Interactive Dialogue on Antimicrobial Resistance - a global health and development threat. Calling for accelerated action to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkır, is convening a High-level Interactive Dialogue of the General Assembly on Antimicrobial Resistance on Thursday 29 April. World leaders, to be joined by UN experts, business and civil society leaders, are expected to discuss practical steps to address AMR in the midst of COVID-19 recovery plans.
More... 28-04-2021 |
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Collaborative Partnership on Forests calls for halt to deforestation. A group of 15 international organizations working on forestry today issued a joint statement highlighting the need to halt the destruction of the world's forests. Chaired by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) comprises UN agencies, four conventions and other organizations with substantial programmes on forests, and supports the work of the United Nations Forum on Forests and its member countries.
More... 26-04-2021 |
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Historic opportunities for global action to eradicate poverty, end hunger and reduce inequalities. Addressing the 166th Session of the FAO Council today, Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the ways FAO has been providing constant support to Members, including to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of the decisions, activities and results shared with Council today are "not an isolated exercise, but part of an interlinked chain of progress," he said.
More... 26-04-2021 |
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Healthy forests are key to "building back better". Healthy forests are key to "building back better", FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today in his video address to the high-level round table at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF, 26-30 April 2021). According to FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, the world is losing 10 million hectares of forest each year through deforestation. In addition, land degradation affects almost 2 billion hectares, an area larger than South America.
More... 26-04-2021 |
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Small family farmers produce a third of the world’s food. The world's smallholder farmers produce around a third of the world's food, according to detailed new research by the FAO. Five of every six farms in the world consist of less than two hectares, operate only around 12 percent of all agricultural land, and produce roughly 35 percent of the world's food, according to a study published in World Development.
More... 23-04-2021 |
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FAO, OIE and WHO call for stronger coordination in mitigating health threats. In a joint statement released today, FAO, OIE and WHO, committed to strengthening multi-sectoral coordination and efforts to combat health threats associated with interactions between humans, animals, and the environment across Europe and Central Asia. This message was reiterated in a virtual event of the regional Tripartite members.
More... 23-04-2021 |
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Rome Call for Artificial Intelligence ethics draws global interest. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming field drawing in large investments and already leading to major breakthroughs in the fields of drug discovery, chemical and molecular synthesis, computer vision systems and language models. It promises to catalyze revolutions in agri-food systems as well, and the FAO is already deploying it and looking at its longer-term ramifications.
More... 22-04-2021 |
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Keeping soils alive and healthy is key to sustain life on our planet. The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) drew to a close with a call to recognize and enhance the role of soil organisms in sustaining life on Earth. Soils are one of the main global reservoirs of biodiversity. They host more than 25 percent of the world's supply of this valued resource from where 95 percent of the food we eat is produced. In addition, more than 40 percent of living organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are connected with soils during their life cycle.
More... 22-04-2021 |
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FAO Director-General marks Earth Day with sustainability plea. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today told participants in a virtual Food for Earth "global marathon" that sustainability was a "fundamental concept and a cross-cutting theme throughout the Organization’s activities, interventions and initiatives".
More... 22-04-2021 |
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FAO and the European Space Agency unite to support countries in achieving the SDGs. A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two Organizations was signed today by Máximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, and Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA Acting Director of Earth Observation Programmes. The agreement paves the way for exchanging relevant expertise and developing applications in which Earth observation images can be used to better monitor agri-food systems.
More... 20-04-2021 |
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Giving a voice to soil organisms – our silent allies in the fight against hunger. The Global Symposium on Soil Biodiversity hosted by FAO kicked off yesterday with a call to preserve this vast community of living soil organisms and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Soils are one of the main global reservoirs of biodiversity. They host more than 25 percent of the world's supply of this valued resource from where 95 percent of the food we eat is produced.
More... 20-04-2021 |
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Advanced weather data benefit Tajik smallholder farmers. Tajikistan is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in Central Asia. In 2019, FAO, with the support of the European Union, installed three automated weather stations, each in a different region characterized by intensive production of grapes, apricots, and cottons. The weather stations support the Agrometeorology Department in gathering important climate data from each region and producing advanced agrometeorological information for the local producers on weather changes, plant diseases, and yield forecasts, all of which help them mitigate the impact of climate change.
More... 20-04-2021 |
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New Handbook for Parliamentarians - practical guidance on transforming food systems and improving nutrition. Aimed at providing lawmakers with practical guidance on legislative processes that prioritize nutrition, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published today a new Handbook for Parliamentarians, entitled "Food Systems and Nutrition".
More... 19-04-2021 |
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Latin America and the Caribbean are "pillar for world food security". Latin America and the Caribbean "are truly a pillar for world food security," QU Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO, said in an address to more than 30 ministers from the region and North America. The Director-General hailed the region's contribution to preventing the COVID-19 health crisis from becoming a food crisis. "Now you need to be the architects of recovery, a recovery with transformation," he urged.
More... 16-04-2021 |
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Fight against fall armyworm: good progress, more efforts needed. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, QU Dongyu, today hailed progress in the fight against one of the most destructive pests jeopardizing food security across vast regions of the globe – while urging renewed drive and scaling up of efforts.
More... 16-04-2021 |
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FAO and the African Union Commission launch a guide to help countries enter Africa's new single market. The Framework for Boosting Intra-African Trade in Agricultural Commodities and Services is a blueprint for expanding agricultural trade between African countries and aims to unlock the potential of the agricultural sector to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth for Africa. Increased trade represents a paradigm shift away from business as usual and is an important part of the collaborative work towards boosting food security and nutrition for all Africans.
More... 15-04-2021 |
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New effort strengthens regional collaboration against wheat rust diseases. The FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture has launched a new project to strengthen regional collaboration and national capacities for management of wheat rust diseases and resistance breeding in Central Asia and Caucasus (CAC-Rust). Covering seven countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – the project will run until 2024.
More... 14-04-2021 |
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Experts examine ways to reduce harvest and post-harvest food losses. Post-harvest food loss is a leading cause of food insecurity for millions of people across the world. FAO organized a webinar to support farmers and producers in revising and improving the practices that result in food losses after harvest. At the virtual event, whose recording is now available online, prominent experts and practitioners across the region presented the most recent and relevant solutions and successes.
More... 14-04-2021 |
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Food Coalition gains momentum as food security is featured on the G20 agenda. Worsening hunger levels and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic called for a fresh approach and a strengthened commitment to global action ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) to prevent a food crisis, according to the FAO and the Italian Government. Italy's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Marina Sereni, joined FAO at an informal virtual briefing to promote the Food Coalition , a global alliance established by FAO in November 2020 after it was proposed by the Italian Government in response to the pandemic.
More... 14-04-2021 |
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FAO Director-General QU Dongyu designates European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet FAO Goodwill Ambassador. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet was named Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Goodwill Ambassador today, the International Day of Human Space Flight. Pesquet will help FAO raise awareness about the importance of transforming the world's agri-food systems, making them more resilient, inclusive, efficient and sustainable to overcome the challenges of persisting and growing hunger, and preserving the planet's environment and biodiversity.
More... 12-04-2021 |
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Signs of hope in East Africa, as control campaign tames locust upsurge. But FAO calls for increased surveillance to lock in gains, prevent a resurgence. In this Q&A interview, FAO Senior Desert Locust Forecaster Keith Cressman and Cyril Ferrand, Manager of FAO's Desert Locust response in East Africa, discuss progress made in containing the threat posed by the voracious pest in East Africa.
More... 12-04-2021 |
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FAO's flagship Hand-In-Hand initiative aimed at eradicating poverty and hunger builds momentum. Progress made by countries in fighting poverty and hunger under FAO's flagship Hand-In-Hand Initiative during the last 18 months came under the spotlight at a technical briefing organized by FAO's Liaison Office in New York and the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
More... 10-04-2021 |
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Female farmers to improve livelihoods with support of experienced peers. Empowering rural women through agriculture has great potential in the country; according to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, 77 percent of women reside in rural areas, and the percentage of female entrepreneurs engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing is higher than men (32 to 24 percent). However, women face a number of challenges hindering them from leveraging their full potential. In total, women do an average of six hours of unpaid work, while men spend only two hours on the same.
More... 09-04-2021 |
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Integrating social protection and agriculture to improve diets in Kyrgyzstan. Since 2016, under the Russian-funded project "Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia," FAO has been supporting Kyrgyzstan in aligning social protection with agriculture and rural development through the Cash+ approach.
More... 08-04-2021 |
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FAO and Uzbekistan sign an agreement guiding collaboration on food and agriculture. A roundtable meeting marked the official launch of the FAO–Uzbekistan Country Programming Framework (CPF), covering the period 2021–2025 and giving impetus and further guidance to their partnership. In line with national sustainability priorities, FAO signed up to support the Government in implementing the 2030 Agenda and help Uzbekistan achieve sustainable food systems along the entire agrifood value chain.
More... 08-04-2021 |
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Global food prices rise for 10th month in a row. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 118.5 points in March, 2.1 percent higher than in February and reaching its highest level since June 2014. Trends varied by commodity types.
More... 08-04-2021 |
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Global initiative tackles marine litter to clean up the world’s oceans. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has partnered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and 30 countries in a major initiative to tackle marine litter and clean up the world's oceans. The GloLitter Partnerships Project is being implemented by FAO in partnership with the IMO, with initial funding from the Government of Norway through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
More... 08-04-2021 |
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Eating healthy before, during and after COVID-19. FAO resources to help you stay healthy whatever the circumstance. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us refocus on the actions we can take to keep healthy. Maintaining a healthy diet, for example, plays a central role in our overall health and immune. Diets vary widely around the globe, influenced by access, incomes, habits and culture. Here are 6 healthy eating habits and FAO resources to help you out.
More... 07-04-2021 |
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Scale of acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo "staggering", FAO, WFP warn. The number of people affected by high acute food insecurity in the DRC is estimated at 27.3 million or one in three people, including nearly seven million people grappling with emergency levels of acute hunger (IPC 4), according to the latest Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) analysis.
This makes the central African country home to the highest number of people in urgent need of food security assistance in the world.
More... 06-04-2021 |
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Scientists study Malaga’s globally important agricultural heritage to search for climate resiliency. The "Malaga Raisin Production System in La Axarquia" project was selected as a pioneer case study in Europe and Central Asia, receiving recognition as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by FAO in 2017. The area represents an example of Mediterranean agriculture that has survived for 500 years, providing food security and livelihoods to the local community.
More... 01-04-2021 |
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Harnessing local agriculture production to create healthy diets. Harnessing local agriculture production around the world to create healthy diets through agri-food system-transformation was the focus of a high-level event organized by the FAO and involving leaders and experts. Under the framework of its Regional Network on Nutrition-sensitive Food System, FAO's Regional Office for Near East and North Africa co-hosted the special virtual event with FAO's Regional Offices for Africa and for Asia and the Pacific.
More... 01-04-2021 |
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Winners of International Day of Forests 2021 photo contest announced. Photographs from the Russian federation, Belarus, and Spain have won the International Day of Forests 2021 photo contest, which celebrated the ways in which trees contribute to people’s well-being across the world.
Over 700 photos of trees that support mental or physical health were submitted from 70 countries.
More... 01-04-2021 |
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The Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognise 120 Tree Cities of the World. A total of 120 cities from 23 countries earned this international designation in 2020, including Toronto, Canada; New York, USA; Guadalajara, Mexico; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Campo Grande, Brazil; Hyderabad, India; and Kampala, Uganda.
More... 30-03-2021 |
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New report shows Indigenous and Tribal Peoples ‘best guardians' of forests. Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), "Forest Governance by Indigenous and Tribal Peoples" also shows that improving the tenure security of these territories is an efficient and cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions.
More... 25-03-2021 |
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UN initiative helps farmers in Albania invest in local agricultural production. FAO provides assistance to Albanian farmers through agricultural grants that aim to add value to local agricultural production. The project supports smallholders through facilitating good practices on rural income diversification, innovative short food value chains, and farmers' cooperation, as well as promoting authentic products and a "from farm to tourist" approach.
More... 25-03-2021 |
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Hundreds of veterinarians trained virtually in African swine fever preparedness. In Europe and Central Asia, FAO has remotely trained hundreds of animal health professionals in African swine fever (ASF) preparedness. African swine fever is a viral disease of pigs (and wild boar) with a lethality rate of up to 100 percent that leads to huge economic losses, trade disruptions, and challenges to livelihoods. Rampaging throughout three continents, never before in history has the disease had such a wide distribution with so many millions of pigs affected and killed.
More... 24-03-2021 |
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Moldovan agriculture set to become more resilient against climate change. FAO launched a new project on mainstreaming climate change adaptation into the country’s national planning processes for reduced vulnerability to climate change at local and central levels. The activity, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment and financially supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), complements a broader effort of the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
More... 24-03-2021 |
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Acute hunger set to soar in over 20 countries, warn FAO and WFP. Acute hunger is set to soar in over 20 countries in the coming months without urgent and scaled-up assistance, warn the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) in a new report issued today. Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria top the list and face catastrophic levels of acute hunger, with families in pockets of South Sudan and Yemen already in the grip of or at risk of starvation and death according to the "Hunger Hotspots" report.
More... 23-03-2021 |
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Science, policy and capacity key to future of agriculture, FAO Director-General says. Hunger is on the rise, Director-General Qu said in his keynote address, and has been for the last six years. Even before COVID-19 struck, there were nearly 690 million undernourished people; the pandemic likely added a further 132 million to the ranks of the hungry in 2020, he stated, citing FAO’s "2020 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" report.
More... 23-03-2021 |
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"Safeguarding water means safeguarding humanity," says FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in World Water Day celebration. Water is an "essential element of every aspect of development", QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today during a large virtual celebration to mark World Water Day 2021.
More... 22-03-2021 |
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Green Climate Fund approves $80 million in FAO-led projects in Congo and Jordan. Two FAO-designed projects, one focusing on agroforestry in sub-Saharan Africa and the other on water management in the Near East, have received $80 million, paving the way to improve the livelihoods of more than 250 000 smallholders. The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved the funds for initiatives in the Republic of Congo and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
More... 19-03-2021 |
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Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being, says FAO Director-General. Opening the high-level ceremony to mark the International Day of Forests, the FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, described forest restoration as a path to global recovery and well-being. "Healthy forests mean healthy people. Forests provide us with fresh air, nutritious foods, clean water and space for recreation, and also for civilization to continue," the Director-General said.
More... 19-03-2021 |
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Trainings of artificial insemination specialists improve cattle productivity and livelihoods in Azerbaijan. Considering the many challenges small-scale cattle breeders face, FAO launched a project on artificial insemination to boost breeders’ livelihoods. The project aims to improve breeding and service quality in the livestock sector through a better organized and high-quality system for delivering artificial insemination and animal production services to farms.
More... 18-03-2021 |
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Disasters take heavy toll on agri-food systems as new threats emerge. Agriculture absorbs the bulk of the financial losses and damages wrought by disasters which have grown in frequency, intensity, and complexity, says FAO in a new report. FAO's recurring report "The Impact of Disasters and Crises on Agriculture and Food Security" presents the most recent trends in agricultural production loss attributed to disasters across all agricultural sectors. The 2021 edition covers 457 disasters in 109 countries across all regions and income categories.
More... 18-03-2021 |
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Italy to set the stage for UN Food Systems Summit with three-day event that will deliver bold new ambitions. The United Nations and the Government of Italy announced today that the Pre-Summit gathering for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit will be in Rome, Italy from July 19 to July 21, 2021. Under the leadership of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, the Pre-Summit event will bring together the efforts and contributions of a global engagement process to shape ambition to transform food systems.
More... 17-03-2021 |
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Ensuring plant health in a post-COVID-19 world. Every year, up to 40 percent of global crop production - worth over $200 billion - is lost to plant pests and diseases. The 15th Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-15) - the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) - began meeting today to set standards to curb the spread of plant pests and review the state of plant health and protection worldwide.
More... 16-03-2021 |
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Science, technology and innovation are key to transform agri-food systems in Central Asia. With focus on science, technology and innovation, Central Asian countries can contribute to agri-food systems transformation and serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today at the Third Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of Central Asia. The virtual event, hosted by the Government of Kyrgyz Republic, focused on innovations in agri-food systems.
More... 15-03-2021 |
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Director-General highlights valuing water as a “game changer" in Near East. Governance, innovation and capacity building are the high roads to coping with water scarcity in Iraq and neighboring countries, which have been home to agricultural civilizations for 5000 years, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today. "Effective water governance needs transparency, meaningful participation from diverse stakeholders and robust accountability mechanisms in place", he said.
More... 13-03-2021 |
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FAO and JR Farms join forces to support youth-led initiatives in agribusiness in Rwanda. FAO in Rwanda has signed an agreement with JR Farms Limited to promote youth involvement in agriculture and create decent work opportunities. JR Farms is a Rwandan led agri-enterprise operating in the areas of food processing and retailing, agro commodity trading and consulting. Its corporate goals are to ensure food security, end hunger in Africa and create decent jobs for Africa's women and young people.
More... 12-03-2021 |
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FAO starts the dialogue on COVID-19 impact on fisheries and aquaculture for Europe and Central Asia. An FAO webinar provided an opportunity for governments, experts, civil society, and the industry to take stock on the response of fisheries and aquaculture to the COVID-19 crisis. The recording of the virtual event is now available online.
More... 12-03-2021 |
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Sustainable land and water use in the Republic of Moldova. In the Republic of Moldova, over 140 000 rural people will benefit from integrated natural resource management and the sustainability of land and water resources, thanks to a new USD 1.66 million project launched today. The three-year effort will improve the provision of ecosystem services from the local landscape.
More... 11-03-2021 |
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FAO aims to provide livelihood assistance to nearly 49 million people in 2021. As the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and climate-related crises drive acute levels of hunger higher, FAO is seeking $1.1 billion in 2021 to save the lives and livelihoods of some of the world's most food-insecure people. In 2021, FAO is aiming to reach more than 48.9 million people who rely on agriculture for their survival and livelihoods through interventions aimed at boosting local food production and nutrition, while strengthening the capacity and resilience of communities to prepare for and cope with crises, as well as providing post-disaster livelihoods support to help people resume production.
More... 11-03-2021 |
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FAO and Ireland celebrate collaboration and renew commitment to partnership. FAO Director-General and Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine mark FAO-Ireland partnership with launch of a new publication. A new publication "FAO + Ireland: Partnering for a peaceful, equal and sustainable world" was launched at the event, detailing, for the first time, the visible results achieved at global, regional and country levels through the FAO + Ireland partnership.
More... 10-03-2021 |
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Transparent and open food commodity markets are vital for food security and nutrition. Open and transparent food commodity markets and efficient supply chains are paramount to ensure that everyone has access to adequate, safe and nutritious food during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said today at the opening of the 74th Session of the FAO's Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP).
More... 10-03-2021 |
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Cutting food waste while improving food security and environment in Ukraine. The current methods of waste management in Ukraine – mere collection of mixed waste and landfill disposal - have a detrimental impact on the environment. Therefore, the issue requires immediate attention. In 2014–2017, Ukraine adopted the National Waste Management Strategy until 2030 as part of its commitment under the Association Agreement with the EU.
More... 09-03-2021 |
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Food systems account for more than one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. New data tool offers detailed insights covering role of land use, agriculture, refrigeration, packaging and more, providing critical guidance for holistic mitigation efforts. The world's food systems are responsible for more than one-third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, according to a pioneering new study published in Nature Food.
More... 09-03-2021 |
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Empowering women and girls is crucial to ensure sustainable food security in the aftermath of COVID-19, say UN food agency heads ahead of International Women's Day. Hunger and famine will persist and there will be unequal recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic unless more women in rural and urban areas hold leadership positions with increased decision-making power, say the heads of the three United Nations' food agencies ahead of their joint International Women's Day event on 8 March.
More... 06-03-2021 |
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On the frontier of science for food and agriculture. Joint FAO/IAEA Nuclear Techniques Centre works on a vast spectrum of areas that underpin food security and safety. The caesium-137 (Cs-137) radionuclides released into the atmosphere and spread around the world from nuclear tests conducted more than half a century ago are deposited on the earth's surface through rain, offering the opportunity to precisely assess the rate of soil erosion, even in remote areas where no past data is available.
More... 05-03-2021 |
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Celebrating women’s achievements. On 8 March 2021, the United Nations and the world celebrate International Women’s Day, reflecting on progress made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. Women in rural areas in Europe and Central Asia are still not equally represented in rural institutions and manage only 6.5 percent to 31 percent of agricultural holdings.
More... 05-03-2021 |
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New collaboration addresses food waste in the food and hospitality sector in Turkey. Reducing food waste is one of the major global challenges of our time. In Turkey alone, 18 million tonnes of food is thrown out every year, a figure that rises to around 88 million tonnes for EU countries. When food is discarded in this manner the valuable resources used in its production are also lost, even before the high cost of food disposal is taken into account.
More... 04-03-2021 |
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FAO Food Price Index rises for ninth consecutive month in February. Global food commodity prices rose for the ninth consecutive month in February, with quotations for sugar and vegetable oils increasing the most, the FAO reports. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 116.0 points in February, 2.4 percent higher than the previous month.
More... 04-03-2021 |
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UN World Wildlife Day highlights role of indigenous and local communities’ livelihoods and knowledge in the conservation of forest species and ecosystems. For the first-ever virtual celebration of the United Nations World Wildlife Day, representatives of UN Member States, UN System organizations, international and non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples and Local communities, and youth took part in an online event marking the Day.
More... 03-03-2021 |
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Urgent aid needed to fight humanitarian crisis in Yemen, says FAO Director-General. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has appealed for urgent aid to fight the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as UN agencies work to prevent a large-scale famine in the country.
More... 01-03-2021 |
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FAO’s Investment Centre doubles down on efforts to create more robust and sustainable agri-food systems. Q&A with FAO Investment Centre Director. Mohamed Manssouri, Director of FAO's Investment Centre discusses the Centre's work and expansion plans.
More... 26-02-2021 |
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Building momentum on the ethical approach towards Artificial Intelligence endorsed by Pope Francis. The Pontifical Academy for Life, together with the first co-signatories of the Rome Call for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics: Microsoft, IBM, and the FAO marked the first anniversary of the document which has been endorsed by Pope Francis and seeks a commitment towards developing AI technologies in ways that are transparent, inclusive, socially beneficial and accountable.
More... 26-02-2021 |
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Transforming agri-food systems is powerful lever for achieving global goals. A holistic redesign of the world's agri-food systems can make outsized contributions to achieving global pledges such as ending hunger by 2030, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said in a keynote lecture at Italy's historic Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.
More... 25-02-2021 |
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FAO outlines strategy for healthy and productive livestock in Europe and Central Asia. With the main aim to improve the animal health and production practices of smallholders and reduce the threat of antimicrobial resistance, FAO published an animal health and production strategy for Europe and Central Asia. Available in English and Russian, A wake-up call for impact urges both the private and public sectors to take the initiative on evidence-based, multidisciplinary, and coordinated actions.
More... 25-02-2021 |
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FAO supports China-Latin America and the Caribbean partnership to boost agri-food systems. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today addressed the 2nd China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum on Agriculture, where he stressed the importance of strong partnerships to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and announced a project to boost the use of digital technologies in the region.
More... 25-02-2021 |
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FAO and IAEA deepen and broaden their collaboration. The Director-Generals of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), QU Dongyu, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, signed an updated collaboration arrangement, aimed at further strengthening and developing their joint activities.
More... 24-02-2021 |
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Multi-country simulation to test animal disease preparedness in the Balkans. FAO and the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) are co-leading a two-day simulation exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia on foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever, two major transboundary animal diseases threatening the Balkans.
More... 23-02-2021 |
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FAO pledges to scale up direct use of digital financial transfers. In another step towards creating a "digital FAO", the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is committing to increasing by 50 percent its delivery of digital financial transfers and vouchers to beneficiaries.
As part of joining the Better Than Cash Alliance, FAO is also pledging to expand its use of digital payments in at least ten more of its Decentralized Offices.
More... 22-02-2021 |
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FAO honoured to take the rotating chairmanship of the Tripartite. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today took over the rotating chairmanship of the Tripartite Secretariat from the World Organisation for Animal Health's (OIE) Director-General, Monique Eloit.
More... 19-02-2021 |
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Enhanced livelihoods of rural Tajik families help overcome the COVID-19 crisis. Agriculture has a central place in the culture of mountainous Tajikistan. In fact, more than 60 percent of Tajik people work in agriculture, cultivating the country’s arable land that extends over 850 thousand hectares.
More... 19-02-2021 |
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Somalia: Urgent scaling up of emergency response needed, as 2.65 million people are projected to be in acute hunger. Over 2.6 million people in Somalia are expected to be in extreme food insecurity according to the latest joint technical assessment released by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). The report cites poor rainfall, flooding and desert locusts among the main contributing factors and warns that the situation could worsen through mid-2021 in the absence of large-scale and sustained humanitarian assistance.
More... 17-02-2021 |
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FAO and Central Asia work towards climate-friendly and resilient livestock development. The project, entitled "Identifying low carbon and climate resilient pathways for the ruminant sector in the selected countries of Central Asia," was led by a multidisciplinary team of technical experts Yvette Zenina, FAO natural resources officer, and Yuriy Nesterov, FAO sustainable livestock specialist, in close cooperation with the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock.
More... 16-02-2021 |
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Project promotes agritourism and digitalization for Albanian smallholder farms. FAO helped to enhance diversification and competitiveness of Albanian smallholders through the promotion of agritourism and digitalization in the agrifood sector. The one-year project, which ended recently, targeted three pilot areas in the country.
More... 12-02-2021 |
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Pulses are key to food security, healthy diets and sustainable agri-food systems, says FAO. Speaking at the opening of FAO's virtual event to mark World Pulses Day, Qu highlighted pulses' incredible potential for making FAO's aspirations of Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and a Better Life a reality, and, thus, contributing towards transforming agri-food systems - making them more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
More... 12-02-2021 |
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Framework agreement between Ireland and FAO places sustainable food systems at the centre of collaborative agenda. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Republic of Ireland signed a new Framework Agreement today, consolidating a longstanding collaboration between the two parties in the area of development cooperation. The new agreement will cover a period from 2021 to 2024 and is designed to contribute to the parties' common humanitarian and development priorities.
More... 11-02-2021 |
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CFS Members endorse new Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. Members of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the first-ever Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition aiming to support countries and others in their efforts to eradicate all forms of hunger and malnutrition by utilizing a comprehensive food systems approach. The endorsement took place during the CFS 47th Session (8-11 February 2021).
More... 10-02-2021 |
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Rural people in Uzbekistan received 34 greenhouses from FAO. TFAO donated altogether 34 greenhouses to rural families living in Uzbekistan’s southeastern regions (Bukhara and Kamashi districts) as part of the socio-economic response to the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The greenhouses will improve the nutrition and livelihood of vulnerable families.
More... 09-02-2021 |
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FAO welcomes €40 million from Germany to help farmers withstand shocks like COVID-19 and extreme climate events. FAO welcomed a €40 million contribution from Germany to help farmers and fishers withstand threats like COVID-19 and extreme climate events. The funding from Germany's KfW development bank will support FAO's efforts to build the resilience of resource-poor producers, pastoralists and fishers in three of the world's most food insecure countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Yemen, work undertaken in partnership with other UN agencies.
More... 08-02-2021 |
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FAO Members endorse Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture. The 34th session of FAO's Committee on Fisheries (COFI34) ended its week-long meeting on Friday with its Members endorsing the first-ever Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, urging stronger action to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and stressing the importance of recovering from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More... 08-02-2021 |
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Committee on World Food Security kicks off calling for comprehensive transformation of agri-food systems. The 47th Session of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has kicked off today with a call to step up joint action towards a comprehensive transformation of global agri-food systems, in order to make them more inclusive, resilient and sustainable, as well as to tap their potential to contribute to the fight against poverty, hunger , all forms of malnutrition, and inequality.
More... 08-02-2021 |
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Food prices rise sharply in January. Global food prices rose in January for the eighth consecutive month, led by cereals, vegetable oils and sugar, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO's Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities and was released today, averaged 113.3 points in January, marking a 4.3 percent increase from December 2020 and reaching its highest level since July 2014.
More... 04-02-2021 |
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New project to boost sustainable wildlife management and food security in southern Africa. FAO and the French Development Agency (AFD) today launched a new 3.5 million Euro project to improve sustainable wildlife management and food security in the world's largest terrestrial transfrontier conservation area. Southern Africa's Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area each year experiences large scale migrations of megafauna, in particular elephants, where 50 percent of the total population of African elephants can be found.
More... 03-02-2021 |
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Global fisheries and aquaculture hard hit by COVID-19 pandemic, says FAO report. Global fisheries and aquaculture have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and could face further disruption in 2021 as lockdowns affect supply and demand across the sector, according to a report by FAO. The report, The impact of COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture food systems, was featured during the 34th session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) hosted by FAO.
More... 02-02-2021 |
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Fisheries and aquaculture are a critical part of global agri-food systems transformation, says FAO Director-General. The Director-General addressed the opening of the 34th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), which is the only global inter-governmental forum where FAO Members meet to review and consider the issues and challenges related to fisheries and aquaculture. It is being held virtually for the first time.
More... 01-02-2021 |
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Action plan combats dieback of pine forests in Belarus and Ukraine. Belarus and Ukraine have high forest covers that provide a fundamental contribution to the wellbeing of rural populations and the national economy. To protect these forests for future generations, a new FAO project will help increase the resilience of forest ecosystems against unfavourable biotic and abiotic factors, droughts, and combat dieback of pine forests.
More... 27-01-2021 |
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Transforming agri-food systems will shape the future, FAO chief told World Economic Forum. Holistic changes are needed to address issues such as climate change, agricultural production, demographics, consumer demands, biodiversity, nutrition, pests and food technology, among others, Qu said at a high-profile panel at the World Economic Forum's annual Davos" get-together, held virtually this year.
More... 27-01-2021 |
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Project strengthens food safety systems in five countries of Europe and Central Asia. Unsafe food is a major threat to human health and economies globally. A new project has been kicked off to strengthen official food safety control and risk communication systems in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, and Turkey.
More... 26-01-2021 |
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Prominent global leaders in science, industry and government meet to step up fight against antimicrobial resistance. The One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), co-chaired by Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, held its first meeting, bringing together as members about 20 government ministers, prominent scientists, and leaders of foundations and corporations from around the world. The full list of members of the One Health Global Leaders Group is available at https://www.who.int/groups/one-health-global-leaders-group-on-antimicrobial-resistance.
More... 26-01-2021 |
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Innovation key to feed the world in times of pandemics and climate change. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu addressed the Agriculture Ministers' Conference in Berlin underscoring the importance, in the wake of COVID-19, of continued global cooperation to find new ways to strengthen the sustainability of agri-food systems, and outlined FAO and its partners' role in this.
Qu reinforced FAO's readiness to support the world in a "new path", particularly through FAO's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, Hand-in-Hand Initiative and its Geospatial Platform, and the One Health approach.
More... 22-01-2021 |
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Promoting food systems transformation in the Mediterranean towards 2030. "The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at accelerating progress on the 2030 Agenda through food systems transformation in the Mediterranean region.
More... 22-01-2021 |
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FAO pledges intensified action to end child labour in agriculture. "This year, we will step-up our efforts to strengthen the capacities of a wide range of agricultural actors to include child labour prevention and youth employment in their work,'' the Director-General stressed during the virtual event launch of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour 2021 organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
More... 21-01-2021 |
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FAO Director-General highlights how to build an advanced society with green, innovative, competitive and sustainable development. QU Dongyu reflects on Austria’s model of rural development as a landlocked country at the Winter Conference 2021. Qu alluded to the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative as an ideal framework for such collaboration, in particular for the benefit of Land-Locked Developing Countries and mountainous regions.
More... 21-01-2021 |
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UN agencies warn that COVID-19 and worsening inequalities will fuel malnutrition for billions in Asia and the Pacific. The report ‘Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020: Maternal and Child Diets at the Heart of Improving Nutrition' is jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.
More... 20-01-2021 |
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Young Macedonian artist wins World Food Day poster contest honoring food heroes. World Food Day 2020 was a global call to thank food heroes – farmers and workers throughout the food supply chain – who, no matter the circumstances, provide food to our communities and beyond. This inspired Pavel Milanovski, a 14-year-old student from North Macedonia, to turn his artistic talent and imagination into a winning poster honoring farmers as #FoodHeroes.
More... 19-01-2021 |
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Innovation to counter food supply-chain disruptions and spur recovery. Innovative solutions in agri-food systems helped households and countries contain disruptions in food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more will be required to "build back better and build back greener", FAO's Director-General QU Dongyu said today.
More... 19-01-2021 |
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East Africa's locust "air force" could be grounded, as another wave of the scourge takes flight. A locust fighting force assembled by countries in East Africa to combat an invasion of the crop-devouring pest is at risk of seeing its activities grind to a halt as funding to sustain its operations dries up, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned today.
More... 19-01-2021 |
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One Planet – FAO’s work on biodiversity, One Health and climate. Speaking at the One Planet Summit, held on 11 January 2021, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, highlighted FAO's track records leading the work on biodiversity across agriculture and food sectors, recognizing the importance of environmental sustainability as a key determinant of a long term "One Health for All."
More... 13-01-2021 |
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Eradication of Peste des petits ruminants disease in sight. Globally, the number of outbreaks of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, fell by two-thirds in recent years, showing the commitment of the international community to combatting this highly contagious animal disease and raising hopes for meeting the goal of global eradication by 2030.
More... 12-01-2021 |
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FAO-Hungarian Government Scholarship Programme 2021-22. The following Master of Science degree courses are being offered in English for the 2021-22 academic year: Agricultural water management engineering (Szent István University); Plant protection (Szent István University); Crop production (Szent István University).
More... 12-01-2021 |
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Small towns are bigger than we think. Fewer than one percent of the global population live in truly remote hinterlands, sharpening the need for better understanding of how urban forms impact food systems as well as social and economic development, according to ground-breaking new research by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the University of Twente.
More... 12-01-2021 |
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FAO Director-General stresses crucial role of biodiversity in combating zoonotic diseases. Emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental, animal and human health, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu reiterated FAO's commitment to continue supporting the mainstreaming of biodiversity across agriculture and food sectors also by the Hand in Hand Initiative. He alluded to the strong support of FAO to the establishment of the One Health High Expert Council, stressing the need to address inequalities in health, as "there can be no health security if vulnerable in the rural area are left behind".
More... 12-01-2021 |
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FAO Director-General calls for urgent scale-up of Africa’s Great Green Wall. The Director-General spoke in a virtual address to the Great Green Wall investment forum held at the One Planet Summit for Biodiversity 2021 hosted by French President, Emmanuel Macron. The Prince of Wales and the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, also addressed the summit.
More... 11-01-2021 |
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World food prices rise for seventh month in a row in December. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 107.5 points in December, 2.2 percent higher than in November. Over the whole of 2020, the benchmark index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 97.9 points, a three-year high and a 3.1 percent increase from 2019 although still more than 25 percent below its historical 2011 peak.
More... 07-01-2021 |