FAO.org

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) renewed its calls for strengthened capacities in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance as the second phase of a Fleming Fund (FF) project on AMR in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic came to a close recently. The FAO-implemented and United Kingdom-funded project on engaging the food and agriculture sectors in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia to combat AMR using a One...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will work hand in hand with governments and other partners in the Pacific to accelerate improvements to sustainable nutrition sensitive food systems while helping to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on agriculture. The pledge was made today at a joint meeting of Pacific Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry, as part of the Pacific Week of Agriculture being held in...

While rabies continues to present a threat to human health, in many parts of Asia livestock are also at risk of exposure and greater efforts are needed to eradicate the disease, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said today. In Asia, as in most parts of the world, dogs are the main source of rabies in humans and livestock. In some areas, wild carnivores also play a...

In their fight to end hunger and improve nutrition, African countries have the opportunity to tap into Japan's knowledge of smart technologies, agricultural machinery and marketing, as well as from the East Asian nation's high food safety and nutrition standards, and culture of healthy foods and diets, said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu today. The Director-General also expressed appreciation for the fruitful FAO-Japan collaboration in Africa, which has led to the development...

Almost 5 million pigs in Asia have now died or been culled because of the spread of African swine fever (ASF), a contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs and that was first detected in Asia one year ago this month. While not dangerous to humans, the disease causes up to 100% fatality in pigs, leading to severe economic losses to the pig sector. ASF is present in six...

The ‘Green Revolution’ that transformed agricultural production in Asia-Pacific, the world’s largest region, is alive and well but must retool to embrace climate-sensitive innovations and technologies to sustainably meet the increasingly complex demands of a nutrient-deficient world, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said today. The call was made during a special meeting to commemorate 30 years of development achievement of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation under the outstanding leadership of...

Social protection programmes and public policies are fundamental to reducing hunger, and the quality of our food - both produced and consumed - must be improved, FAO's Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today at a handover ceremony marking his last day at the UN agency's helm. Qu Dongyu from China will take office on 1 August 2019. His term will run until 31 July 2023. Graziano da Silva stressed FAO's role,...

African swine fever (ASF) has become an enormous concern in Asia with current outbreaks reaching almost 4,480 to date (see the latest reports here and here). The devastating impact after ASF emergence in the region in 2018 has serious global implications. The region accounts for at least 50% of the world’s domestic pig production (57.6% of live pig production in 2017 according to FAO STAT) and pork is one of...

The Asia-Pacific region has some of the world’s richest concentrations of earth’s biological diversity, but human activities, including the expansion of agriculture, are threatening the survival of many species and their ecosystem services, a conference on regional biodiversity mainstreaming heard today. Asia and the Pacific is home to nearly half (17 out of 36) of the world’s biodiversity hotspots but the region’s continued rapid economic development risks further erosion of that...

Obesity affecting populations of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is a health emergency and these nations need to take ownership of measures to address this worrying trend's underlying causes, said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today. The FAO chief made the remarks to participants - including leaders of small island nations - of a SIDS-focused event on the sidelines of the High Level Political Forum 2019. The impacts of climate...