News and Press Releases
Long serving FAO Technical Officer retires
25.11.2014 Samoa
Masanami Izumi is retiring after 20 years of service for FAO. Mr Izumi spent almost 17 years of his time in Samoa as Technical Officer responsible for Fisheries and Aquaculture. A farewell was held for Mr Izumi to acknowledge his long service to Samoa and the Pacific region.
FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator, Mr Gavin Wall said the organisation is very fortunate to have long serving staff. “Staff committed to the organisation genuinely...
Changing the economic prospects for farmers
Mr Gavin Wall, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands
25.11.2014 Samoa
It is not uncommon for the realities of development programmes and projects to drift from the vision of development that justified them in the first place. This is the everyday truth in many countries and not just the Pacific; however, there is less latitude for error when dealing with small economies and so it becomes more important that this does not occur in the Pacific.
The opening paragraph of the Samoa...
New blood and organics being encouraged
by the Ministry of Agriculture - Government of the Cook Islands
25.11.2014 Cook Islands
Encouraging more part-time growers to complement the present small number of commercial growers in the Cook Islands is being advocated as one of the ways ahead for agricultural development.
Getting young people involved and working towards an organic industry producing healthy food for the local market and the tourist sector are all part of the way ahead, according to the FAO team that visited Rarotonga to study the local ‘farming sector’....
FAO Helps Kiribati Create New Timber Resource And Economic Opportunities
25.11.2014 Kiribati
The coconut palm is the ‘tree of life’ for people of the Pacific Islands. In Kiribati, coconut trees play an important role in providing food, building materials, health supplements and protection of fragile coastal areas against the impacts of extreme climatic and natural processes that small atoll island countries frequently face. The Government of Kiribati recognizes the multiple benefits provided by the “tree of life” and is committed to protect...
Ten years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the need for increasing resilience of agricultural livelihoods against disasters is a major lesson learned – FAO
24.11.2014 Jakarta, Indonesia
With the ten year anniversary of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami just weeks away, representatives from ASEAN member countries are assessing the lessons they’ve learned and action taken since then to increase the resilience of agricultural livelihoods to natural disasters.
Several countries of the ASEAN region were among the hardest hit by the 26 December 2004 tsunami, particularly Indonesia’s Aceh province. In total, across the region, hundreds of thousands lost their...
Empowering women in agriculture vital to meet food security needs of the future
Women must become equal partners for rural development in Asia-Pacific
20.11.2014 Bangkok, Thailand
The obstacles blocking women from more equal and accessible participation in the food and agriculture sectors should be removed to empower rural women and help the Asia-Pacific region achieve its food security needs, an FAO convened meeting heard today.
While the work of women makes up some 43 percent of agricultural inputs, they lag far behind in reaching their full potential or remuneration for their labours in comparison with men in...
Japan strengthens food security in Afghanistan with a donation of US$ 18 million to help combat the threat of animal diseases – nomad community key beneficiary
19.11.2014 Kabul, Afghanistan
The Government of Japan, through technical assistance of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and in collaboration with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has announced a new project to boost the resilience and livelihoods of livestock farmers in Afghanistan.
Animal disease outbreaks and emergencies threaten the livelihoods of livestock farmers and negatively impact a country’s economy and, in particular, the food security of nomad communities in Afghanistan that rely heavily...
Hundreds join Save Food Fun Run to raise awareness about food loss and food waste
16.11.2014 Bangkok, Thailand
More than 200 runners joined the Save Food Fun Run, alongside the 2014Bangkok Marathon, to raise awareness about the need to prevent food loss and food waste, organizers of the Save Food Campaign announced today.
The Save Food Fun Run kicked off just after dawn next to Bangkok’s Grand Palace amid cheering crowds of well-wishers who lined the route of the Bangkok Marathon.Organized by the Save Food Asia-Pacific Campaign with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the ‘fun run’ runners...
Run for fun and solidarity. Run to raise awareness about food loss and food waste
13.11.2014 Bangkok, Thailand
The Save Food Asia-Pacific Campaign and FAO invite all Bangkok-based international media to join a Fun Run to raise awareness about the importance of food and the need to reduce food loss and food waste.
The 1.5 km Fun Run takes place alongside the Bangkok Marathon this Sunday, 16 November, at Sanam Luang, beginning at 6:30 am sharp. Registration is at 6:00 am.
You will receive a Save Food t-shirt and cap....
Asia-Pacific countries discuss ways to invest in and improve agricultural and rural statistics for food security through a joint effort
13.11.2014 Bangkok, Thailand
A global initiative to improve the way agricultural statistics are compiled at country level has taken another step forward in Asia and the Pacific, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced today.
Some countries in the region employ unscientific methods of gathering agricultural statistics – resulting in a variety of inaccurate estimates from rice production and stocks to the number of livestock. In response, FAO has convened...