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Journalists and news organizations are invited to attend an FAO press conference at the FCCT on Thursday 15 September 2011 from 11:00 to 12:30 hours followed by lunch, as follows: 1. Gender in agriculture (11:00 to 12:00 hours)The State of Food and Agriculture 2010-11 (SOFA) addresses the theme "Women in agriculture: Closing the gender gap for development". The report signals a new way of thinking about women in agriculture. It includes a...

FAO today urged heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza amid signs that a mutant strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading in Asia and beyond, with unpredictable risks to human health. The H5N1 virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared in 2003, killing 331 of them, according to WHO figures. The latest death occurred earlier this month...

FAO has cut its April forecast of global paddy production in 2011 by 1.5 million tonnes to 718.3 million tonnes (478.9 million tonnes, milled basis). Nonetheless, at the revised forecast, world paddy production would still be 2.5 percent above the good 2010 outcome, striking a new high. The seasonal increase would arise from a 1.5 percent expansion of plantings to 164.7 million hectares and a 0.9 percent gain of yields to...

This morning, His Excellency the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr José Ramos-Horta, inaugurated the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) in Caicoli, Dili. The Laboratory, a Bio-Safety Level 2 modular infrastructure, represents the major physical output of the Biosecurity Strengthening Project (BSP) implemented by FAO in partnership with the National Directorate of Livestock and Veterinary Services of MAF, with generous funding from Australia. Since...

AFC Acting President Zhang Jilong has affirmed that the exceptional power of Asian football is being mobilised to eradicate food insecurity throughout Asia. Speaking in his welcoming remarks during the handover of over US$400 000 in contribution to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at AFC House here on Friday, Zhang said: "Today is a special day for AFC as we take another giant step towards fulfilling our social obligations. "AFC...

(Asian Football Confederation / Food and Agriculture Organization) - The global fight against hunger will receive yet another boost when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) provides over $400 000 to the Food and Agriculture Organization for TeleFood projects. The donation is part of the Asian football governing body’s contribution towards the campaign to fight hunger. The cheque will be presented to Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia...

The  floods that struck Pakistan starting in July 2010 represented one of the most devastating natural disasters of our times, submerging  almost one-fifth of the country - an area the size of Greece - killing 2000 people, affecting 20 million and destroying 1.6 million homes. Damage to agriculture - the basic livelihood for 80 percent of the affected population - was estimated at more than $5.1 billion, including the loss of...

Over 150 small-scale fishers in Sri Lanka’s Puttalam district will benefit from safety equipment distributed by the FAO Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia, (RFLP), an initiative funded by the Kingdom of Spain. The equipment - which includes GPS systems, life rings, first aid kits, life jackets and VHF radios - was handed over to fishers at a ceremony held today at the Coastal Environmental Centre in Kandakuliya,...

The Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines is awarded the prestigious Edouard Saouma Award for Excellence today by FAO at their headquarters in Rome, Italy, for outstanding achievements in forest restoration implementing the Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) project. Funded by the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) of FAO with a total budget of just US$253 000, the initiative has changed the...