News archive 2018

Transforming food and agriculture to achieve the SDGs offers a practical guide for countries on how to strengthen food security, generate decent employment, spur rural development and economic growth, conserve natural resources and respond to climate change – all part of the Sustainable Development Agenda.

Global food supply conditions remain broadly ample, but conflicts continue to acutely aggravate and prolong severe food insecurity. Adverse local weather conditions have also raised the number of countries requiring external assistance for food to 39, according to FAO's Crop Prospects and Food Situation report.

Global agricultural food commodity prices rose in May, with dairy prices jumping significantly. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 176.2 points during the month, up 1.2 percent from April.

Exchanges between developing countries of experiences and knowledge gained through their national hunger and poverty reduction efforts are proving to be a game changer for sustainable development.

The three United Nations agencies tasked with ending hunger and boosting rural development have committed to strengthening their collaboration to help countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with a special focus on achieving Goal 2 Zero Hunger.

"Peace is not only the absence of conflict ... it has to do with everything: with nutrition, with education, and with health, in a holistic way. It is from there that we have to build a new society. We must reflect on how to create a fairer and more humane society for all," Pérez Esquivel said.

A growing number of countries are signing up to a global agreement that helps block illegal fishing, as the international community today marks the first International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Discussions focused on how to best share knowledge and promote partnerships that establish efficient mechanisms in support of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, SDG1, No Poverty and SDG2, Zero Hunger.

"Countries should bear in mind that sustained peace and the end of conflicts are fundamental to bring the numbers of hunger down again. It is indeed very frustrating to see that FAO's regular budget has been flat for the last seven years, while global military expenditure continues to increase."

“Inclusiveness is key to promote sustainable development in the African continent,” FAO's Director-General said at the Third International foodFirst Conference, which this year focuses on how to team up with African “agripreneurs”. He also signed an MoU with Rabobank.