Indigenous and non-indigenous researchers, experts and officials from across the globe gathered today at the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, whose opening ceremony was held in a Nomadic tent of the Saami People from the Artic, transforming a space in the heart of Rome into an Indigenous Peoples’ territory.

Aspiring and established plant scientists from around Africa gathered in Kenya’s capital for a workshop co-sponsored by FAO to review what has been achieved so far by the African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC). The AOCC has empowered more than 172 scientists, nearly 40 percent of whom have been women, and 28 African countries in the use of genomics-assisted approaches to crop improvement.

Experts from the FAO Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division accompanied officials from the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on a tour of the n!Biomachines facility, a Canadian subsidiary of German company The Cultivated B, located in Burlington, Canada. 

The FAO Farmer Field School (FFS) introduced Jacqueline to several innovations that helped revolutionize her farming. The biggest of these changes was turning FFS groups into cooperatives, with a focus on connecting farmers to markets. Now part of a cooperative, she wasn’t just learning better techniques—she was becoming part of a larger network that would help her access markets, sell her products and boost her income.

On 10 October 2024, stakeholders from various parts of the world gathered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for a global meeting on cell-based food and precision fermentation. The meeting welcomed approximately 60 participants, including representatives from various departments and agencies of the Government of Canada, to discuss various technical issues around foods derived from cell culturing and precision fermentation.

Within the global context of an increasing number of crises due to unabating conflicts, extreme weather events and economic shocks, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Rein Paulsen was in Washington, D.C. for the Inter-agency Standing Committee (IASC) Deputies meeting, where he also met with high-level officials from USAID and U.S. Department of State.  

FAO successfully concluded the Training of Trainers on Nutrition and Fuel-Saving Techniques for women in the conflict-affected BAY states of Nigeria —Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. As a key component of the project "Emergency Agriculture-Based Livelihoods Sustenance for Improved Food Security and Nutrition in Northeast Nigeria," funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the programme aims to tackle the pressing issues of food insecurity, impacts of climate change, rising fuel costs, and limited access to essential resources in these conflict-affected regions.

The benchmark for world food commodity prices saw its fastest increase in 18 months in September, with quotations up for all covered commodity groups, led by sugar, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported Friday.

FAO announces its strong support for the Pandemic Fund’s recent decision to fast-track USD 128.89 million in funding to combat infectious disease threats, including mpox, across 10 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. This critical financing will strengthen pandemic preparedness and response efforts, specifically targeting vulnerable communities affected and at high risk of infection by mpox and other emerging zoonotic diseases.

The latest assessment using satellite data produced by FAO and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) shows escalating damage to farmland and agricultural infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, further exacerbating the humanitarian and hunger crisis resulting from the ongoing conflict.

The international market for cocoa is growing rapidly due to the rising demand for premium chocolate products. FAO training in best practices for cocoa production and processing is helping cocoa farmers on the island of Saint Lucia position themselves to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Through USAID's "Strengthening Rural Livelihoods and Food Security Programme" in Afghanistan, implemented by FAO, 1 500 women-headed households received beekeeping packages across eight provinces in 2024 and another 1 500 women-headed household will receive the same package in 2025. Amina, one of the recipients, was provided with essential equipment, including four improved beehives, protective gear, and training. Previously, she worked as an agricultural laborer, supporting her family on 1.5 jeribs (0.3 hectares) of land, with one cow and five goats. Read Amina's story.

The 29th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) opened today at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), seeking to address the urgent need to transform agrifood systems amid persistently high global hunger figures and mounting challenges.

In Egypt, with the support of USAID Global Health, FAO provided training to improve stakeholder coordination to address zoonotic diseases and AMR threats through the establishment of technical working groups. In doing so, FAO built the capacities of people in the veterinary and livestock industries to detect, diagnose and respond to animal diseases, enhancing national animal health response capacities through the development of national One Health and rabies strategies.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) underlined the need for more investment in a Blue Transformation enabling aquatic foods to play a greater role in ending global hunger and poverty. The call came as FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero presented the findings of a key FAO report on fisheries and aquaculture to agriculture ministers from the G7 countries.

The annual International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Regional workshops held from 5 August to 8 September, concluded with plant health communities in seven regions—Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, the Near East and North Africa (NENA), Latin America, and the Southwest Pacific, emphasizing their commitment to regional and international cooperation in protecting plants from pests.

The transportation process, a critical point in fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains, contributes significantly to the 13 percent of the world’s food losses that occur between harvesting and retail. To address this challenge, we need to approach the whole system of transportation and come up with tailored solutions.

During a G7 panel session with agriculture ministers in Syracuse, Italy, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reaffirmed FAO's commitment to supporting Africa beyond 2025.

Global leaders have approved a political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), committing to a clear set of targets and actions, including reducing the estimated 4.95 million human deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) annually by 10 percent by 2030.

Correcting the gender gap in agrifood systems would dramatically reduce the worldwide hunger rate, raise the incomes of hundreds of millions of people and add $1 trillion to global gross domestic product, offering one of the most effective pathways towards the common objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).