2015 was declared by the UN General Assembly as the “International Year of Soils” with FAO nominated as the technical secretariat. The year is increasing the awareness and understanding of the key role soil plays for food security and ecosystem functions. With 90% of our food coming from soils, yet 30% of them being degraded, the issue of how to develop sustainable food systems is now more important than ever. The resiliency of indigenous peoples’ systems and their capacity to produce food while preserving the environment are getting more and more attention. Indigenous food systems could provide a strong...

El Director General de la FAO, José Graziano da Silva, destacó el rol fundamental de los pueblos indígenas en la lucha por la seguridad alimentaria y el desarrollo sostenible durante  una reunión de alto nivel sobre Sistemas alimentarios  indígenas, agroecología y directrices voluntarias de tenencia de la tierra, la pesca y los bosques celebrada en la sede de la Organización en Roma.    “Los pueblos indígenas son grandes portadores...

“With their wealth of ancestral knowledge”, indigenous and tribal peoples make for “key partners in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity”, remarked FAO’s Sharon Brennen-Haylock, as the General Assembly’s Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Affairs (“3rd”) Committee opened discussions in New York on the rights of indigenous peoples. The pursuit of traditional hunting and pastoral lifestyles, noted FAO’s...

Currently there are more than 370 million self-identified indigenous peoples in some 70 countries around the world. They have made relevant contributions to the world´s heritage thanks to their traditional understanding of ecosystem management. However, indigenous peoples are among the world´s most vulnerable, marginalized and disadvantaged groups in the world. Indigenous peoples have repeatedly asked for a more systematic dialogue with United Nations agencies. In 2010, FAO released the...

FAO is defining a new basis for cooperation and dialogue with the world's indigenous populations following the adoption of a new policy designed to ensure that they are considered in all relevant aspects of the agency's work. Indigenous and tribal peoples comprise around five per cent of the world's population but make up about 15 per cent of the extremely poor.