News archive 2018

A new FAO report highlights the multiple contributions made by the global livestock sector - especially to the lives of millions of poor, animal-dependent small-scale producers in developing countries - but also says that changes in policies and practices are needed in order to optimize those contributions.

Speakers at the global World Food Day ceremony in Rome today called for stronger political will and more financial support to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, urging the international community to step up its efforts until everyone has enough and quality food.

Failure to eradicate hunger will undermine all the Sustainable Development Goals, meaning “poverty will not be eradicated, natural resources will continue to degrade, and forced migration will continue to rise,” he told delegates gathered in Rome for the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

The State of Food and Agriculture 2018 launched today urges that policies should not stem or accelerate migration but maximize the contribution of rural migration to economic and social development while minimizing the costs.

"Changing the legal and institutional frameworks is fundamental to change the productive structure and ensure good nutrition for all," he told representatives gathered at the annual forum of the Civil Society Mechanism (MSC) - a vehicle for the participation of non-governmental actors in policy formulation in at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

A package of WFD multimedia feature stories depicting real people’s actions towards Zero Hunger is available for media use, including accompanying photos and video

Syria's wheat production this year fell to 1.2 million tonnes, about two-thirds of the 2017 level and marking a 29-year low, according to the latest Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) conducted jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

World Food Week starting on 15 October takes place in a global context where conflict, climate extremes and an increase in obesity are reversing progress made towards Zero Hunger. A series of events including World Food Day on 16 October will explore the actions needed to put achieving Zero Hunger back on track.

During a visit to a farmers market fair in Rome today, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and IFAD’s President Gilbert F. Houngbo stressed the importance of family farming to healthy diets, sustainable agricultural development and a Zero Hunger world.

The African Union joined forces with FAO to increase agricultural efficiency and reduce drudgery by launching Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization: A Framework for Africa (SAMA).