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Soil organisms play a crucial role in boosting food production, enhancing nutritious diets, preserving human health, remediating pollution and combating climate change, but their contribution remains largely underestimated, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said today in its report on "The State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity". The report was launched on the occasion of World Soil Day, marked on 5 December.  Despite the fact that biodiversity loss is...

The 80th Executive Committee meeting of the FAO Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA) was held today in the Thai capital Bangkok. Due to the COVID-19 situation the meeting was held virtually with the participation of the Executive Committee members from Australia (chair), India, Iran, Malaysia and Philippines. The establishment of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific within the framework of the...

Innovative digital technologies will drive agricultural outputs, fuel improvements to food quality and safety, and reach new heights of profitability in the foreseeable future, according to experts speaking at a joint UN forum in Asia and the Pacific on digital agricultural solutions. The experts, gathered from around the world, have shared experiences on technologies that are driving agriculture innovations during the Digital Agriculture Solutions Forum 2020, a bi-annual event for Asia...

As part of efforts to support smallholder farmers and create more inclusive agri-food value chains in Papua New Guinea, FAO implementing the  European Union co-funded STREIT programme, has engaged the local private sector, partnering with Paradise Foods Ltd., the country's oldest national food manufacturing company.The new Memorandum of Understanding agreement signed today aims to promote more inclusive and sustainable cocoa production value chains and create income generation opportunities for smallholder...

Misinformation about the impact the coronavirus is having on the safety of food in the Asia-Pacific region has led to confusion and concern among consumers, and it’s time to set the record straight, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced today. The spread of COVID-19 has affected supply chains and international trade across the region. But concerns among food safety stakeholders and consumers that COVID-19 might be...

India has minted a commemorative coin to celebrate World Food Day and the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the gesture and for the country's support. "We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with India as we work together toward achieving the SDGs by 2030," the Director-General expressed on Twitter. Prime Minister Modi presented the new coin, with a...

Every year, FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific celebrates the importance of World Food Day. This year, given the COVID-19 global pandemic and the disruptions it has caused to livelihoods and food security, our celebrations are muted, yet within this context, today’s World Food Day itself has become more important than ever. While the spread of the coronavirus has seriously disrupted food security and livelihoods for millions of people...