6 August 2019 ROME, ITALY – The directors responsible for South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC) at the three United Nations Rome-Based Agencies (RBAs) met at FAO headquarters to discuss collaborative strategies to leverage SSTC for sustainable development. The directors, Shengyao Tang (FAO), Ron Hartman (IFAD), Wei Wang (IFAD), and David Kaatrud (WFP), as well as Assistant Director-General Roberto Ridolfi (FAO), each expressed their...

6 August 2019 ROME, ITALY – On the first day of his mandate, Director-General QU conducted a greeting tour of FAO headquarters, which included a visit to the Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation (OSS). After extending a warm welcome, OSS Director Tang provided DG QU with a brief introduction of the work of OSS since its establishment as a dedicated office in January 2019, highlighting the Tenth Anniversary Event for the FAO-China SSC Programme, which will be held between 25 and 27 November 2019 in Kampala, Uganda.

Kabul, Afghanistan - In Afghanistan, livestock plays a key role in shaping both incomes and diets of local households. Around 75% of Afghan families depend on agriculture and livestock. This strong dependence makes access to quality feed fundamental to achieve a satisfying level of animal productivity, health, and welfare.  In the past, the lack of proper animal feed testing facility in Afghanistan required FAO to ship animal feed samples to other countries for analysis. These activities resulted in higher expenses and delayed processing times of up to a month, which affected the smooth implementation of the projects. Further challenges were caused...

Good decisions are based on accurate information, and the availability and use of high-quality data are vital for evidence-based decision-making and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With just over ten years left until 2030, it is imperative to accelerate transformative actions that will help countries reach the agreed goals. Decision makers need better data to shape effective policies, encourage investment, target programmes, and measure progress towards sustainable development. Statistics are at the core of FAO’s work. They inform authoritative publications across all areas relating to food, agriculture and sustainable natural resources management, including the “State...