22 December 2003 -- Liberian farmers are in need of rice seeds. FAO calls for $2 million to supply seeds to around 70 000 farm families.

22 December 2003 -- With precise data pinpointing the distribution of chronic undernutrition within countries, FAO's latest hunger maps are a valuable tool for policy-makers seeking to design programmes that reach the most vulnerable.

19 December 2003 -- Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand receives Ceres Medal from FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf for her work to reduce hunger in the world.

18 December 2003 -- After a summer season of good rains and recent favourable rainfall, Desert Locust populations continue to increase and may threaten winter crops in northwest Africa and along the Red Sea.

18 December 2003 -- FAO has distributed seeds and fertilizers to vulnerable families in Afghanistan. Over 500 000 people are expected to benefit from improved harvests.

17 December 2003 --This week in Marrakech, the G-77 will meet during a High-Level Conference on South-South Cooperation to identifying ways and means of strengthening and expanding such cooperation. FAO will present the South-South Cooperation component of the Special programme for Food Security.

16 December 2003, Rome/Abuja -- President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria has received the Agricola Medal for his role in boosting agricultural and social development in Africa's most populated country.

11 December 2003 -- Hunger could rise in North Korea in 2004 if projects to produce food are not being funded.

10 December 2003 -- FAO governing Conference ends 32nd Session, passes $749 million budget and limits the term of office for future FAO Directors-General.

10 December 2003 -- The information revolution has completely bypassed nearly one billion people, creating a digital divide that hinders development, FAO warned on Wednesday.

9 December 2003 -- Germany will finance projects in Afghanistan, Lesotho and Malawi carried out by FAO.

8 December 2003 -- Africa's food situation improves in some areas, but 23 countries on the continent are facing food shortages for a variety of reasons, from conflict to severe drought, according to latest Africa Report published by FAO.

8 December 2003, Rome -- FAO and Brazil have signed an important accord to evaluate the successes achieved by the Zero Hunger Programme and refine future strategies.

5 December 2003 -- FAO receives 2-year US Dollar-Euro budget of $749 million in unaniamous vote by the Organizations Governing Conference.

5 December 2003 -- The International Alliance Against Hunger, promoted by FAO, gains Papal support.

5 December 2003 -- A key ally in the international alliance against hunger, Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) helped to raise 750 000 euros in a recent Telefood Gala. All the funds will go entirely to setting up agricultural micro-projects in developing countries.

4 December 2003 -- After drought and civil war, it could take up to ten years for the animal herds in Afghanistan to regenerate naturally. FAO has carried out the first livestock census in the country.

3 December 2003 -- FAO signs an agreement with the United Arab Emirates to bolster its agricultural information resources.

3 December 2003, Rome -- To draw attention to the importance of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, FAO organized a side-event to its governing Conference (29 November-10 December 2003) in preparation for the entry into force of the Treaty, probably in early 2004.

3 December 2003 -- Efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing must be intensified, FAO stated in a report presented yesterday to representatives of its Member Nations gathered here for the 32nd session of the Organization's governing Conference.

2 December 2003 -- The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons is December 3rd. An FAO study says the contribution of individuals with disabilities to agricultural projects can have a significant impact on food security.

2 December 2003 -- Growing vulnerability of Small Island Developing States will be examined at a UN conference to be held in Mauritius from 30 August to 3 September 2004.

1 December 2003 -- A new study examines the complex effects of the pandemic on rural communities.

1 December 2003 - "More financial resources from development partners are essential to meet the challenges of the new century," FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told agriculture ministers and senior officials from 187 FAO Member States and the European Community gathered in Rome.

29 November 2003 -- The Boerma Award for journalism was presented to Brazilian documentary film maker Marcelo Canellas and to Reuters correspondent David Brough. Two other FAO Awards, the Binay R. Sen and the Edouard Saouma Award were also presented today.

29 November 2003 -- One of the main issues on the agenda of FAO's governing Conference (29 November - 10 December 2003) is the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget for 2004-2005.

28 November 2003 -- European forestry officials meeting at FAO recently called for policy reforms to maximize the economic, environmental and social benefits of poplar and willow cultivation.

27 November 2003 -- The Rotterdam Convention has been ratified by 50 countries. This means that the treaty will enter into force within 90 days.

25 November 2003 -- Amid overall increases in the number of hungry people in the developing world, FAO's annual report on hunger and food insecurity names some successful countries and shows ways to win the battle against hunger.

21 November 2003 -- Main challenges in West Africa include Food insecurity, overweight and obesity. Ways and means to tackle these problems will be discussed at an international workshop in Ouagadougou (23-28 November 2003).

17 November 2003 -- An international conference will decide whether all forms of asbestos and two hazardous pesticides should be added to a trade watch list.

12 November 2003 -- Creating a network of international financing institutions to promote and facilitate funding for agricultural development is top of the agenda at a forum in Budapest.

11 November 2003 -- FAO and the World Health Organization team up to promote greater consumption of fruit and vegetables in an effort to reduce noncoummunicable diseases.

5 November 2003 -- Italy funds a US$ 3.5 million project to improve the production of gums and natural resins in six African countries bordering the Sahara.

4 November 2003 -- Late-planting food crop seeds are being distributed to drought-hit farmers in the Ethiopian provinces of Amhara and Tigray.

31 October 2003, United Nations, New York -- FAO Director-General warns that rice, the staple food of more than half the world's population, is facing serious constraints as land and water resources for rice production diminish.

30 October 2003 -- United Nations Agencies call malnutrition rates in North Korea "alarmingly high" in a report that forecasts the country will suffer another substantial food deficit in 2004.

27 October 2003, Rome -- The right to food is a fundamental human right. It is both an individual right and a collective responsibility. Governments, NGOs and civil society groups are meeting to discuss how to make it part of national government policy.

20 October 2003, Rome -- FAO warns outbreaks of the Desert Locust in Mauritania, Niger and Sudan may locally threaten crops.

16 October 2003 -- On World Food Day FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf urged all who wanted to defeat poverty and malnutrition to form an international alliance against hunger.

16 October 2003 -- Five more international celebrities have signed on to FAO's campaign to end world hunger, the Organization announced today during ceremonies marking World Food Day 2003.

14 October 2003 -- The goal of AGORA is to increase the quality and effectiveness of agricultural education and research. FAO is collaborating with major scientific publishers and others to provide free or low-cost access to key online journals in the fields of agriculture, food, nutrition and related biological, environmental and social sciences to a specified group of low-income countries. 

10 October 2003 -- World Food Day marks the anniversary of the founding of FAO on 16 October 1945. It will be celebrated with special events in some 150 countries around the world.

8 October 2003 -- The proliferation of supermarkets represents both a risk and an opportunity for Africa's small farmers.

6 October 2003 -- FAO will run a major sustainable rural livelihoods project for more than 430 000 farmers in Afghanistan.

29 September 2003 -- The XII World Forestry Congress, which closed yesterday in Québec City, Canada, called for sustained political commitment to safeguard the future of the world's forests. Above all, the Congress urged countries to move the intergovernmental dialogue on forests from talk to action.

25 September 2003 -- More than 13 million people need assistance in Ethiopia. FAO launched an appeal for $7.7 million for agricultural emergency projects.

23 September 2003 -- Food insecurity and poverty in Iraq are still of major concern, according to a new FAO/WFP report.

22 September 2003 -- At the World Forestry Congress FAO's Director-General Jaques Diouf calls for the sustainable management of forests, a shrinking global resource.

19 September 2003 -- After three decades of war and a year and a half of peace, Angolans have started to replant their fields. FAO is assisting them with agricultural emergency aid.

18 September 2003 -- The collapse of the WTO meeting in Cancún should not be the end of trade talks in an international framework, FAO said today.

11 September 2003 -- At the Ministerial talks in Cancun, FAO urges countries to ensure international trade is free as well as fair.

9 September 2003 -- This year's fire season has been one of the worst in recent history. To avoid forest fires, countries should involve local communities in forest management, FAO said.

4 September 2003 -- Under a new deal with Bangladesh and the Islamic Development Bank, Gambia becomes the latest country to benefit from FAO's South-South Cooperation programme.

1 September 2003 -- SARS could recur again, FAO warned after the visit of a senior veterinarian to China. The source of the SARS coronovirus remains obscure.

22 August 2003 -- FAO Director, Prabhu Pingali, becomes President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists.

18 August 2003 -- Countries from around the world have resolved to cooperate more closely in order to develop a better framework for the sustainable development of the world's aquaculture sector.

14 August 2003 -- Afghan farmers are harvesting the biggest cereals crop since records began. Yet despite the ample harvest many remain hungry and will need food aid in the coming months.

7 August 2003 -- An FAO conference opening today in Trondheim, Norway brings experts from around the world together to assess the state of the global aquaculture sector and make recommendations for its future development.

4 August 2003 -- A major threat to food production in Afghanistan has been averted after a successful locust control campaign. Damage to wheat crop was kept to a minimal level.

31 July 2003 -- Living conditions are worsening in Haiti, where more than 3.8 million are suffering from hunger. FAO asked for $6 million to finance five relief activities.

29 July 2003 -- Farmers in southern Africa are facing severe constraints despite better harvests. FAO called for $43 million to assist 6.5 million people.

25 July 2003 -- The need for food and agricultural relief aid remains high in Angola despite an increase in food production, FAO and WFP said in a new report today.

24 July 2003 -- Farmers in Afghanistan are about to harvest the biggest wheat crop in two decades, but chronic undernutrition remains a major problem, said Serge Verniau, FAO Representative in Kabul.

24 July 2003 -- More than 3 000 foresters, scientists, indigenous people living in forests and others interested in forests from over 120 countries are expected to participate in the XII World Forestry Congress in Quebec City, Canada, 21-28 September 2003.

23 July 2003 -- Civil strife and adverse weather are the main causes for food emergencies in sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty-three countries are affected, according to a new FAO report published today.

22 July 2003 -- The World Food Day/TeleFood theme for 2003 is International Alliance Against Hunger, to emphasize the need for global mobilization to create the political will to eradicate hunger.

17 July 2003 -- The European Commission and FAO today signed an agreement designed to create a closer strategic partnership between the two institutions in the fields of development and humanitarian aid.

16 July 2003 -- Seven countries in Central and Eastern Europe will benefit from an FAO regional project to control the spread of the Western Corn Rootworm, a major threat to corn production in Central and Eastern Europe.

10 July 2003 -- An Australian veterianarian will travel to China to coordinate an international investigation about the roles of animals in spreading the deadly SARS virus.

9 July 2003 -- The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted new guidelines on biotechnologically modified foods and a new standard on food irradiation.

8 July 2003 -- A first shipment of agricultural aid has been delivered by road to rebel held areas in southern Sudan. More than 10 500 households benefited from this project.

7 July 2003 -- As the UN's Codex Alimentarius Commission announces agreement on international guidelines for food trade and production, farmers and commodity traders in the lush, southern Indian state of Kerala know that good standards mean better business. They are using modern technology and Codex standards to reach new global markets.

3 July 2003 -- The agricultural sector has an important role to play in reducing people's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and alleviating the consequences of the disease in poor rural communities. A new FAO Web site on HIV/AIDS and food security examines the wide-ranging impact of the epidemic and proposes strategic responses for agricultural policy-makers.

3 July 2003 -- Jacques Diouf called today on African leaders to clearly indicate the key role of agriculture in the economic development and the reduction of poverty and food insecurity in their countries, by giving greater priority and allocating adequate resources to the sector.

2 July 2003 -- FAO, together with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), is tackling the problem of desertification in the island of Hispaniola through a local development initiative aimed to manage natural resources and create a social framework to strengthen development efforts on both sides of the border.

1 July 2003 -- Experts convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) today announced agreement on recommendations regarding safe intake levels for a variety of different chemicals occurring in food, including cadmium and methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury.

30 June 2003 -- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission to decide the adoption of new food safety and quality standards at its 26th session, which opened today in Rome with representatives from 169 countries. Standards up for adoption include methods to assess the risk of foods derived from biotechnology and a standard that would allow increased levels of radiation to be used in food irradiation.

30 June 2003 -- A new joint FAO/UNAIDS report calls upon agricultural institutions to scale up their efforts to fight the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic.

20 June 2003 -- FAO Director-General tells International Conference on the Right to Food and Costs of Hunger that "the right to food is fundamental to human existence."

13 June 2003 -- Southern Africa still requires substantial food aid despite the fact that more food was produced in the region than during last year's severe food crisis, according to reports released by FAO and WFP.

16 June, 2003 Rome -- A new FAO-sponsored Web site promotes the use of biotelemetry in fisheries and aquaculture. The technology is a powerful tool for studying fish populations and the environments they inhabit -- and for making informed management decisions.

11 June 2003 -- The private sector must become a key player in an international alliance against hunger. Collaboration with the dairy sector shows how pooling resources, energies and expertise can benefit everyone.

10 June 2003 -- In Ethiopia the rural population who depend upon harvests to eat have been battered by cycles of droughts and floods. Pockets of the East African country are suffering from pre-famine conditions. FAO is helping farmers prepare for the next planting season.

6 June, Rome -- Peru has ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Peru and the Andes are the cradle of plants such as potato and tomato, fundamental to world food consumption.

5 June, Rome -- "Water - Two Billion People are Dying for it!" is the theme of World Environment Day celebrated today. On this occasion, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf called on all countries "to help safeguard the source of food security on our planet."

3 June 2003 -- The recent discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Canada is not a cause for panic, FAO said today. The agency urged all countries to continue to check for the disease, even where it has never been found.

Rome, 30 May 2003 -- In Eritrea, FAO is helping farmers restore their productive capacity. Cereal and legume seeds are being distributed by FAO, NGOs, donors and the Ministry of Agriculture for planting the 2003 crop.

29 May 2003 -- Long-term agricultural development activities in Afghanistan are under threat, FAO warned today. Without new donor funding, the agency will have to stop more than 70 percent of its activities by the end of this year.

28 May 2003 -- Tapping the latest data and using GIS technology, a new FAO study paints a detailed portrait of vulnerable mountain communities and the challenges facing them, paving the way for future work on mountain development.

27 May 2003 -- Johannes Rau, President of Germany, has received FAO's Agricola Medal for his commitment to support efforts to banish world hunger.

26 May 2003 -- FAO Director-General calls on mayors to promote decentralized cooperation and international solidarity for reducing hunger speaking at the 2nd Second Annual Glocalization Conference (24-26 May 2003). Dr. Diouf presented the triangular partnership between the City of Rome, the City of Kigali (Rwanda) and FAO.

26 May 2003 - The Government of the Netherlands has pledged an additional 6.3 million euros in support of the FAO/Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP). The FNPP started two years ago to support food security, forestry and agrobiodiversity activities. The additional funds will allow the programme to continue its activities until the end of the year.

14 May 2003 -- Michel Camdessus, Honorary Governor of the Bank of France and former International Monetary Fund Chief, stressed the need for an increase of $100 billion annually to provide safe, clean water for 1.1 billion people in the world who suffer from a lack of clean water.

7 May 2003 -- Food and crop situation improves somewhat in southern Africa, but 25 countries face food emergencies, caused mostly by adverse weather problems, civil strife and economic policies.

5 May 2003 -- The spread of the SARS virus has caused major concern around the world. Peter Roeder, FAO Animal Health Officer, explains that there is no proof that the virus originated in farm animals.

30 April 2003 - Chinese experts arrive in Nigeria to work with local experts as part of the South-South Cooperation component of the Nigerian Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS).

28 April 2003 -- One-third of Iraq's critical spring grain crop appears to have emerged unscathed from the conflict, according to a first survey conducted by FAO.

23 April 2003 -- FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued a report by independent experts on diet and health. The report provides the scientific basis for developing a WHO global strategy to combat the growing burden of chronic diseases. It also has potential implications for food and agriculture.

16 April 2003 -- Farmers in Iraq need help to start harvesting in May, FAO said today. Estimates indicate a cereal production of about 1.7 million tonnes, but the outlook is uncertain. The spring crop is the main harvest in the country.

15 April 2003 -- FAO appeals for $6.89 million to prevent animal disease outbreaks in Afghanistan. Potential outbreaks of livestock diseases like rinderpest and foot-and-mouth risk crippling the country's fragile rural sector.

7 April 2003 -- A $5 million project to promote food security in the Caribbean has been jointly launched by FAO, the Caribbean Community, the CARIFORUM and the Government of Italy. It is the first project to be launched from the FAO Trust Fund for Food Security.

3 April 2003 -- Armed conflict in Iraq could seriously damage the country's agricultural production, FAO warned as it launched an $86 million appeal to buy the seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, fuel and spare parts needed by farmers.

31 March 2003 -- Food safety begins at the grassroots level - literally.
FAO is advocating a new, global and integrated method of ensuring food is free from contaminants by beginning at its very source with the Food Chain Approach

26 March 2003 -- Speaking at a meeting on "Global Food Security and the Role of Sustainable Fertilization," FAO Deputy Director-General David Harcharik and the President of the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), Wladimir Puggina, underlined the important role of fertilizers in agricultural production.