Direct and Indirect Contributions of FAO to the Millennium Development Goals

Ensure environmental sustainability

Hunger and poverty often compel the poor to over-exploit the resources on which their own livelihoods depend. However, the diverse array of goods and services provided by ecosystems – clean water, fertile soils, vegetated landscapes, biodiversity and carbon sequestration to name a few – must be managed in ways that sustain human populations, not only meeting their food requirements but also a variety of other environmental, social and economic needs.

FAO supports the integrated management of land, fisheries, forest and genetic resources, including through conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, water conservation and responsible water-use practices, and the protection of biodiversity. Other activities are designed to address the sustainable development of environments at risk and to assist those living in marginal areas with livelihood support programmes based on ecosystem management principles