Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and plant pests continue to pose major threats to agrifood systems, livelihoods and trade worldwide. Their capacity to spread rapidly across borders means that countries must be prepared not only to respond to outbreaks, but also to coordinate prevention, preparedness and control efforts at regional and global levels. Managing these threats requires strong technical capacity, rapid information exchange and a workforce equipped to implement complex response measures.  

Acute food insecurity and malnutrition levels remain alarmingly high and deeply entrenched, with crises increasingly concentrated in a core group of countries, according to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026, released today by an international alliance.  In its tenth edition, the GRFC shows that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with two famines declared last year for the first time in the report’s history.

The benchmark of world food commodity prices rose in April for a third consecutive month amid elevated energy costs and disruptions caused by the conflict in the Near East, according to the latest release by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

FAO has received USD 10 million in funding from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Humanitarian Fund to provide emergency assistance to the most vulnerable households in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika. Against a backdrop of persistent food crisis, this intervention saves lives by enabling households to meet their immediate food needs and preventing a rapid deterioration of hunger in the most affected areas.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF), will implement a USD 5 million project to deliver critical, lifesaving agricultural assistance to 17 300 vulnerable farming and herding households – equivalent to 103 800 people – in Northeast Syria.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh received USD 584369 from Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund to deliver urgent, life-saving slope stabilization and community preparedness interventions, to help vulnerable Rohingya households mitigate the life-threatening risks of landslides and safeguard shelters ahead of the imminent monsoon season.

In Washington, D.C. the 9th Informal North America Regional Conference (INARC) will be held under the theme “Putting Farmers First: Focusing on the Fundamentals—Innovation, Trade, and Productivity”. This high level dialogue will focus on advancing trade, innovation and productivity and translating efforts into practical outcomes for producers, consumers and communities. 

Extreme heat events currently threaten the livelihoods and health of over a billion people, causing half a trillion work hours to be lost annually, with the prospect for damage to livestock herds and crop yields set to soar higher in the future. Agricultural workers and agrifood systems are on the frontlines, absorbing the greatest impacts from extreme heat.

According to the latest update  from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), released by the National Food Security Coordination (CNSA), 5.83 million people — or 52 percent of Haiti’s population — are currently experiencing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). This marks an increase of 130,000 people compared to the previous analysis (September 2025), confirming a continued deterioration of the situation. 

Here are five things you should know about the impact of the ongoing conflict on food security and agricultural livelihoods in Sudan.

Ships carrying critical agricultural inputs must start moving through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible to ward off the risks of a dangerous spike in food price inflation later this year that could trigger a cascade of effects similar to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most devastating diseases affecting pigs, capable of wiping out entire herds and threatening livelihoods across the livestock sector.  When the Dominican Republic confirmed the presence of ASF in 2021 — the first detection in the Western Hemisphere in over 40 years — the risk extended far beyond the country’s borders, raising concern across the Americas.

The 28th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) has concluded in Minneapolis Minnesota in the United States of America. On the agenda for the session were maximum residue limits (MRLs) of veterinary drugs that had been evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), extrapolated MRLs derived by CCRVDF, including criteria and exposure model to extrapolated MRLs for edible offal tissues other than liver and kidney, a guidance document for competent authorities to facilitate the application of action levels when there is no Codex MRLs including actions levels, and information on the status of the joint work carried out by CCRVDF and the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) on compound with dual uses as pesticides and veterinary drugs.

During the Twentieth Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-20), in March,, implementation and capacity development were, once again, highlighted as major foundational pillars of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), enabling contracting parties to apply International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) effectively.

World food commodity prices rose in March for the second month in a row, due largely to higher energy prices linked to the conflict escalation in the Near East, according to the latest benchmark measure released Friday by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Máximo Torero, warned that the ongoing disruption to the Strait of Hormuz trade corridor is triggering one of the most severe shocks to global commodity flows in recent years, with significant implications for food security, agricultural production, and global markets.

Thorwald Geuze, co-Chair of the Focus Group on Sea Containers, outlined the framework of regulatory and non-regulatory measures designed to reduce pest contamination in sea containers. The proposals, with short-, medium- and long-term measures, were selected for their feasibility, cost-effectiveness, capacity for global implementation, effectiveness in minimizing the pest risk and low impact on container logistics and supply chain. Together, they demonstrate a strategic commitment to highly practical solutions that facilitate trade while minimizing pest risks.

On 13 March, Haiti officially launched the project “Food Security and Agriculture: Accelerated Adaptation” (SAGA 2), implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in technical and financial partnership with the Government of Québec for the period 2024–2027.

The 28th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) has opened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America. CCRVDF Chairperson, Brandi Robinson, welcomed delegates.