FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

News and Press Releases

FAO begins handover of 780 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Agriculture
Distribution to smallholder paddy farmers in four districts to commence this week
16.11.2022 Colombo
FAO begins handover of 780 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Agriculture
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Sri Lanka has this week handed over 780 tonnes of urea to the Ministry of Agriculture, procured through the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (UN-CERF).  Urea is badly needed by smallholder farmers in some of the hardest to reach and most vulnerable areas to help them recover from the recent economic shock and shortage of adequate fertilizers. Some 15,619 farmers, cultivating paddy on landholdings of one-fifth hectare or less, will each receive 50 kilograms of urea in four of the more...
PACIFIC SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS) SOLUTIONS FORUM
  MEDIA ADVISORY ANDall Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions Fo The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Samoa, through its Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), have invited leaders from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific, as well as heads of technical and resource partner organizations, to attend the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Solutions...
Experts endeavor to ensure a climate of ‘safety first’ as cell-based food production methods evolve globally
While meat-alternative, plant-based, processed foods are now well established in supermarkets in many countries in Asia and the Pacific, cell-based food production, derived directly from cells of animals, though not as widely known, could be for sale to consumers in the near future, experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said today. Also known as cellular agriculture, the process involves culturing cells isolated from animals, followed...
Thailand receives its first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System recognition
Thailand and China among five new GIAHS sites announced as the FAO flagship programme celebrates 20th anniversary
04.11.2022 Bangkok/Rome
Thailand receives its first Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System recognition
Five new sites - a mushroom-growing area in China, a traditional Maya agroforestry system in Mexico, an ancient community linking pastoralists and farmers in Morocco, a diverse mountain agrifood system in Spain and a landscape centred on the buffalo in Thailand - have been formally recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). The sites were designated during a meeting of the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group taking place in Rome this week...
FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) mark 20th anniversary
Flagship programme contributes to sustainable agriculture and rural development.
27.10.2022 Rome
FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) mark 20th anniversary
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) flagship programme of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)   today celebrated its 20th anniversary, highlighting its role in promoting sustainable agriculture and revitalizing the rural communities who are responsible for feeding a significant proportion of the earth’s population. The virtual celebrations were addressed by Ministers from Japan, Peru, United Republic of Tanzania and Tunisia, as well as senior officials and Ambassadors...
New $250 million USAID grant will boost FAO’s efforts to strengthen global health security and agrifood systems
FAO-USAID long-standing partnership continues to increase the capacity of animal health systems to prevent, prepare and respond to health threats and address antimicrobial resistance
26.10.2022 Rome
New $250 million USAID grant will boost FAO’s efforts to strengthen global health security and agrifood systems
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are scaling up efforts to strengthen global animal food security with the aim of protecting human lives and livelihoods while improving agrifood systems and safeguarding the environment.  USAID has reaffirmed once again its strong commitment to a longstanding and impactful partnership with FAO by granting $250 million to fund the FAO Global...
On World Food Day, the Asia-Pacific region faces multiple challenges to reach its most disadvantaged and malnourished – in order to leave no one behind
Global conflicts, a lingering pandemic, inflation, erratic swings in the price of energy, fertilizers and basic foods – these are just some of the major challenges facing countries and people in the Asia-Pacific region as it marked World Food Day on 16 October, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today. The world’s biggest region – home to most of the planet’s hungry – has been backsliding...
FLR Days: gearing up a Forest and Landscape Restoration movement in Asia
With an aim to share knowledge and improve regional coordination and partnerships for scaling up forest and landscape restoration (FLR), delegates from several countries in the region and experts joined the hybrid FLR Days event starting from 10 October, in Bangkok, Thailand.  Government representatives from Bangladesh, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nepal and Timor-Leste have joined the meeting in-person along with the global experts in FLR with a number of participants joining...
Countries in Asia and the Pacific highlight urgent need to transform entire agrifood systems, after three years of pandemic, conflicts and crises of food, feed, fuel, fertilizer and lack of finance
Countries in Asia and the Pacific have highlighted an urgency to move forward with transformation of their agrifood systems, following a three-day symposium convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The need to transform the region’s agrifood system was identified following the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which enormously disrupted the agricultural value chain systems globally as well as in Asia and the Pacific region....
Launch of Regional Knowledge Platform on FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative to support the transformation of agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region have launched an online platform to showcase their priority agricultural products and raise international awareness of their unique qualities to upscale their marketability, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced today. The Regional Knowledge Platform on FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative to support the transformation of agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific was launched during the FAO Asia-Pacific...