In recent years, there has been growing global attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — when microorganisms evolve and become harder to treat with antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals — in animals and humans. But antimicrobials are also vital in crop production to manage bacterial and fungal diseases in...

FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa hosts East African Community (EAC) - led workshop under the EU-funded ACP-MEAs 3 Project to phase out Highly Hazardous Pesticides and advance safer, more sustainable pest management options.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), is advancing efforts to reduce pesticide risks and promote biodiversity-friendly agriculture across the region. Agriculture sustains over 70% of the population in SADC’s 16 Member States and contributes significantly to GDP...

Cape Town dialogue shows why biodiversity and pesticide safety must advance together From 19 to 23 May 2025, two landmark events in Cape Town, South Africa, brought fresh momentum to a shared vision: aligning biodiversity conservation with sustainable agricultural transformation. The events were organized in parallel by the Food and Agriculture...

From 25 to 27 February 2025, FAO hosted the resumed sessions of the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16). Delegates from more than 150 countries met in Rome to finalize negotiations on key issues related to the implementation of the...

From July 15 to 27, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the Kastom Gaden Association, hosted a transformative two-week training.  Part of the ACP MEAs Phase 3 project and founded by the European Union, the initiative aimed to enhance agricultural capacity and promote sustainable farming practices across...

On October 23rd, at the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, the FAO ACP-MEAs 3 programme held a side event to unveil the regional biodiversity strategies of the African Union (AU), East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development...

Apia, Samoa - From September 9 to 14, 2024, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa, hosted the Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The event brought together country delegations from 13...

Rome, Italy – Biological control agents (BCAs) and biostimulants represent a sound, effective and nature-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides, however they are often disregarded by scientists, government decision-makers and the general public. In this regard, FAO organized an “Open-Ended Workshop on Biological Control Agents and Biostimulants” from September 23–24, 2024....

A total of 360 small-scale farmers in six districts in Tanzania received free modern farming equipment provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the ACP-MEAs 3 project, funded by the European Union (EU).The double barrel jab planters, delivered along with training on their best...