News archive 2016

FAO and Norway have agreed to continue an already fruitful cooperation in the strategic areas of fisheries, the right to food, climate-smart agriculture, deforestation, gender equity and food loss and waste.

The heads of the three Rome-based UN agencies urged greater preparedness to deal with the possible occurrence later this year of a La Niña climate event, closely related to the El Niño cycle that has had a severe impact on agriculture and food security.

The recent period of high agricultural commodity prices is most likely over, say the OECD and FAO in their latest 10-year Outlook. But the two organisations warn of the need to be vigilant as the probability of a major price swing remains high.

To raise awareness and coordinate responses to both the protracted El Niño-related crises in the Dry Corridor and the possibility of a related La Niña event in the second half of 2016, UN agencies and other partners met today at FAO's Rome headquarters with the aim of mobilizing the international community to support the efforts of governments, UN agencies and other partners.

Up to 4.8 million people in South Sudan - well over one-third of the population - will be facing severe food shortages over the coming months, and the risk of a hunger catastrophe continues to threaten parts of the country.

The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting in Rome from 27 to 30 June 2016 to examine food safety and quality standards.

Graziano da Silva briefed the pontiff on FAO's Blue Hope Initiative which seeks to transform Southern Mediterranean coastal zone communities into engines of stability and growth, in particular by supporting the activities of small-scale fisheries.

Cape Verde joined the Port State Measures Agreement today, as President Jorge Carlos Fonseca personally delivered his country’s ratification papers for the treaty to FAO in a visit to Rome.

Vast swathes of Yemen – 19 out of 22 governorates – are facing severe food insecurity according to a new joint assessment by the UN and partners, which warns that the situation within affected areas is likely to deteriorate if conflict persists.

The Caribbean region faces significant challenges in terms of drought, the FAO report said. The region already experiences drought-like events every year, with low water availability often impacting on agriculture and water resources, and a significant number of bush fires.