30 December 2002 -- Severe food shortages threaten 11 million Ethiopians with starvation.

23 December 2002 -- Many traditional products from around the world have made their way into grocery stores. An FAO website offers a variety of original recipes for close to 1 000 of these traditional products.

18 December 2002 -- Education is a vital tool in the fight against hunger. FAO rural education expert Lavinia Gasperini explains how illiteracy and hunger are interlinked and explores the challenges of reaching out to rural people.

18 December 2002 -- A barge steaming its way along the Sobat River is currently distributing fishing gear and seeds to the suffering population in war-affected southern Sudan. For the first time in many years, FAO is now able to reach the most vulnerable in these previously inaccessibale areas.

17 December 2002 -- Across sub-Saharan Africa 25 countries and almost 40 million people are threatened by serious food shortages, caused mostly by drought and civil strife.

12 December 2002 -- Dr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, welcomes the NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme which will enable Africa to meet its full agricultural potential through the implementation of infrastructure programmes.

12 December 2002 -- A national livestock vaccination campaign targeting more than 5 million farm animals is going on in Afghanistan. The campaign will be finished by the end of this year

11 December 2002 -- Rehabilitation of small roads will shortly start in some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

9 December 2002 -- A better coordination between regional economic organizations and the agriculture development programme of NEPAD will help relaunch Africa's agricultural sector.

3 December 2002 -- A national livestock census has started in Afghanistan. More than 30 000 villages and farming communities will be visited over the coming months to provide detailed information on the number of animals and livestock production practices.

2 December 2002 -- Some 4,500 school-children from across Rome took centre-stage in a colourful award ceremony as part of "Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger," an educational programme aimed at galvanising young people's energy in the fight against hunger.

2 December 2002 -- In Angola, the food situation of a large number of displaced people gives serious cause for concern. The number of people in need of emergency food aid has been increased to 1.9 million from 1.42 million in May.

29 November 2002 -- With better diets, poor farmers with AIDS could extend their lives long enough to pass on crucial skills to their children, says FAO on the occasion of World AIDS Day. The message comes at a time when an estimated 14 million people in southern Africa face starvation.

20 November 2002 -- How a determined coalition of government, international organizations and cattle herders cleaned out three of the last reserves of the deadly rinderpest virus in Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen.

20 November 2002 -- A global campaign against the devastating livestock disease rinderpest has pushed the virus into a last hiding place in southern Somalia and northeast Kenya.

19 November 2002 -- In the Democratic Republic of Congo more than half the population goes hungry, and people's ability to cope has been stretched to the limit by years of conflict. Yet only a quarter of the amount requested by FAO via the UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal 2002 came through. Lack of help and international attention is making the Democratic Republic of Congo one of the world's forgotten emergencies.

19 November -- Of 21 countries in the UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal 2002, Angola was one of the few to receive almost the whole amount requested for agricultural assistance. This was due in part to extensive media coverage.

19 November -- FAO appeals for a total of around US$88.5 million to carry out agriculture relief aid in 17 crisis countries and regions in 2003. FAO is responsible for the agricultural part of the UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals.

ROME/KABUL, 18 November -- FAO distributes seeds and fertilizers to poor farmers in Afghanistan.

13 November -- Namibia has built a booming fisheries industry from scratch since independence in 1990. FAO guided the country's efforts to manage stocks sustainably and share proceeds equitably.

11 November -- Increasing agricultural production is not enough to fight hunger in developing countries, jobs and access to markets are also essential, says FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.

FAO Director-General urges increased FAO cooperation with NGOs and other civil society organization to fight hunger.

6 November -- Conservation Agriculture can increase production and prevent desertification - even in the most fragile environments

6 November -- The United States becomes the 78th country to sign the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture - aimed at protecting and promoting the planet's plant genetic diversity.

5 November -- New Global Partnership will invest in the genetic improvement of Cassava, a root crop eaten by some 600 million people in tropical countries around the world.

4 November -- A new 'International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides' should significantly reduce the threats posed by agro-chemicals in developing countries.

30 October -- After 14 years of absence because of armed conflict, a community has returned to its homeland in the Peruvian Andes and is learning again how to cultivate the land. FAO's TeleFood campaign is helping them.

29 October -- FAO and WFP urge the international community to fund the purchase of seeds and other inputs urgently needed by farmers to avoid further worsening of the food crisis in Southern Africa next year.

28 October -- Genetic resources and intellectual property rights were top of the agenda during a recent meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources in Rome, where experts also discussed safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring biosecurity.

21 October -- Appeal to International Community for aid to Southern African and Afghanistan where severe food shortages and famine threaten millions.

21 October -- Saudi Arabia's Fish Farming Centre is paving the way for the private sector to produce fish for the national and international markets. The Centre, founded with FAO's help, conducts research and tests fish raising systems suitable for local conditions.

17 October -- World famous Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti lends his voice to FAO in a sell-out Telefood concert in Monaco and manages to raise awareness - and funds.

16 October -- Water: source of food security was the theme of World Food Day 2002. President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela delivered the keynote address at FAO headquarters.

Rome, 15 October -- Hartwig de Haen, FAO Assistant Director-General, comments on the new report The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2002.

15 October -- FAO has launched the 2002 edition of the annual publication "The State of Food Insecurity in the World." FAO estimates that there were around 840 million hungry people in 1998-2000, 799 million in the developing countries, 30 million in the countries in transition and 11 million in the industrialized countries.

Venezuela is channeling its rich oil resources in new directions, working with FAO to create a broad program of rural development. This feature was written for the visit of President Hugo Chavez, guest of honor at the 2002 World Food Day celebrations in Rome.

14 October -- Mountain ecosystems, which provide much of the world's freshwater, are under attack as never before by global warming, mining and unstainable forestry and agricultural practices. FAO warns about potential impact on agriculture and food security

11 October -- This year's World Food Day theme, "Water: source of food security", stresses the essential role of water in food production for a growing global population.

8 October -- In a TeleFood-sponsored school garden in Villa El Salvador, Peru, students harvest their first vegetables. The results are far better than what was expected and many more schools could benefit from the programme.

3 October -- Prolonged drought seriously affects agricultural and livestock production in Eritrea. FAO/WFP report says the lives of more than a million people are threatened.

1 October -- Progress in the fight against hunger has been too slow to meet the 1996 summit target. Success will depend on mobilizing sufficient resources now. This interview with FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf on the 2002 'World Food Summit: five years later' was first published by the International Food Policy Research Institute in the newsletter 'News and Views'.

30 September -- International conference decides whether all formulations of monocrotophos should be added to a list of 26 pesticides and five industrial chemicals subject to the prior informed consent procedure under the Rotterdam Convention.

24 September -- An innovative FAO programme teaches African villagers not only how to increase fish production, but also to manage their own natural resources. Burkina Faso fishers recount stories about these new and sometimes perilous activities.

23 September -- A high-level Consultation on Agricultural Information Management (COAIM) brings together at FAO headquarters (23-25 September 2002) major players in all the relevant fields of agricultural information. Among other issues, discussions will focus on how to close the "digital divide".

20 September -- Bridging the information gap is not just about technologies - it is a political matter of making information more accessible

19 September -- The food situation in several parts of Ethiopia remains alarming. FAO therefore launched a new aid appeal for US$1.9 million in support of six emergency projects.

18 September -- Inland fisheries account for about 15 percent of world fisheries production, mostly in the developing world. Geographic information systems can help countries make the most of scarce information about fish stocks.

18 September -- Levels of toxic waste from obsolete pesticides in Africa prove higher than previously thought.

17 September 2002 --FAO issues annual report on The State of Food and Agriculture 2002

16 September 2002 -- World renowned opera singer lends his voice to fight hunger at concert in at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum on 12 October.

10 August -- Building on centuries of traditional horticulture, FAO is working to re-establish the country's nursery orchards

5 September -- Fifty-eight countries and the European Community have now signed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

4 September - A rural drama initiative in Egypt teaches farmers techniques for raising crops in a more sustainable way -- lessons that carry over to raising families

30 August - Statement by the Director-General on GM food aid

30 August - Statement at the World Summit on Sustainable Developement (WSSD) in Johannesburg by Dr. Jacques Diouf

27 August - Joint UN/FAO/WFP/WHO statement on donations of foods for use in southern Africa, some of which contain genetically modified organisms.

27 August -- As long as millions of people are still suffering from chronic hunger and extreme poverty, there cannot be sustainable development, says FAO Assistant Director-General, Hartwig de Haen at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

26 August -- The number of people in need of emergency food aid in Southern Africa is close to 13 million. FAO urged donor countries to commit critically needed food aid and financial support to avert a large scale humanitarian crisis.

Results of the new FAO study "World Agriculture: Towards 2015/30.

20 August 2002 -- An interview with FAO's Jelle Bruinsma, the editor of 'World agriculture: towards 2015/2030', a major FAO study that analyses upcoming food production issues around the globe

FAO launches global study "World agriculture: towards 2015/30".

FAO and WFP say that despite the recovery in this year's agricultural production in Afghanistan, some six million people still have little or no access to food.

14 August 2002 -- When the World Summit on Sustainable Development opens on 26 August, FAO will call for greater efforts to alleviate poverty and achieve food security through the sound use of natural resources. Jacques Paul Eckebil, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Sustainable Development Department, sets the scene

Half a million pastoralists in the Afar region of Ethiopia are suffering from a severe drought.

6 August 2002 - Government farm lays groundwork for Southern Hemisphere's first commercial date sector

A locust control campaign in Northern Afghanistan has succeeded in keeping crop damage to a minimum.

31 July 2002 -- Techniques for catching scant rain turn wasteland into grassland in Burkina Faso.

Results of a joint FAO/WFP assessment mission to North Korea published

There are still numerous constraints to the access of rural women to information. However, the new information technologies offer a unique opportunity for women in the developing countries to speak out, and to be more visible and less isolated.

FAO has asked for US$25 million to launch emergency projects in Southern African countries severely hit by a food crisis.

International Rice Commission meets in Bangkok to discuss current trends of rice production.

Barcelona meeting concentrates on health issues, but latest statistics show devastating impact of AIDS on food production and hunger.

AIDS cannot realistically be addressed as a purely medical issue, FAO warns in advance of the 14th International AIDS Conference (Barcelona, 7-12 July 2002). The fight against the epidemic also requires rural development policies aimed at promoting food security, improving nutrition, addressing gender inequalities and helping decimated rural communities find a way to pass on farming knowledge to the young.

In Angola, some 1.4 million people need urgent food assistance, according to a joint FAO/WFP report. WFP plans to assist 1.24 million people, the remaining needy population needs to be supported by other humanitarian agencies. Cereal import requirements for 2002-03 are estimated at 725 000 tonnes, of which 221 000 tonnes as emergency food aid.

More research is necessary to determine how acrylamide is formed during the cooking process and to achieve a better understanding of human exposure to acrylamide in food and its possible health effects, according to an FAO/WHO expert consultation in Geneva. Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Foods in which acrylamide develops when cooked at 120 degrees Celsius include potato chips, french fries, bread and processed cereals.

A four-day international conference in Switzerland has called on the international community to pay more attention to the plight of millions of people in mountain areas, saying mountain people are often exposed to poverty, hunger, social and political marginalization and conflicts.

FAO's Director-General tells Adelboden conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountains that malnutrition and food insecurity in mountain regions contributes to increased disease and disability and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who flee drought and famine.

FAO/WFP joint food and crop assessment mission reports nearly 13 million people in six southern African countries face mass starvation in what may become the worst humanitarian disaster in a decade.

Four International Organizations coordinate sustainable agricultural and rural development approach to combat a fatal human and animal disease spread by the tsetse fly. Trypanosomiasis threatens about 50 million people and 48 million cattle in 37 African countries, resulting in economic losses in cattle production of some $1.2 billion.

The 15 member countries of the European Union, as well as the European Community, signed the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

World Environment Day sees UN, FAO and many of the world's leading international scientific agencies launch the first-ever Internet-based Atlas of the Oceans to give users continuously updated strategic data on the world's oceans, including development trends and threats to human health from the deteriorating marine environment.

FAO says additional public investment of US$24 billion annually must be made in poor countries to reduce the number of hungry people by half by the year 2015.

Afghanistan: Working with local farmers, FAO has set up milk collection centers and started poultry production for women

FAO comic book series aims to raise children's awareness of environmental issues.

Food security was one of the main agenda items for the 23rd session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe that has just ended in Nicosia. Conference delegates emphasised the need for active participation at the forthcoming Rome World Food Summit: five years later.

Agriculture organizations working in Afghanistan have reached a ground-breaking Code of Conduct agreement covering the production, distribution and importation of seeds in emergency situations. The Code will help support local agricultural systems and markets, as well as genetic resources in Afghanistan.

Nearly 10 million people in four southern African countries are facing potential famine - and that figure may well rise when crop and food assessment reports from two other countries are completed in the coming days, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). In reports published today, covering the results of recent joint missions to Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland the two food agencies warn that millions of people are on the brink of starvation.

Mr Jacques Diouf, FAO's Director-General, has invited the European countries to do better and more to help countries whose food and agriculture situation leaves much to be desired. He also hopes to see a large attendance of heads of state and government at the World Food Summit: five years later.

In mountain areas, where protein is often scarce, fishing can improve diets. International Year of Mountains, 2002, is a good time to find out how to make it work.

The World Food Summit: five years later, scheduled for 10 to 13 June 2002, will headline discussions by European Agriculture Ministers and other high-ranking officials from 43 European member countries of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and a representative of the European Community meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 29 to 31 May 2002. Two other important topics under review include food safety and quality and land degradation. It is the first time FAO holds its Regional Conference for Europe in Nicosia.

"The target of the 1996 World Food Summit can be met if the developing countries and their development partners have the political will to do so," FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today in Berlin at an international workshop on policies against hunger.

Info Finder, a new online search tool, is a collaborative effort between FAO's WAICENT, the Future Harvest Centers and CGIAR.

Campaign launched to combat the worst locust plague to hit Afghanistan in the last 30 years.

The 26th FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (13-17 May 2002) agreed on the need for "more effective policies and strategies programmes to accelerate the progress of agricultural development and ensuring food security for all". It It also noted the potential for a Global alliance against hunger.

Pirelli's international award, the "Best multimedia product for environmental information," was awarded to the WAICENT Portal of FAO.

Small farmers are the main food producers of the Asia Pacific region, yet are hungry themselves, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Ministers, mayors and planners participating in a FAO workshop recognize problems and point to action needed.

Increasing the productivity and incomes of resource-poor agricultural workers who feed Asia and the Pacific, yet are hungry themselves, is a central goal of FAO in the region.

Sterile insect technique renews hope for eventual eradication of the tsetse fly

FAO is helping Afghanistan in its fight against a major locust outbreak in the Northern part of this war-torn country. Control measures coordinated by FAO are being carried out to eliminate the threat and save the wheat harvest.

The Second Regional Consultation of NGOs and CSOs approved a plan of action for the eradication of hunger that was presented to the 27th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean meeting in Havana, Cuba.

FAO part of initiative to restore trade and ensure food security

27th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean ends with a call to create a World coalition against hunger

FAO to join Sweden's National Food Administration in further study of findings that suggest the toxic chemical acrylamide is formed spontaneously in foods by frying and baking.