Overview

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working with its Members and the entire international community for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

These eight goals - each with specific targets and indicators - are based on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed by world leaders in September 2000. They commit the international community to combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.

The eight Millennium Development Goals are:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Goal 1 relates directly to hunger, which is the primary global issue of concern for FAO. Some developing countries have made impressive gains in achieving the hunger-related targets, but many are falling behind. For more information on the prevalence of hunger worldwide, see The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2008, published annually by FAO.

M.S. Swaminathan, father of India's green revolution, and chair of FAO's high-level advisory committee on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, speaks about progress to date in achieving the MDGs.

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