News archive 2015

United Nations agencies and Non-governmental Organizations in South Sudan have undertaken an emergency airlift operation to deliver survival kits, containing lifesaving supplies, to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in hard-to-reach areas of Unity State.

Recognizing the contributions of family farmers to food security and poverty eradication worldwide, FAO today launched a new digital platform that aims to become a "one-stop shop" for information, data and legislation on the sector that produces some 80 percent of the world's food.

A new guide by FAO aims to help ensure anti-child labour measures are included in agricultural and rural development programmes, in particular those targeting family farmers.

Graziano da Silva in his closing statement to the Conference outlined FAO's priorities for the coming years, in particular the eradication of hunger, raising levels of nutrition and addressing climate change.

Empowering family farmers, establishing safety nets to help those most in need escape poverty traps, and ensuring peace and inclusive economic growth in rural areas must be core elements in efforts to eradicate hunger once and for all, the presidents of Colombia and Mexico asserted in speeches at the closing session of the FAO Conference.

Queen Letizia of Spain has been named FAO Special Ambassador for Nutrition in a ceremony during the 39th FAO Conference.

The international community must respond to the moral imperative of ensuring access to basic foods as "a right of all people," Pope Francis told delegates to the 39th FAO Conference during a special audience at the Vatican.

The Mediterranean region is undergoing a "nutrition transition" away from an ancient diet long considered a model for healthy living and sustainable food systems, that preserve the environment and empower local producers.

The African Union Commission, Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, National Geographic Magazine and the non-profit World Rural Forum will receive awards for their efforts to reduce hunger and raise awareness of the challenges facing the world's food systems.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, in his first policy statement since his overwhelming re-election, today outlined that eradicating hunger, raising levels of nutrition and addressing climate change will be among the Organization's top priorities over the next four years.