From 4 to 6 June, FAO organized a workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the pressing issue of the control of high-impact transboundary animal diseases (TADs) in Southern Africa. Invitees and participants came from affected countries in Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), as well as from international organizations, such as the African Union (AU) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and some BRICS countries, such as Brazil and China. TADs pose a serious threat to intra-regional and inter-regional trade, as well as to food and nutrition security within communities. Southern Africa, like other regions of the...

A pig disease originating from Africa hit the news in 2007 when it made its appearance in Europe after being detected in Georgia. Since then, African swine fever has progressively spread throughout Eastern Europe, entering the European Union in 2014. Despite large efforts and investments, in the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment, no territory has been able to control it effectively and prevent its spread. Recently, the disease has been spotted at the doorsteps of the Balkan region in Bulgaria, Hungary...

As producers of the majority of the world’s food, family farmers not only contribute to food security and nutrition, but also fulfil economic, environmental, social and cultural functions in the areas in which they live. Despite this, family farmers are paradoxically among the world’s most vulnerable and food-insecure populations. The UN Decade of Family Farming, led by FAO and IFAD, is an opportunity to work together to create an enabling environment for family farmers. During the global launch of the Decade, a wide range of stakeholders came together for a three-day period to work on concrete actions to support...

ROME - The 2019 annual International Seminar on Global Poverty Reduction Partnerships that was held on May 15, at the margins of the Expo for International Cooperation (EXCO 2019), highlighted the role of technological innovations and global partnerships in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including accelerating poverty reduction and eradicating hunger. The seminar was organized by three Rome-based UN agencies (RBAs)...

Rome Building on years of successful partnership, FAO and Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) have agreed to continue in partnership for another five years, focusing on improving food security, livelihoods, and resilience in an effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With 11 universities and seven state agencies, Texas A&M is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. It is renowned for its expertise and research in several areas that complement FAO’s mandate, including agriculture, natural resources and plant and animal health. In 2014, FAO and Texas A&M established a formal partnership to work together on...