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Enjoy a little bit of sliced meat now and then? A nice steak? A roast chicken?
What’s that you say? You’re a vegetarian?
OK, well maybe you enjoy a cool glass of milk every once in a while or some nice cheese?
Either way, you probably want to know that these foods are safe to eat. That’s where FAO comes in.
FAO is the world’s authority on animal production and health. It helps countries ensure that the feed and medicines used to raise livestock are clean and safe. It helps them see that the ways in which they process, package and market meat and other animal products meet internationally accepted standards for food safety.
What’s that you’re saying? You don’t eat any animal products at all, not even dairy? Well FAO’s work in livestock still affects you. Here’s how.
The livestock sector is the world's largest user of land. And the clearing of forests to make room for livestock grazing has become a serious environmental issue, especially in Latin America.
FAO helps countries find alternatives to extensive livestock production – alternatives that can help boost production while using less land. This means more profits to farmers and a healthier planet for us all.
What’s more, this can have an impact on global warming. Curious? Find out more about agriculture and global warming.
Whether you believe it’s right or wrong to kill or raise animals for food, the fact of the matter is that more than 600 million poor people in rural communities in developing countries depend on livestock for their livelihoods. For these farming families, raising livestock is more than just a part of their culture; it helps them survive.
For them, it is vital that their animals don’t get sick. FAO helps developing countries protect the health of their livestock by providing information and guidance to strengthen their veterinary services.
Animal diseases don’t recognize national borders, so it often takes an international effort to deal with them. This is where FAO has a crucial role to play. Because it works with many different governments, it can coordinate international efforts to respond to disease outbreaks.
One of the most serious animal diseases is avian influenza or “bird flu”. It has caused immense hardship to farmers in many Asian countries and threatens to spread around the world. FAO is working to keep this from happening. Check out the FAO Newsroom articles on this page.
Protecting animal health is just one of the ways FAO helps poor farmers. It also helps them earn more money from their livestock.
For small producers in developing countries, it can be very difficult to earn extra income from their livestock. FAO helps developing countries create opportunities for small-scale livestock farmers to sell their products at local markets. It also helps countries meet international standards so that their producers can compete in the global marketplace.
Want to find out more? Why not meet Pius Chilonda.
