Press releases

Land acquisitions in Africa pose risks for poor First detailed study of phenomenon warns of impacts to rural communities, but notes possible benefits as well 25 May 2009

Bill Gates, FAO chief ponder anti-hunger fight Agriculture key as hungry approach 1 billion worldwide 11 May 2009

Study shows bioenergy benefits for rural poor Small-scale projects scrutinised from jatropha electrification in Mali to animal waste biogas in Vietnam 8 April 2009

Climate change talks should include farmers Agriculture in developing countries could play crucial role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions 2 April 2009

World fisheries must prepare for climate change FAO releases new "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report 2 March 2009

Moving closer to a global plan of action for water International meeting to prepare for next World Water Forum 21 January 2009

2008

Africa to develop its water resources for agriculture, energy Water key to eradicating hunger and poverty 17 December 2008

Irrigation key for Africa’s food security – Diouf Urges Global “Early Reaction Fund” for countries in crisis 15 December 2008

Forestry takes on the climate change challenge Global organizations team up to ensure contribution of forests 5 December 2008

Farms and forests can fight climate change Incentives needed in developing countries 4 December 2008

New German funds for anti-hunger projects $14.2 million pledged for food security, forestry and biofuel initiatives 3 December 2008

Pacific: climate change threatens food security Bolstering food systems to avoid dramatic economic losses 2 December 2008

Africa could reduce greenhouse gases Taking more carbon out of the atmosphere than it releases 25 November 2008

Harnessing carbon financing to boost sustainable farming Win-win-win for development, climate efforts 28 October 2008

Clinton at UN: food, energy, financial woes linked FAO Director-General underlines need for a World Summit on Food Security 24 October 2008

Climate change and forestry in Europe Mitigating the effects of climate change through sustainable forest management 17 October 2008

Easing organic agricultural trade New tools help developing-country farmers market organic produce 8 October 2008

Reviewing biofuel policies and subsidies Annual report weighs opportunities and risks of biofuels 7 October 2008

Negociar es la clave para el problema del sector agrícola 31 August 2008

Indigenous peoples threatened by climate change World day highlights fundamental role of indigenous peoples in food security 8 August 2008

New global soil database Soil database win-win options for climate change mitigation and food production 21 July 2008

Urgent appeal for cyclone-hit communities in Myanmar FAO seeks US$33.5 million to help small farmers and fishers restore livelihoods 17 July 2008

Climate change will have strong impact on fisheries Decrease in fisheries production likely – FAO holds scientific symposium 10 July 2008

UN Rome-based Agencies call on G8 for decisive blow on hunger Much more development aid needed for agriculture 8 July 2008

High food prices put World Food Day 2008 in the spotlight World Food Day theme to consider challenges to food security 7 July 2008

About 50 million more hungry people in 2007 Hunger on the rise due to soaring food prices 3 July 2008

Land degradation on the rise One fourth of the world’s population affected, says new study 2 July 2008

Food Summit calls for more investment in agriculture Poor countries need special assistance to weather food price shocks 5 June 2008

Renewed financial effort in fight on hunger Countries increase commitment at Rome Food Summit 5 June 2008

FAO initiative helps small farmers increase food production Growers in some of the world's poorest countries targeted for help 4 June 2008

Boosting Food Production in Africa’s "Breadbasket Areas" New Collaboration among Rome-based UN Agencies and AGRA 4 June 2008

The world only needs 30 billion dollars a year to eradicate the scourge of hunger Time for talk over - Action needed 3 June 2008

Maps and atlases on agriculture in Myanmar New FAO website offers access to Digital Agricultural Atlas 26 May 2008

Biodiversity to curb world's food insecurity Global conference on biological diversity in Bonn 19 May 2008

Diouf: world must seize chance to boost agriculture High food prices not just threat but opportunity 29 April 2008

Large-scale biofuel production may increase marginalization of women New study on biofuel production focuses on gender 21 April 2008

A major boost to preparations for the FAO Summit on food security Brazilian President Lula confirms his presence 18 April 2008

Territorial Development Training in Rio Grande do Norte and Paraná (Brazil) 15 April 2008

Urgent measures required to reduce impact of high food prices on the poor UN agency chiefs highlight role of agro-industries 9 April 2008

EBRD and FAO call for bold steps to contain soaring food prices Moves needed now to unlock unused agricultural potential in Eastern Europe 10 March 2008

Climate change a further challenge for gender equity How men and women farmers are differently affected 10 March 2008

Agriculture in the Near East likely to suffer from climate change The hungry and poor will be mostly affected – FAO meeting debates impact on the region 3 March 2008

"Biodiversity is vital for human survival and livelihoods", FAO Deputy Director-General says James G. Butler calls for “urgent remedial action” against hunger and rural poverty 18 February 2008

FAO unveils new bioenergy assessment tool Weighs impact on food security 8 February 2008

2007 Arsenic threat in rice Reducing arsenic levels in rice through improved irrigation practices 19 December 2007

Rome UN Agencies urge immediate climate action to avert hunger FAO Director-General announces High-Level Conference 12 December 2007

Climate change causing species disappearance in mountain areas Fresh water, animal and plant species threatened 11 December 2007

Organic agriculture can contribute to fighting hunger But chemical fertilizers needed to feed the world 10 December 2007

Climate change: focussing on how the vulnerable can cope FAO pilots emerging strategies to alleviate weather-related consequences 7 December 2007

Education for rural people: 11 African countries join forces to meet the challenge Synergies identified at a meeting in Rome 5 December 2007

Opportunities and risks of wood energy production Greenhouse gas emissions and poverty could be reduced, deforestation could increase 20 November 2007

Paying farmers to protect the environment? FAO publishes The State of Food and Agriculture 2007 15 November 2007

Bioenergy growth must be carefully managed Global Bioenergy Partnership publishes report on bioenergy in G8 plus five countries 13 November 2007

International plant gene pool becomes operational Multilateral system boosts the exchange of plant genetic material 29 October 2007

Call for more strategic approach to mountain development Big picture strategy needed to tackle chronic underdevelopment and new challenges like climate change 4 October 2007

World Habitat Day 2007 "A safe city is a just city" 1 October 2007

Global plan of action for animal genetic resources adopted Agreement reached on implementation and financing provisions 11 September 2007

Living with climate change Adaptation strategies needed to build resilience 10 September 2007

FAO sounds alarm on loss of livestock breeds Calls for urgent action to better manage and use farm animal resources, safeguard world food supply 4 September 2007

Climate change likely to increase risk of hunger Industrialized countries could gain in production potential, developing countries may lose 7 August 2007

Benefits and limits of an important biotech tool FAO publishes study on marker-assisted selection 24 July 2007

Growing bio-fuel demand underpinning higher agriculture prices Joint OECD-FAO report published 4 July 2007

FAO signs agreement with Italian Meteorological Service Provision of real-time meteorological data and analysis for better agro-climatic impact assessments 2 July 2007

Farm animal diversity under threat One breed lost a month – industrial livestock production biggest factor 14 June 2007

The next frontier in genetic research: under water Countries to discuss managing the world's aquatic genetic resources 11 June 2007

FAO seeks standards for environment and natural resources International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 211 Geographic Information / Geomatics 1 June 2007

Global Bioenergy Partnership web site launched today Promotes information sharing on bioenergy 9 May 2007

UN weighs impact of bioenergy Comprehensive report offers policy framework for decision makers 8 May 2007

Meeting the food security challenge through organic agriculture States should integrate organic agriculture objectives within national priorities, FAO says 3 May 2007

Agriculture key player to stop degradation of vital ecosystems Environmental degradation could threaten agricultural productivity and food security 25 April 2007

FAO Committee on Commodities to review impact of oil prices and biofuels Appropriate trade policy reform can lead to poverty reduction security 23 April 2007

Top experts to weigh impact of bioenergy Focus on environment and food security 16 April 2007

FAO urges action to cope with increasing water scarcity Improving agricultural practices key 22 March 2007

Making every drop count FAO heads UN water initiative 14 February 2007

Urban farming against hunger Safe, fresh food for city dwellers 1 February 2007

Germany commits €2.8 million for projects in Afghanistan, Kenya and Tanzania Funds to promote biodiversity preservation, sustainable agricultural practices 30 January 2007