News archive 2014

The two-day (29-30 August) event is being held in Bali, Indonesia under the theme “Unity in Diversity: Celebrating Diversity for Common and Shared Values”.

In a major effort to revitalize agriculture in Swaziland, the government, the European Union and FAO have helped over 20,000 smallholder farmers produce more, higher-quality food and connect with new markets. Agriculture is on its way to become a key driver of Swaziland’s development.

Greater progress in the effort to slash world hunger and malnutrition will pay a "peace dividend" by reducing pressures that feed into social unrest and civil conflict. FAO announces parternship in inter-religious all-star football "Match for Peace" taking place in Rome on September 1st.

Animal disease monitoring systems require sustained support and have a critical role to play in preventing human disease threats, according to FAO.

19 August marks the anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, in which 22 people lost their lives. In 2008, the UN General Assembly designated this day as World Humanitarian Day in an effort to raise public awareness of the crucial role that humanitarian assistance plays in improving people's lives worldwide, and to recognize the contributions of those who risk their lives delivering it.

The fighting in Gaza has forced farmers and herders to abandon their lands and has paralysed fishing activities, bringing local food production to a halt and severely affecting livelihoods, FAO warned today. Recovery in the agriculture sector, once hostilities cease, will require significant external assistance over the long term.

The FAO Food Price Index decreased for a fourth consecutive month in July mainly due to a sharp decline in international prices for maize, wheat and certain oilseeds, reflecting ample supplies for these commodities.

Continued efforts to provide farmers, fishers and pastoralists in South Sudan with life-saving emergency livelihood kits are at risk due to a funding shortfall, aggravating the risk of famine in some areas of the country, FAO warned today.

The UN today called on the international donor community to renew a commitment to fight hunger and food insecurity in the Sahel by protecting and strengthening the resilience of the poor and very poor families in the region.

The European Union (EU) will partner with FAO to help small-scale farmers in Serbia recover from the devastating floods of the past spring. An EU grant of EUR 8 million, aimed at restoring the livelihoods of the most vulnerable farming families, was announced at a ceremony here today.