What is TeleFood?

Raising awareness about the problem of hunger mobilizes energy to find a solution. In 1997, FAO launched TeleFood, a campaign of concerts, sporting events and other activities to harness the power of media, celebrities and concerned citizens to help fight hunger.

The millions of viewers who saw the week-long Groundwork concert in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 2001, a dusk-to-dawn solidarity concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, or the seven annual TeleFood galas in Spain, proved the power of these events.

Since its start, the campaign has generated close to US$ 19 million in donations. TeleFood has funded 2137 projects in 127 countries. Money raised through TeleFood pays for small, sustainable projects that help small-scale farmers produce more food for their families and communities.

TeleFood events centre around the observance of World Food Day, marking the founding of FAO on 16 October 1945. This year's World Food Day / TeleFood theme is Agriculture and intercultural dialogue.

Listen to Olympic gold medallist Debbie Ferguson talk about the fight against hunger:
In Realaudio
In Mp3

Where your donations go

Donations to TeleFood fund small, self-contained agriculture, livestock and fisheries projects that help poor families produce more food.
The projects, which cost between US$5 000 and US$10 000, pay for inputs such as seeds and simple farming tools; not a penny is spent on administrative costs.

A grassroots approach to development

Although small in scale and cost, TeleFood projects make a significant impact. From a school orchard in Uganda to a poultry-raising business in Iraq, projects give families and communities the materials they need to increase the quantity and variety of foods they produce.

Projects are proposed by FAO member governments and reviewed by FAO's technical experts. They must be appropriate for the beneficiaries, locally sustainable and environmentally safe. The projects are designed to last, so they won't wither away when the initial supplies run out or the first blight or drought hits.