News archive 2010

Photo: ©FAO/Lucas Tavares
Praising her commitment to the fight against hunger, FAO Director General, Jacques Diouf, awarded the Ceres Medal to the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The Ceres Medal is the highest award given by FAO to women that have made an important contribution to food security and sustainable development.
6-12-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Olivier Thuillier
Floods and droughts in grain producing countries this year have triggered increases in food prices, highlighting the vulnerability of the world’s food production systems and agricultural markets. Yet while there are many examples of how the agricultural sector can become more resilient to climate change and reduce its own carbon emissions, mechanisms for funding such a transformation are lacking.
3-12-2010
FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf today announced the appointment of Ann Tutwiler, a citizen of the United States, as one of FAO's two Deputy Directors-General.
1-12-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Marzio Marzot
The Caucasian bee is just one of the actors of the rich biodiversity of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. One of the places in the world to practice agriculture, and home to many common foods, today the region offers hope for feeding the world in the future.
1-12-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Gustavo García
Over 3 million people have signed a petition calling on world leaders to make the elimination of hunger their top priority. The petition was presented to governments at a ceremony at FAO. "People from all over the globe are demanding change, urging political leaders to take action and to tackle the root causes of hunger and food insecurity," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.
30-11-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
Sweden and the Netherlands became the first resource partners to provide funds to FAO’s new multipartner programme. The voluntary contributions agreed upon, to be used by 2013, amount to a total of roughly $26 million.
29-11-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Giuseppe Bizzarri
Indigenous people to be given a stronger voice at FAO following the adoption of a new policy designed to ensure that they are considered in all relevant aspects of the agency's work. Indigenous and tribal peoples comprise around five per cent of the world's population but make up about 15 per cent of the extremely poor.
26-11-2010
Photo: ©FAO/APAS
The Forestry Department of FAO yesterday received an important Spanish award in recognition of its outstanding merits in forest fire protection. Each year, the Spanish NGO "Asociación para la Promoción de Actividades Socioculturales" gives the "El Batefuegos de Oro" (Golden Fire Swatter) award for achievements in forest fire protection.
25-11-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Jose Cendon
A growing number of countries are taking steps to catalogue, conserve and better manage the genetic diversity of livestock in order to help safeguard the resilience of the world's food production systems, says an informal FAO survey released today. The UN agency cautioned, however, that much more needs to be done to better manage animal genetic resources.
24-11-2010
Photo: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano
The key to long-term food security lies in boosting investment in agriculture, particularly in low-income food-deficit countries, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said in an address in Abu Dhabi. The rapid increase in hunger and malnourishment since the food crisis of 2008 reveals the inadequacy of the present global food system and the urgent need for structural changes.
23-11-2010