December

Biotechnology policy. FAO's programme on biotechnology is assembling links to national biotechnology policy documents posted on the web by FAO member governments. The list comprises 16 countries, including Brazil and India, as well as the European Community. Starts here...

Animal genetic resources. FAO's Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources meets in Rome on 13-15 December. Delegates will review a draft of the first Report on the state of the world's animal genetic resources. Get meeting documents, see also Spotlight: Farm animal biodiversity...

Zoonotic diseases. Our Animal Production and Health Division has published the recommendations of a FAO/WHO/OIE consultation on capacity building for surveillance and control of zoonotic diseases, including tuberculosis, brucellosis and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Available here...

Healthy soil. Now online: an FAO publication showing how conservation agriculture practices can enhance soil health and make low-input agricultural systems more productive. See The importance of soil organic matter (PDF, 3.2Mb), also Spotlight: Conservation agriculture...

Safer seafood. An expert consultation hosted by the FAO/IAEA Joint Division has produced recommendations on the application of radioassay and radiotracer techniques to evaluate food-chain transfer of metals and toxins in seafoods. Get the report (PDF, 150K)...

Livestock consultation. FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific hosted a global consultation on "Livestock in a changing landscape" in Bangkok on 27 November-1 December. Details here...

Milk T-shirts. To the T-shirt collection available in its online store, our Animal Production and Health Division has added a new model, dedicated to milk. Other designs include rinderpest and avian influenza. Worth a look (really)...

Irrigation in Africa. To contribute significantly to food security and economic growth in subSaharan Africa, irrigated production needs to be restructured region-wide. That is the main conclusion of an FAO study, Demand for products of irrigated agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (PDF, 4.3Mb)...

November

Fertilizer in Morocco. A publication from our Land and Water Development Division says underuse of fertilizer in Morocco is constraining crop production and impoverishing soils. Details in Utilisation des engrais par culture au Maroc (PDF, 885K)...

Nutrition profiles. Our Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division is distributing on CD-ROM nutrition profiles of 62 countries. Each profile includes a review of the food and nutrition situation, statistics on food-related factors, and health and demographic indicators. Order the CD from ncp@fao.org; you can also browse the profiles online...

Avian influenza. Although avian influenza is more often found in commercial poultry flocks, some culling targets unnecessarily the family poultry sector, a major source of income for small farmers. That warning comes from the latest newsletter of the International Network for Family Poultry Development (PDF, 1.3MB)...

Salinity tolerant crops. Crop scientists from 14 countries met in Accra on 6-10 November to assess progress in a project of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division aimed at improving the tolerance of cereals and grain legumes to salinity and drought. Project details...

Agricultural marketing. An FAO study of agricultural marketing in Latin America finds that small-scale producers have limited access to the capital they need to compete in increasingly globalized and integrated marketing chains. Download Financiación de la comercialización agrícola (PDF, 1.4MB)...

IPPC evaluation. The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is seeking feedback from NGO stakeholders for an independent evaluation of IPPC and its institutional arrangements. Details; see also Spotlight: Global pest control...

International Treaty. FAO has published the final report of the first session of the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, held in Madrid in June 2006. The report is currently available in Chinese, English and Spanish...

October

Crisis management. FAO has inaugurated a Crisis Management Centre that will fight outbreaks of avian influenza and other major health-related emergencies. It operates around the clock, seven days a week. More...

School gardens. A FAO web site helps teachers, parents, volunteers and secondary school students establish or improve their school vegetable gardens. It includes a library, links, and examples of school gardens in Bangladesh, Cuba and Rwanda. Take a look...

Avian flu in Nigeria. With funding from the European Union, FAO has launched a surveillance project to help eradicate avian influenza in Nigeria. Details in our latest AI situation report (PDF, 480K )...

Evapotranspiration. Our Land and Water Development Division has published in Spanish its guide Crop evapotranspiration, which presents a procedure for computing crop water requirements. Get the Spanish version (PDF, 6.6Mb)...

Desert locusts. FAO warns of a potential desert locust threat in West and North Africa following the detection of "important infestations" in Mauritania. More...

Livestock atlas. FAO's online Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas (GLiPHA) provides maps, tables and charts of livestock information that now cover 56 countries. Get more on the GLiPHA programme (in Flash), browse the GLiPHA atlas...

African pastoralists. A new study from our Animal Production and Health Division looks at policies for reducing the vulnerability of pastoralists in sub-Saharan Africa, including "exit strategies" to alternative employment. Download here (PDF, 950K)...

Nutrition education. Healthy eating habits begin in childhood. That's why our Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division has published Nutrition education in primary schools, a curriculum planning guide designed for educators and health workers. Starts here...

Rural infrastructure. At a consultation in Rome on 11-13 October, our Agricultural Support Systems Division will confer with other UN agencies, development banks and donors on action needed to improve rural infrastructure, especially in Africa. Details (PDF, 38K)...

Trypanosomiasis. FAO's Programme against African Trypanosomiasis (PAAT) is distributing on CD-ROM its information system on tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis interventions. The CD includes geographical resources and training material. Order one; see also the PAAT website...

Pest control. A new manual from the FAO/IAEA Joint Division shows how to design and implement geographic information systems for area-wide pest management. Available here (PDF, 1.9Mb); see also Spotlight: Area-wide integrated pest management...

September

Horticultural marketing. A new FAO study looks at food quality and safety issues in traditional horticultural marketing chains in Asia, and recommends measures to help traders and wholesale markets compete with modern supermarket supply chains. Download here; see also Spotlight: Farmers and supermarkets in Asia...

Livestock. The FAO/IAEA Joint Division has redesigned its website on the use of nuclear and molecular technologies to enhance animal production and health. The new site features key topics and reports on field activities worldwide. Go there...

Avian influenza. FAO has published a new handbook for small-scale poultry farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean aimed at helping prevent outbreaks of avian flu in the region. More...

Fertilizers. Our Land and Water Development Division has published a guide to industry standards for the composition of mineral fertilizers. It provides specifications for the 15 most traded fertilizer products. This way...

Food standards. Meeting in Geneva on 3-7 July, the FAO/ WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted 26 new or revised food standards and related texts, including maximum levels for lead in fish and pesticide residues in dried chili pepper. Details...

Rotterdam Convention. Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, an international treaty for monitoring and control of trade in hazardous chemicals, will meet in Geneva on 9-13 October 2006. Documentation here; see also Spotlight: Early warning on hazardous pesticides...

Fresh produce. FAO co-hosts an international symposium on management of the fresh produce supply chain, to be held in Thailand in December 2006. Participants include representatives of the private sector, governments and farmers' organizations involved in the fruit, vegetable and cut-flower industries. Details here, see also Spotlight: More fruit and vegetables...

Soil description. New from our Land and Plant Nutrition Service is Guidelines for soil description, the fourth edition of an FAO manual on methods for describing the morphology of a soil in the field. A new section deals with links between soil descriptions and soil classification. Download here (PDF, 663Kb)...

July-August

"Double burden." Now available online: a six-country study prepared by our Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division on the persistence of undernutrition along with the rapid rise of obesity and chronic, diet-related diseases in the developing world. Download the publication (PDF zipped, 2.1Mb), see also Spotlight...

Multimedia. FAO has published a series of multimedia presentations on animal production and health issues. They include the global impact of avian influenza, butter making in Ethiopia, camel milk production and the economics of raising chickens. This way...

Biotechnology, in Chinese. FAO's priority programme on biotechnology has published in Chinese the documentation from its e-mail forums on biotechnologies in the crop, livestock, fishery and forestry sectors, the implications of agricultural biotechnology for food security, and the impact of intellectual property rights. Click here...

Locust update. The situation in the world's locust breeding areas remains "calm". Our Locust Centre says scattered groups of hoppers and adults developed in Algeria and Libya during the northern spring, and only small-scale breeding is expected this summer in the Sahel. Details...

Codex Alimentarius. The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission - a global body that develops international food standards - met in Geneva on 3-7 July 2006. Among items on the agenda: new standards for instant noodles and mozzarella cheese, and maximum levels for lead in fish. Details...

Avian influenza. Although avian influenza has been successfully checked in Western Europe and much of Southeast Asia, it is still expanding in Africa and will remain a threat for years to come, FAO says. Details here; see also Spotlight...

Biotechnology. A new book from FAO shows how biotechnology techniques - such as molecular markers and cryopreservation - can help characterize and conserve agrobiodiversity. Download The role of biotechnology in exploring and protecting agricultural genetic resources (PDF, 1.2Mb)...

Plant breeding. An FAO global initiative to assist plant breeding programmes in developing countries will be presented at the International Plant Breeding Symposium to be held in Mexico City in August. Read more about the initiative in Spotlight...

Food safety. Our Plant Protection Service has launched a portal on food safety and animal and plant health for Latin America and the Caribbean. The portal publishes food safety and quality standards and regulations relevant to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. Available in English and Spanish...

Soil resources. Just published: World reference base for soil resources 2006, an FAO technical manual for soil scientists that provides a framework for international soil classification. It contains diagnostic criteria for recognizing soil horizons and properties, and sets out guidelines for classifying soil reference groups. This way (PDF, 4.1MB)...

June

Departure: Louise O. Fresco. After serving for more than six years as our Department's Assistant Director-General, Louise O. Fresco left FAO on 1 June 2006. Dr Fresco, who joined FAO in 1997, has taken up a post as Professor at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on sustainability and international development. All in the Department wish her well in this new stage of her rich professional career.

Strong backing for International Treaty. The first session of the governing body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture concluded in Madrid on 16 June. Read more on the outcome of the session; see also Spotlight: A global plant breeding initiative...

Plant protection. Nepal, Madagascar, Myanmar and Ukraine are the latest countries to join FAO’s 154-nation Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), which sets standards to prevent plant pests being spread through international trade. More on the CPM...

Food marketing. Developing countries must improve food marketing systems to meet the needs of growing urban populations. A new guide from our Agricultural Support Systems Division presents a framework for prioritizing investments in marketing infrastructure. Download Rural-urban marketing linkages (1.3 MB)...

Soil nutrients. An FAO study in Ghana, Kenya and Mali shows how quantification at district-level of nutrients entering and leaving agricultural systems can help identify areas for cultivation and guide investment. Get Scaling soil nutrient balances (PDF, 3.9MB); also in French (2.2MB)...

Desalinated water. Using desalinated water for agriculture is technically feasible, and the appropriate technology is available. But economic and environmental issues limit its application. Get the latest on desalination from a new FAO report, Water desalination for agricultural applications (1.37MB)...

Irrigation equipment. Our Land and Water Development Division and IPTRID announce a new, improved version of their database of sources of irrigation equipment world-wide. It includes 800 manufacturers and suppliers in 75 countries. Find one...

Livestock 2006. A new report from our Animal Production and Health Division says "a few developing countries are emerging as powerful new players in world livestock production". The report reviews trends, transboundary animal diseases, small-scale dairying and animal genetic resources. Download Livestock report 2006 (PDF, 1.43Mb)...

Grasslands. Two new books from FAO focus on the characteristics, production systems, problems and prospects of the world's main grasslands. You can buy Grasslands of the world ($48) and Grasslands: Developments, opportunities, perspectives ($74) from our online bookstore...

Crop diversity website. Now online: the new website of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, a foundation jointly hosted by FAO and IPGRI that aims at ensuring the conservation and availability of crop germplasm for food security. Learn more...

Animal genetic resources. FAO's Legal Office has completed an in-depth review of legal instruments for the management of animal genetic resources. Download here (PDF, 1.3MB)...

Conservation agriculture. FAO has published the results of a 2005 electronic conference on conservation agriculture in francophone Africa. The report includes a regional overview, and examples from Burkina Faso, Chad and Guinea. Read it (in French, PDF, 630K)...

Floriculture. In a new book on advances in floriculture, scientists from the FAO/IAEA Joint division describe how biotechnology and mutagenesis can help improve ornamental plants. Details...

May

Wild birds and avian flu. What role do wild birds play in the global spread of avian influenza? Scientists will seek answers to that question at a conference sponsored by FAO and OIE in Rome on 30-31 May. More on the conference; see Spotlight: Stopping avian influenza...

Avian flu guidelines. Our Animal Health Service has published a simple guide to practices that help reduce the spread of AI among animals and the risk of its transmission to humans. Get the guide (PDF, 70K)...

Biotechnology in Arabic. FAO's Glossary of biotechnology, which contains more than 3,000 terms and definitions, is now available in Arabic. For a copy, contact ag21@fao.org...

Food exports. Food producers in many developing countries are unable to take full advantage of international agreements that aim to improve their access to export markets. Domestic constraints are analysed in a new guide from our Agricultural support systems division. Get the guide (PDF, 439K)...

Camel milk. FAO sees bright prospects for camel dairy products, which could not only provide more food to people in arid and semi-arid areas, but also give nomadic herders a rich new source of income. More...

Livestock and HIV/AIDS. Our Animal production and health division has published the proceedings of an international workshop on linkages between HIV/AIDS and the livestock sector in East and Southern Africa. The report (PDF, 725K)...

South African biodiversity. Our Crop and Grassland Service has added a new title to its series of online publications on the sustainable use of natural resources: a report on biodiversity in the Sekhukhuneland region of South Africa. Read the report, browse the full series...

Fruit fly. The FAO/IAEA Joint Division is helping Central American countries develop lucrative export markets for fruit - such as lychee, mangosteen and papaya - through a regional project aimed at establishing areas free of fruit fly. Details (PDF, 81K)...

April

Tsetse fly. Our Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis has published new maps of areas suited for tsetse flies in East Africa and in two zones of west and southeast Africa. The maps use datasets of 1 km resolution and come in GIS format. This way...

Food additives online. Just released: an online version of the Codex Alimentarius General Standard for Food Additives. Searches produce details of the permitted levels of use in food of some 300 additives, from acesulfame potassium to xylitol. More...

Irrigation in Africa. A new report from our AQUASTAT programme says the area under water management in Africa increased by 1.18 million ha (8%) between 1995 and 2005. Another notable trend: vegetable production has replaced rice in many irrigated areas. The full report...

Rice Commission. FAO's International Rice Commission holds its 21st session in Peru on 3-5 May. On the agenda: world rice markets, genetic improvement, integrated crop management and regional strategies. Details; see also Spotlight: Rice faces the future...

Crop nutrients. Our Land and Water Development Division announces IPNIS, a database on crop nutrient management in 16 developing countries. It generates maps of soil fertility status, plus tables on crops grown, fertilizer recommendations and farmer practices. To IPNIS...

Ruminant gut ecology. A new book from the FAO/IAEA Joint division says molecular techniques could revolutionize understanding of ruminants' gastrointestinal systems. Request a copy...

Livestock maps. Our Animal Production and Health Division and the UK's Environmental Research Group Oxford have developed digital maps showing the distribution of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry around the globe. Details...

Plant protection. Delegates from more than 150 countries met in Rome from 3-7 April for the first session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures. More here, see also Spotlight: Global pest control...

Avian flu virus. New technologies for early and rapid detection of the avian influenza virus H5N1 will be reviewed at an expert consultation hosted by the FAO/IAEA Joint division in Vienna on 16-18 May 2006. More...

Post-harvest pineapples. Our Agricultural Support Systems Division has added a chapter on pineapple to its compendium on post-harvest operations. It provides a guide to primary and alternative products, transportation, grading, packing and pest control. Starts here...

Food additives. The Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives (JECFA) is seeking experts to assist in developing food additive specifications, assess veterinary drug residue levels and conduct toxicological evaluations. Details...

March

Conservation agriculture. AG Department has a new conservation agriculture website describing CA principles and economics, tillage and seeding methods, and the use of cover crops and residues. See the site, and Spotlight: Conservation agriculture...

Land degradation. Experts from 14 countries participated in an FAO/UNEP workshop in Rome on experiences in combating land degradation in Mediterranean coastal areas. The workshop report and 21 presentations are here...

Watershed management. A new publication from our Land and Water Development Division describes how payment for environmental services is being applied in Latin America to watershed management. Available in HTML or PDF (3.3MB)...

Near East land and water. FAO's Agriculture, Land and Water Use Commission for the Near East region met in Sana'a from 7 to 9 March 2006. Details; see also Spotlight: Challenges to Near East agriculture...

Livestock policy. IGAD has contracted FAO to implement a €5.5 million regional project to promote equitable, safe and clean livestock farming through policy and institutional change. More on the project and on FAO's Pro-poor livestock policy initiative...

UN-Water online. FAO announces a new website aimed promoting coordination of United Nations system actions related to all aspects of freshwater. This way to www.unwater.org...

World water forum. A high-level FAO delegation participated in the Ministerial Conference of the fourth World Water Forum held in Mexico on 16-22 March. FAO also sponsored a special session on "water for food and ecosystems". More...

Fruit fly eradicated. With support from the FAO/IAEA Joint division, Argentina has eradicated fruit flies in the region of Patagonia. Local farmers can now export fresh fruit and vegetables to the US without quarantine. Details...

Avian flu in cats. The recent death in Germany of a cat infected by the avian influenza virus H5N1 has raised concern over possible transmission of the disease from domestic pets to humans. Our Animal health service has advice for the public and veterinarians...

Grasslands index. A popular destination on the AG website is our Grasslands index, with its detailed descriptions of more than 600 plant species. The page has been redesigned for faster navigation by genus, common names or Latin names. Take a look...

Pathogens in seafood. Our Nutrition and consumer protection division is finalizing with WHO risk assessments on Vibrio bacteria in seafood. The first report - on Vibrio vulnificus in raw oysters - is already available. Details...

Ranching and forests. A policy brief from our Animal production and health division outlines measures to discourage livestock production in forest areas and promote sustainable grazing. Get the brief (pdf, 5.2Mb)...

All about rinderpest. Our Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP) presents a Flash movie that illustrates - graphically - the symptoms of this devastating livestock disease. Starts here (272K); see also the GREP website...

February

Avian influenza in Africa. The outbreak of the deadly Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus in Nigeria has confirmed FAO's fears that African countries face a high risk of infection. Details here and on our avian flu website. See also Spotlight Stopping avian influenza...

New mandate. FAO's Agriculture Department begins 2006 with a new, broader mandate and a new unit, the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division (AGN). For an overview of the changes, see Spotlight...

Plant breeding, Africa. A survey by our Crop and Grassland Service in 12 African countries has found that funding for plant breeding and related biotechnology has declined to below 1985 levels. Full findings are published in the February 2006 edition of HortScience...

Soil degradation. Our Land and Water Development Division hosts a new database on human-induced soil degradation in 200 countries. Searches produce maps showing the extent of soil degradation severity, associated with tables on population numbers and density. This way...

Online training. The FAO/IAEA Joint Division offers online training courses on food safety and environmental protection. The latest course, in laboratory pre-requisites, covers safety, basic equipment and waste management. More...

Horticultural marketing. FAO has a new guide for extensionists working with horticulturalists. It focuses on helping farmers form mutually beneficial relationships with private-sector traders and processors. Download or order Horticultural marketing...

January

Livestock policy. A new series of livestock policy briefs from our Animal Production and Health Division explores production issues and policy options, and highlights successful approaches. Read more about the series, download the first two briefs...

Avian influenza. FAO has warned that the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza virus H5N1 could could hit Africa and Europe in the northern spring. More...

Sterile insects. The FAO/IAEA Joint Division announces the first comprehensive book on the sterile insect technique (SIT), a pest control method used in area-wide programmes. More on SIT and area-wide pest management; buy the book online...

Plant protection. The revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention has entered into force as a legally-binding international treaty following its acceptance by 91 countries. The details...

Plant genetic resources. An open-ended working group met in Rome on 14-17 December 2005 to discuss procedural and financial rules, compliance and a funding strategy for the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Documents...

Avian flu animation. An FAO multimedia presentation on the spread of avian influenza in Asia since late 2003 has been featured on the BBC TV programme Countryfile. If you missed it, you can view the animation here (Flash, 93K)...

Pesticide code. Meeting in November 2005, the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Management approved guidelines for observance of the FAO Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides. More on the Code and FAO's pesticide management programme...