News and Press Releases
United Kingdom supports FAO's desert locust-fighting efforts with £ 17 million contribution
The added support will help to step up control efforts in Africa and Asia and to improve early warning and forecasting systems
24.07.2020 Rome
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed a £ 17 million contribution from the United Kingdom to support efforts to combat the ongoing desert locust surge in East Africa and its potentially devastating impacts.
"We are once again grateful to the United Kingdom for their consistent support, which will go far helping to safeguard the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable farmers and their families in...
Collecting data critical to growing agriculture sector in Samoa
23.07.2020 Apia, Samoa
Teams from the Samoa Bureau of Statistics (SBS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) have been out in rural areas interviewing farmers, livestock owners, and fishers for the Agriculture Census. The field data collection work will be completed by 1 August.
The Government of Samoa is conducting the census with full coverage of the agriculture sector. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is providing technical...
Fishing devices to boost nearshore fishing deployed in Samoa
23.07.2020 Apia, Samoa
Nearshore fishing received substantial support with the deployment of anchored fishing aggregating devices (FAD’s) in locations around Samoa. An anchored FAD is a structure or device that is anchored to the sea bottom and has floats at the surface, this becomes an attraction for marine life and small fish which are then the food for larger high value fish like tuna.
Teams from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) deployed...
Vanuatu get community nurseries to help with cyclone Harold recovery
21.07.2020 South Pentecost, Vanuatu
Through the month of July, teams of government agencies and donor partners are in South Pentecost, Vanuatu establishing ten community agroforestry nurseries in ten communities affected by TC Harold. The activity is part of the Integrated Sustainable land and Coastal Management (ISLCM) project, which aims to implement sustainable and integrated management of forest, land and marine resources. The newly established community nurseries are part of the Livelihood Recovery Program in communities...
As more go hungry and malnutrition persists, achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 in doubt, UN report warns
Securing healthy diets for the billions who cannot afford them would save trillions in costs
13.07.2020 Rome
More people are going hungry, an annual study by the United Nations has found. Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple forms of malnutrition. The latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, published today, estimates that almost 690 million people went hungry in 2019 - up by...
FAO Council approves new measures to reform the UN agency
The Organization will adopt a modular and more flexible structure and strengthen cooperation with key partners to better support its Members
10.07.2020 Rome
The FAO Council today approved a series of measures proposed by the Director-General QU Dongyu to modernize the UN agency and make it more efficient and effective. Composed of 49 member countries and executive organ of the FAO Conference, the Council met virtually for the first time in FAO's history due to the COVID-19 pandemic.In its final report, the FAO Council "supported the Director-General's vision for the Organization to be...
Appointment of new UN FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific
02.07.2020 Rome/Bangkok
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has appointed Jong-Jin Kim as Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, effective 1 July 2020.
Mr Kim, a national of the Republic of Korea, has a long and distinguished career in public service. He joined FAO in 2013 as Director of South-South Cooperation and Resource Mobilization Division (TCS) and immediately prior...
Traditional bamboo cultivation system in the Republic of Korea earns place on global agricultural heritage sites list
Damyang Bamboo Field Agriculture System won recognition for its unique multilayered bamboo forestry with agricultural biodiversity and landscape preservation
26.06.2020 Rome
The Republic of Korea's traditional bamboo-based farming system in Damyang has been recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), a designation managed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is the fifth time a site from the Republic of Korea has won the GIAHS recognition.
Based on traditional agroecological practices, the site is an impressive example of sustainable agriculture approach linking nature and traditional farming practices while respecting the...
Coinciding with World Ocean Day, ocean surveys to map ideal locations prior to deploying fishing aggregating devices (FAD) were conducted on June 8, 2020. A FAD is a structure or device in the ocean that is used to lure fish.
Conducting proper surveys prior to deploying FADs at any new sites is crucial. Surveys provide accurate depth information and reveal the topography of the seabed. This work is carried out using...
Southeast Asian nations examine the state of food systems to ensure recovery and resilience in a post-COVID-19 era
24.06.2020 Bangkok, Thailand
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great disruptions to the agricultural economies of Southeast Asia, and severely impacted countless livelihoods of the more than 600 million people living in the ten countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Sectors of the economy focused on food and agriculture have taken the brunt of much of the impact. Health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are likely...