The status of women in agrifood systems
Women play a vital role in our agrifood systems, but their working conditions and economic opportunities are impacted by gender inequalities. Join in on the conversation and help grow equality in agrifood systems.
See the interactive storyCelebrating the work of school foodservice staff
Making sure that school meals follow nutrition guidance and are enjoyed by all students is not always an easy task, but a very important one. After all, not only are healthy diets crucial for children's development and wellbeing, but the enjoyment of food is part of the right to food too.
See the interactive storyFAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Biodiversity is essential to sustainable food and agriculture. The species, genetic resources and ecosystems in and around our food production systems have important roles to play. From bees and earthworms to coral reefs and rainforests, biodiversity helps to keep our agrifood systems healthy, productive and resilient.
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Our interactive map lets you see and compare the levels of hunger globally and by country.
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Policy approaches for sustainable development
Trade plays a vital role in our everyday lives. It connects food systems and people and provides consumers with sufficient, diverse and nutritious food. It also generates income and employment for farmers, workers and traders around the world. How can trade policies in food and agriculture address today's challenges and how can they contribute to long-term sustainable development for all?
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Food security and nutrition around the world
See the latest updates on the global situation. It’s time to put an end to the tale of empty plates.
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A vision for transforming aquatic food systems
Aquatic systems have great potential to support millions of lives and livelihoods and contribute to food security. If positively transformed and expanded, they can meet the twin challenge of feeding a growing population while preserving natural resources and the ecosystems that sustain them.Discover what sustainable aquatic food systems look like.
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See the world’s forests in a new light
Take our bee quiz and learn more about these tiny food heroes.
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See the world’s forests in a new light
Take a look at our forests from two different vantage points. Along the way, you’ll get some fascinating insights into the valuable role they play in our lives.
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See how FAO supports this initiative to combat climate change, desertification and address food insecurity.
Discover how isolated rural communities can navigate a safe path through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Desert Locust
What are desert locusts and what makes them such a threat exactly? Let’s get up close and personal with this potentially devastating pest.
Is our food supply at risk?
We are at an important crossroads. The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate variability and extremes, conflict, and the persistence of hunger and malnutrition have shown us that now is the time for us to build more resilient agrifood systems.
Healthy and sustainable food pathways for schoolchildren
For school children and adolescents, healthy diets are essential to grow, develop and be protected from disease. Here is how we can all play our part to ensure healthy school nutrition.
A report on the indicators under FAO custodianship
2020 was an extraordinary year in recent history. The devastating COVID-19 virus wreaked havoc across the world, on health and the economy alike, severely affecting every aspect of human life. The pandemic has already shaken the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to its very core and, as it continues, the full effect on the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is still to be determined.
The world is at a critical juncture
The world is in a very different place to where it was six years ago when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. At the time, we were optimistic that with transformative approaches, past progress could be accelerated, at scale, to put us on track to achieve that goal. Yet, the past four editions of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World revealed a humbling reality. So, where do we stand now? And what can be done to help us build forward better?
Enter a hidden world
Most of the Earth's biodiversity lies beneath our feet! Discover life belowground: from genes and species to the communities they form. Learn what is threatening soil biodiversity and what are the steps we need to take to protect it.
Damage and loss: Agriculture on the proving ground
Disasters take lives, but they also devastate rural livelihoods, destroy food, and drive up hunger. More than any other productive sector, it is agriculture and the billions of farmers who keep the rest of us fed that bear the brunt of such shocks. This interactive story gives you a close-up look at which disasters affect agriculture the most and what impacts they have on the sector.
The State of Agriculture Commodity Markets 2020 report underlines that we need to rely on markets as an integral part of the global food system. This is all the more important in the face of major disruptions, whether they come from health crises, locust outbreaks or climate change impacts. Well-functioning markets are key for development and economic growth. International trade can be a powerful instrument, and markets can be harnessed to foster sustainable economic, social and environmental outcomes.
Overcoming water challenges in agriculture
Our very existence depends on water. We need it to drink and to grow food. Water-related ecosystems also sustain livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. But freshwater is becoming increasingly scarce. Our interactive story takes a look at water challenges in agriculture and presents appropriate solutions.
Strengthening the science-policy nexus
The development of a new vision for more sustainable and socially just fisheries is crucial to meet the goal of a world without hunger and malnutrition in the twenty-first century. This report lays out that vision while sharing recommendations that are key to improving the sustainability of capture fisheries and sustain progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The report is based on the proceedings of the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability: strengthening the science-policy nexus.
In September 2019, the High Level Political Forum noted that the world was “off track” to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. So where are we now? This report details the progress we have made over the past year towards achieving the goals under FAO custodianship, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production).
The Resources, Partnerships – Impact 2020 shows how FAO worked in collaboration with multiple stakeholders in 2019, maximising partnerships for greater results on the ground. Through a closer look at the challenges and strategies that guided our activities at the regional and global levels over the past year, the report highlights FAO’s efforts to create and elevate success stories for the most vulnerable populations around the world.
Our interactive map lets you see and compare the levels of hunger globally and by country over time. The map has been created using the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) and Number of Undernourished (NoU) indicators.
Our interactive map lets you see and compare the levels of hunger globally and by country over time. The map looks at moderate and severe food insecurity based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) measurements.
Sustainability in action
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture provides a comprehensive global overview of the sector, from fisheries and aquaculture products and their use around the world, to the livelihoods the sector supports and the consequences for the environment. With a special focus on sustainability, SOFIA's 2020 edition is a source of objective, reliable and up-to-date information for policymakers, managers, scientists, stakeholders - and indeed everyone interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Forest, Biodiversity and People
Forests are home to most of the earth's terrestrial biodiversity, yet deforestation and forest degradation continue at alarming rates. This report gives a comprehensive overview of the state of the world's forests today, including the livelihoods they offer to rural communities and the species contributing to our forests' incredible biodiversity. This interactive story also explores the future of forests and the ways in which we can ensure their sustainability, protecting them for future generations.
A fresh perspective
Did you know that forests cover nearly 1/3 of land globally? The Forest Resources Assessment 2020 examines the status of, and trends in, these forest resources across 236 countries and territories from 1990–2020. The information provided is a broad overview of the world’s forests and the ways in which the resource is changing. Such a clear global picture supports the development of sound policies, practices and investments affecting forests and forestry.
Trees, forests and land use in drylands: the first global assessment
Drylands cover 41 percent of the Earth’s land surface. This report - the first of its kind - demonstrates that drylands are productive landscapes with considerable economic potential and environmental value. Trees and forests in drylands also provide habitats for biodiversity, and help increase the resilience of landscapes and communities in the face of global change. The report was carried out through interpretation of satellite images by more than 200 experts..
The second edition of FAO´s annual report on partnerships, results and achievements seeks to communicate, in a transparent and accountable way, who FAO is, what we do, and how we work with our partners and diverse United Nations agencies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To reach the ambitious targets set in the 2030 Agenda and lead global efforts to defeat hunger (SDG 2), continued investments and collective action will be absolutely critical. FAO, together with its partners, is tackling pressing and complex challenges every day - challenges calling for urgent actions that leverage FAO’s unique experience, knowledge and technical expertise.
Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction
This report provides new estimates of the percentage of the world’s food lost from production up to the retail level. The report also finds a vast diversity in existing estimates of losses, even for the same commodities and for the same stages in the supply chain. Clearly identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains – where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses – is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. The report provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability.
In the first digital SDG progress report of its kind, FAO presents key data and trends for 18 of the 21 indicators under its custodianship. The evidence available to date for these targets, however, paints a grim picture. The world is not on track to meeting the overwhelming majority of SDG targets related to sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition. This report is meant to help countries get back on track in their efforts and to highlight the importance of data and reporting in achieving these objectives.
This year’s report presents evidence that the absolute number of people who suffer from hunger continues to slowly increase. The report also highlights that food insecurity is more than just hunger. For the first time, the report provides evidence that many people in the world, even if not hungry, experience moderate food insecurity as they face uncertainties about their ability to obtain food and are forced to compromise on the quality and/or quantity of the food they consume. This phenomenon is observed globally, not only in low- and middle-income countries but also in high-income countries.
Biodiversity is essential to food and agriculture; yet, it is declining worldwide. The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture presents the first global assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture worldwide. Biodiversity for food and agriculture is the diversity of plants, animals and micro-organisms at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, present in and around crop, livestock, forest and aquatic production systems.
Migration, Agriculture and Rural Development
The State of Food and Agriculture 2018 looks at how internal and international migratory flows link to economic development, demographic change, and natural-resource pressure. The report provides a thorough analysis of the factors in rural areas which contribute to migration decisions and recommends tailored policy and investment responses to make migration work for all.
Building climate resilience for food security and nutrition
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 presents progress towards ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition. New evidence in SOFI 2018 confirms a rise in world hunger: the number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to levels from almost a decade ago. The report says that climate variability and extremes are key drivers behind this rise, together with conflict and economic downturns, and are threatening to erode and reverse gains made in ending hunger and malnutrition.
Meeting the sustainable development goals
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 presents FAO’s official world fishery and aquaculture statistics. The 2018 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture emphasizes the sector’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of progress towards these goals. It notes the particular contributions of inland and small-scale fisheries, and highlights the importance of rights-based governance for equitable and inclusive development.
Forest Pathways to Sustainable Development
The State of the World’s Forests 2018 identifies actions that can be taken to increase the contributions of forests and trees that are necessary to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It is now critical that steps be taken to work more effectively with the private sector, and the informal forest sector must be transformed in order to bring broader economic, social and environmental benefits. For the first time, The State of the World’s Forests 2018 provides an assessment of the contribution of forests and trees to our landscapes and livelihoods.
This report captures selected results achieved by FAO worldwide in 2017. It reflects key impacts obtained thanks to a collaboration with a wide range of partners including Member Nations, other resource partners, civil society, the private sector, academia, research centers and cooperatives.
Leveraging food systems for inclusive rural transformation
This report presents strategies that can leverage the potential of food systems to become the engine of inclusive economic development and rural prosperity in low-income countries. It analyses the structural and rural transformations now under way, and examines the opportunities and challenges they present to millions of small-scale food producers. It shows how an “agroterritorial” planning approach, focused on connecting cities and towns and their surrounding rural areas, combined with agro-industrial and infrastructure development can generate income opportunities throughout the food sector and underpin sustainable and inclusive rural transformation.
Building resilience for peace and food security
This year’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World warns that the long-term declining trend in undernourishment seems to have come to a halt and may have reversed, largely on account of the above-mentioned factors. Meanwhile, though progress continues to be made in reducing child malnutrition, rising overweight and obesity are a concern in most parts of the world.