27 Jul 2011, Kuala Lumpur–(Asian Football Confederation / Food and Agriculture Organization) - The global fight against hunger will receive yet another boost when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) provides over $400 000 to the Food and Agriculture Organization for TeleFood projects. The donation is part of the Asian football governing body’s contribution towards the campaign to fight hunger. The cheque will be presented to Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for [...]

23 Jun 2011, Bangkok, Thailand–Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented through the World Bank with FAO technical assistance, the inter-country Livestock waste management project - implemented by China, Thailand and Viet Nam - addresses negative environmental impacts of rapidly increasing livestock production. Project achievements The Livestock waste management in East Asia project was conceived and implemented with the aim of putting the brakes on environmental pollution caused by livestock waste. Collaborators of this project [...]

07 Jun 2011, Bangkok–As we prepare to recognize that rinderpest, a killer disease also known as cattle plague, has finally been eradicated from live animals in every last country and territory, we are pressed to develop post-eradication strategies which include surveillance, training and contingency planning, an FAO statement said today. Rinderpest has been known, and dreaded, for many millennia. Wherever it has occurred, the deadly animal disease has killed countless millions of cattle, [...]

02 Jun 2011, Bangkok, Thailand–The decades-long campaign to eradicate rinderpest, an ancient cattle plague, is fast approaching its goal. This month, rinderpest will become the first animal disease to be eradicated, and only the second disease of any kind, after smallpox in humans. Rinderpest caused much devastation and decimated populations of cattle, buffalo and various kinds of wildlife for centuries. The historic importance of the global eradication of rinderpest, also known as cattle plague, [...]

31 May 2011, Bangkok–World Milk Day is celebrated tomorrow in Thailand and many other countries in the world. In the context of poverty and malnutrition in Asia, milk has a special role to play for its many nutritional advantages as well as providing income for millions of small-scale farmers. In 2010 Asia’s milk production crossed the 250 million tonnes mark, meaning that the region’s output increased fivefold over the last four decades. Over this [...]

11 May 2011, Bangkok–“Domestic prices of rice and wheat in Asia, remain at high levels in many countries of the region, having declined only slightly in April." Speaking at news briefing here today, Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific and Assistant Director-General (FAO) warned: “Countries urgently need to take precautionary measures to prevent a possible re-emergence of the 2008-9 food price crisis and invest more in sustainable food [...]

04 Mar 2011, Bangkok, Asia–Rising food prices in Asia Global food prices increased for the eighth consecutive month in February, with prices of all commodity groups rising again, except for sugar. FAO expects a tightening of the global cereal supply and demand balance in 2010/11. In the face of a growing demand and a decline in world cereal production in 2010, global cereal stocks this year are expected to fall sharply. With 2/3 of the [...]

14 Feb 2011, Chaiyaphum/Thailand–Today hundreds of farming families in Chaiyaphum province received rice seeds and fertilizers in the aftermath of last year’s flooding in the province.  Under an FAO emergency project for direct assistance to people who were severely affected by last October’s long lasting floods, rice seeds and fertilizers are delivered to 800 farmers in Chaiyaphum, one of the most severely affected areas, from today onwards. Each of the selected households received 50kg [...]

09 Feb 2011, Bangkok, Thailand–Three agreements were signed today between the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and FAO for technical assistance in the areas of climate change, food safety and aquaculture for a total of $633 000 (approximately Baht 19 million). Over the last decade, the impacts of climate change in Thailand have become increasingly evident and scientists project for the next 30 years an increase of annual average temperatures, changes in [...]

29 Sep 2010, the Republic of Korea–Gyeongju - Climate change in the Asia-Pacific region is rapidly altering the basic elements of agro-ecosystems, including temperature, rainfall, land and water resources as well as the region’s biodiversity, according to an FAO presentation made at the 30th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific.FAO warned that crop yields in some areas may decrease by up 10 percent as early as 2020 and by as much as 30 [...]