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Mr Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) from 22 to 25 March 2014. By all accounts the visit was highly successful. The Mission proved to be encouraging and positive, both for the visibility of the in-country response programme as well as for FAO DPRK team spirit. The FAO team in DPRK gained a greater understanding of the importance of FAO’s guidance...

Irish Minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello visited an FAO rice seed project funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and witnessed the positive impact of Ireland’s financial support on the livelihoods of typhoon-affected farmers in Barangay Olotan, municipality of Jaro, Leyte. Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) damaged 600 000 hectares of agricultural land and destroyed 1.1 million tonnes of crops as it swept across...

While it’s well recognized that forests are our future, the time needed to restore and manage them more sustainably is running short, an FAO convened meeting in Bangkok heard today. The 21st of March is International Day of Forests, and the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has marked the day by convening a forestry debate: “Forestry in a changing world!” The debate was co-organized by FAO, RECOFTC –...

Forests and grasslands combined cover more than 57 percent of Asia-Pacific’s landmass, yet forests alone account for only 20 percent – and they are under threat, the FAO warns. Forests cover one third of the Earth's landmass, performing vital functions. Around 1.6 billion people - including indigenous cultures - depend on forests for their livelihoods. Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystems on land, home to more than half of the terrestrial...

Initiatives being adopted in the Asia-Pacific region to improve the environmental sustainability of agricultural activity must include ways and means to reduce the gap between wealthy urban areas and the poorer countryside, the FAO has stressed. In many cases, the failure to address the question of lower farm incomes is at the heart of a decline in smaller farms and may results in increased urbanization and social upheaval. As countries attempt to...

Governments from 41 countries across Asia and the Pacific today concluded a five day regional conference on improving their responses to future food security challenges and moves to put an end to hunger. At its conclusion, the Ministers and Heads of Delegations of the Thirty-Second FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC), with some 164 delegates, endorsed four FAO regional initiatives. The conference was hosted by the Ministry of Industry...

From a quick response to natural disasters like Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to its four regional pro-active food security initiatives, a renewed FAO is well positioned to help member states across Asia and the Pacific defeat hunger and food insecurity, the FAO’s Director-General said today. With Asia and the Pacific largely on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of those suffering from chronic hunger by...

Forest loss and degradation remain major problems confronting the Asia-Pacific region which, if not addressed, will leave future generations a legacy of damaged ecosystems and irrecoverable losses of biodiversity, FAO is warning.  Forest and grasslands cover 57.5 percent of Asia-Pacific’s massive land surface and provide vital ecosystems that support agriculture and livelihoods, which in turn ensure food security and nutrition for billions of people. These lands offer vast potential to...

The mission for an end to hunger in the world’s most populous region received a boost today, with FAO member countries responding positively to a call by the Organization’s Director-General for a “massive effort” to end hunger in Asia and the Pacific. Speaking during a side event at the Thirty-Second FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, pointed out the “remarkable results” achieved in...

While the environments of small islands in the Pacific and landlocked countries with no access to the sea may seem polar opposites, they share common problems that need collaborative efforts to address and resolve if food security is to be guaranteed for future generations, a specially convened meeting in the Mongolian capital has heard. Concerns about the effects of climate change on agricultural production has brought together some 50 delegates including...