The situation in the Middle East is catastrophic, FAO-Director General QU Dongyu said today in his address to the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting taking place in Pescara from 22-24 October. “If we want to save lives and prevent famine, we urgently need a humanitarian ceasefire and unlimited, safe access to people who are in need and in danger,” he stressed.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will co-lead the implementation of 21 new projects as part of the second round of funding from The Pandemic Fund. Aimed at enhancing global and local health security, these projects totalling $109 million, will benefit 32  countries across the world.

In Wayunaikki, the language of the Wayuu Indigenous Peoples, there is no word for “climate change’’. Yet, as the climate crisis undeniably batters their communities, they may just have found a key to resilience: a humble bean. The Wayuu have, for centuries, navigated the challenges of one the world’s most inhospitable climates. La Guajira, their ancestral homeland, stretches across the northernmost tip of mainland South America, bordering Colombia and Venezuela. This vast desert landscape, covering 20 848 square kilometres, is comparable in size to El Salvador and Slovenia.

QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), called today for an increased focus on Africa amid rising hunger there. Addressing the Meeting of Development Ministers from G7 countries, Qu underlined FAO’s commitment to a key initiative put forward under Italy’s G7 presidency to boost food security on the continent and beyond.

In this interview with the Codex Secretariat, the new Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL), Dr Parthi Muthukumarasamy, talks about his background, his experience with Codex and the agenda of the 48th session of CCFL which gets underway in Quebec City, Canada on 27 October 2024.

FAO’s decisive participation in major international governmental fora is increasingly producing agreements and alignments between the Organization’s priorities and those of the world’s major countries to accelerate the progress towards the achievement of SDG2.

For FAO, COP16 serves as a platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and decision-making on the role of food and agriculture in reversing biodiversity loss, building resilience to climate change and improving food security and nutrition for all. FAO works with countries to build policy coherence, develop technical solutions, and engage stakeholders, while supporting key negotiations that position agrifood systems at the heart of strategies and solutions.

In 2016, Colombia reached a peace agreement with its largest guerrilla group. As part of the deal, the Government committed to enhancing rural development and partnered with FAO to help implement this goal. Farmers tell FAO their stories of hardship, allowing them to heal from the past and embrace a future filled with a newly found hope.

The fourth annual World Food Forum (WFF) 2024 concluded today in Rome, marking the end of an impactful week at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) dedicated to transforming global agrifood systems.

FAO welcomed today the adoption of the Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture aimed at addressing water scarcity increasingly exacerbated by the climate crisis – one of the world’s greatest challenges affecting global food security, natural resources and the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, particularly in vulnerable regions.

One year into the conflict, the risk of famine remains high across the whole Gaza Strip with more people likely to fall into severe hunger as conflict intensifies and winter approaches, according to a new report published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global initiative.

In October, across Canada, the skies will light up blue for World Food Day 2024! Wherever you are, you can see Canada's magnificent monuments in a whole new way, spreading awareness of the "Right to Foods".

The third edition of the FAO Science and Innovation Forum (SIF 2024) opened today under the theme Inclusive Science and Innovation for Agrifood Systems Transformation, Leaving No One Behind. SIF 2024 is taking place until 18 October 2024 under the umbrella of the World Food Forum (WFF), together with the Global Youth Forum and the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. 

Over its six decades, the Investment Centre has helped design more than 2,400 partner-financed projects in 157 countries, totaling over $257 billion in public investment when adjusted for inflation. This trend is poised to continue today, with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Investment Bank and New Development Bank among the Centre’s newest partners.

The global ceremony marking World Food Day 2024 took place in Rome, with participants underlining the need for universal access to enough diverse, nutritious, affordable, and safe foods. The event came amid growing global tensions and conflicts and climate shocks, which are among factors contributing to the challenge of hundreds of millions of people worldwide facing hunger and billions being unable to afford a healthy diet.  

In Ghana, a project recently implemented by FAO, in collaboration with Chef Fatmata Binta has given women farmers the knowledge that they can rely on an ancient indigenous West African cereal year-round. The project aims to support women fonio producers to enhance their cultivation skills and boost productivity and income.

World Food Day is live! Stay tuned throughout the day as we take you to Rome for the main event at 10am local time at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with messages from the UN Secretary-General, Pope Francis and more events from around the world.

The World Food Forum’s (WFF) Global Youth Forum opened today at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), marking a week of activities dedicated to youth-led solutions and actions for transforming agrifood systems under the theme “Good food for all, for today and tomorrow”.

The fourth edition of the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event, the largest annual gathering of agrifood systems stakeholders globally, opened today with a high-level ceremony at FAO headquarters in Rome. Running from October 14 to 18, the event brings together global experts, young changemakers, investors, and visionary leaders to create new pathways for a sustainable, inclusive, and food-secure future.

Spanning six countries, EWAT promotes women’s participation in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The programme’s objective is to increase women’s competitiveness in trade through strengthened knowledge, skills and access to finance, capitalizing on the new prospects for regional trade created by the AfCFTA agreement.