3 December 2008, Rome - Germany has pledged an extra $11 million to support various FAO projects in the fight against hunger. The new funds bring Germany's 2008 extrabudgetary contributions to $14.2 million - the largest amount Germany has ever committed to FAO in one programme year.

"Germany's generous support is assisting FAO to reach thousands of beneficiaries with activities designed to improve their longer-term food security," said José M. Sumpsi, Assistant Director-General of the Technical Cooperation Department. "Such a contribution is a significant boost to our vision of a more self-reliant future for all rural communities."

"We are delighted to cooperate with FAO with backing for these important interventions," said the German Ambassador to FAO, Hans-Heinrich Wrede. "Sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty reduction as well as protection of the environment are two of our key development priorities."

Germany's contributions support a variety of FAO activities in countries ranging from Tanzania to Sierra Leone.

One project promoting reduced deforestation in Ghana is being financed through Germany's Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. The project will assist Ghana in implementing the "Non-legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forest" (NLBI) which was adopted by the United Nations Forum on Forests in May 2007.

Four other projects will benefit from Germany's funding being funnelled through its Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. These include: a project enhancing forestry conservation in the Congo Basin; a seed enterprise development project in Sierra Leone; food systems development in the United Republic of Tanzania; and a project supporting interregional biofuel development.