The rapid expansion of pig production in Vietnam calls for the urgent need to tackle animal disease risks that could adversely affect pig health, productivity, and the livelihoods of pig farmers. Recognizing this need, from 20 to 22 November 2024, FAO supported Viet Nam's Department of Livestock Production (DLP) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the pig value chain structure and identification of risks along the value chain to inform designing of practical, progressive and sustainable risk mitigation strategies. 

FAO Deputy Director-General, Beth Bechdol, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa (RAF), Abebe Haile-Gabriel, and Director of the FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, have concluded a seven-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), aiming to raise awareness of the severe food security situation on the ground and mobilize support to reverse the alarming trend.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol has met with Her Excellency Judith Suminwa Tuluka, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to discuss the continuing collaboration between FAO and national authorities to address food insecurity and build resilience.

Charged with protecting consumer health and facilitating fair practices in the food trade, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Brief descriptions of some of the standards adopted at the 47th session of the Commission will be published as they are approved.

For a few months now, Esther Munani Kyalo’s routine has changed. A mother of three living in the Miambani ward in Kitui county, Kenya, she has followed a new ritual every Tuesday since the Kavakaky Farmer Field School was launched. Together with around 35 other women from her area, she walks to a nearby house where the group meets and breeds chicks in the small but brand-new poultry house.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought a critical message to the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan: increased investment in agrifood systems is essential to address the climate crisis.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) celebrated World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 by emphasizing the need for a collaborative global health security approach to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The week-long activities highlighted the critical role of the agrifood sector in AMR prevention and control, including the responsible use of antimicrobials, strengthened surveillance, and sustainable farming practices.

FAO has intensified its efforts to combat mpox, an emerging zoonotic disease of global concern. In promoting global health security, FAO collaborates with governments, international organizations, and research institutes to mitigate risks associated with diseases that affect humans, animals, and ecosystems. Mpox exemplifies these interconnected threats, as it spreads at the human-animal-environment interface.

Over two decades, FAO ECTAD has grown into the largest global program for strengthening animal health systems, addressing complex cross-border challenges posed by transboundary animal diseases.  

Fishing plays a crucial role in global food security, yet it remains one of the most dangerous occupations on earth, with an estimated 100,000 fatalities each year. Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division at FAO, Manuel Barange, discusses the dangers that climate change poses to fishers, and how FAO is working to improve safety at sea.

Martha Adjorlolo’s beehives, set amid the rural landscape of Donkorkrom, in Ghana’s eastern region are her livelihood and her passion. Though she only started beekeeping a year ago, she has quickly become committed to sustainable beekeeping practices. She already uses local methods—like the top bar hive, a type of beehive that allows bees to build their comb on horizontal bars made from natural materials, as well as natural repellents such as lemongrass oil and wood ash— to manage pests.

As key partners for FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) initiative, officials from across the United States government met with a delegation of ECTAD leadership on 18–21 November 2024. In meetings organized by FAO’s Liaison Office for North America, which included officials from the U.S. Department of State, Department of the Interior, USDA, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Health Security, as well as USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the Resilience, Environment and Food Security divisions,  and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, FAO and U.S. government representatives explored new avenues for collaboration in addressing animal disease threats to human health, food security and national security. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched its 2024 Statistical Yearbook, offering an in-depth overview of the most significant trends shaping global agrifood systems. This year’s edition highlights critical challenges, including increased temperatures over land, the ongoing global struggle with food insecurity alongside increasing obesity rates, and the environmental pressures faced by agricultural production.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today urged all FAO Members and partners to join the new Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which was officially launched today at the G20 Leader’s Summit in Brazil.

The food security situation in northern Gaza is dire and the latest indications are deeply troubling, said Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience Rein Paulsen in his address to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.

"What do I want the river to carry away? The deforestation," Sandra Donado says, her voice competing with the sudden storm lashing her canoe as it floats down the Guaviare River in Colombia’s Amazon biome region. This waterway, a silent witness to the turmoil of the municipality of Mapiripán, has seen it all – the wildlife trafficking, the coca harvests that fueled conflict, the human bodies that marked its darkest days and the relentless erosion of the rainforest it once nourished. Now, Sandra hopes it will carry away the pain of the past and usher in an era of healing, for her community and for its land.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) formalized its membership as a founding member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, a G20 initiative championed by Brazil to dramatically expedite efforts to achieve the eradication of poverty and hunger by 2030 as well as to reduce inequalities.

The United Nations Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment reveals urgent need for action to mitigate N₂O emissions to prevent catastrophic climate, environmental, and health impacts.

In this special edition of the FAO North America newsletter, we mark the 20th anniversary of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, or ECTAD. Two decades of accomplishments and partnerships with Member Nations and resource partners, particularly USAID Global Health, merits our congratulations to colleagues and partners for the work that has been done to strengthen animal health care where it is needed most.

The benchmark for world food commodity prices surged to its highest level in 18 months in October, led by a sharp increase in vegetable oil quotations, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a set of globally-traded food commodities, averaged 127.4 points in October, up 2.0 percent from September and 5.5 percent from its value a year ago. Nevertheless, the index remained 20.5 percent below its March 2022 peak.