News

16 Dec 2020
FAO hosted the virtual Resource Partner Strategic Dialogue of the Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM) on 27 November 2020. All eight contributing FMM Resource Partners were represented at the meeting, including: Belgium, Flanders, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
16 Dec 2020
Globally there are estimated 1.21 billion people aged between 15 and 24, a number that will increase to 1.29 billion by 2030. In Africa only, more than 10 million young people are expected to enter the labour market every year for the next decade. This growing youth population, especially in developing countries, represents a great opportunity for harnessing a demographic dividend, but also economic and social challenges, which could lead to political instability or conflict. With the COVID-19 crisis exacerbating existing vulnerabilities of rural young women and men and inequalities, it is crucial to design inclusive...
15 Dec 2020
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed the recent decision by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council to approve 13 FAO-led projects in 16 countries, totaling some $78.5 million dollars. The decision came during the 59th GEF Council Meeting and will build upon its June 2020 decision to approve $176 million for FAO-led projects.
11 Dec 2020
A city-to city cooperation project for the exchange of knowledge and experiences on food waste reduction at urban level. Food management all along the value chain, from cultivation to food waste disposal, is central to safeguarding food security and responding to environmental concerns.  In 2019, FAO launched its Framework for the Urban Food Agenda which called for a multisector and multi-stakeholder approach for leveraging sub-national and local government action to ensure sustainable food systems and improved nutrition. In line with this framework, the project “Exchange of knowledge and experiences between Milan Municipality (Italy), Nairobi City County (Kenya) and Kigali (Rwanda) for the design...
08 Dec 2020
FAO, together with its sister-agencies the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) discussed a transition towards sustainable agri-food systems and support to African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the ACP Working Party of the Council of the European Union upon invitation of the German Council presidency.
08 Dec 2020
Parliamentarians meet to identify policy solutions
Rome - Family farming has the potential to lead the world in a transformation towards more sustainable, healthy and nutritious food and agricultural systems. In a world where hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, family farming can be part of the solution. However, this will require sound policies, investments and institutional frameworks that adequately support family farmers.   Building an enabling environment for family farmers means that there are adequate resources in place, and that governance and institutional arrangements are effective and inclusive. Parliamentarians, with their legislative, budgetary and oversight responsibilities, are uniquely positioned to contribute to the...
07 Dec 2020
ncreasing investment in agriculture and, more importantly, improving the quality of investment so that it benefits those most in need, is one of the most effective strategies for reducing hunger and poverty, and it is crucial to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol, FAO Director for Partnerships and UN Collaboration Marcella Villarreal, and FAO Director in Brussels Rodrigo de Lapuerta, were joined by Members of the European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition, European Commission representatives, the German Council presidency and partners to discuss how investment can contribute to sustainable and inclusive development.
03 Dec 2020
A high-level symposium tackles bottlenecks faced by farmers seeking access to financial systems
Recently, FAO, the Chinese Academy of Financial Inclusion (CAFI) and the Improving Capacity Building in Rural Finance (CABFIN) jointly held the virtual symposium Development of Inclusive Rural Digital Finance Services: China’s Experience and International Organization’s Practices. More than 30 speakers from China, Uganda, Kenya and international organizations participated, focusing on three themes: policy support environment; financial regulatory measures; and innovative case studies. Digital financial services (DFS) have become a key driving factor for developing countries and emerging market to enhance financial inclusion. In rural areas, DFS reaches youth, women, and marginalised groups more widely and effectively, helping farmers to...
02 Dec 2020
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, participated today for the first time at a session of the Development Committee of the European Parliament. The Director-General thanked the Development Committee for the invitation and for their commitment to fight hunger and poverty.
02 Dec 2020
FAO and the Government of Israel have signed a new Agreement to support the newly launched Food Coalition, which aims to mobilize financial resources, innovation and technical expertise, promote advocacy initiatives and establish a neutral space for dialogue among diverse and key stakeholders in support of countries most in need. Since the historic formation of the Food Coalition, Israel has been actively participating and committed voluntary financial contributions. The Food Coalition supports innovative COVID-19 and post crisis initiatives, identified in the context of various synergistic lines of action (provided through action sheets). Not...