WaPOR Featured at OECD Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Productivity
28/10/2024
FAO’s open-access portal for monitoring water productivity through remote sensing, WaPOR, was featured at the OECD Conference titled “Sustainable Agricultural Productivity to Address Food Systems Challenges: Measurement, Data, Drivers, and Policies” on 28 October 2024 at the OECD Headquarters in Paris.
FAO launches first major global assessment of salt-affected soils in 50 years
11/12/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released its first major global assessment of salt-affected soils in 50 years. The report shows that nearly 1.4 billion hectares of land (just over 10 percent of the total global land area) are already impacted by salinity, with an additional one billion hectares at risk due to the climate crisis and human mismanagement.
Weaving new futures
11/12/2024
Founded 20 years ago by Maria Pacheco, Wakami empowers rural Guatemalan women through sustainable business and education. Building on the women’s weaving abilities, Wakami started an initiative to help them generate income through handcrafted goods like bracelets. Their mission is to create cycles of prosperity for Wakami artisans, enabling them to improve their lives, and the lives of their families, while also protecting the environment.
Global forest products facts and figures 2023 shows fall in global trade in wood and paper products
11/12/2024
Global trade in wood and paper products dropped steeply from record levels in 2021 and 2022, with the paper trade continuing to decline under pressure from digital media, according to the latest data released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
High-level talks address food security and resilience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
25/11/2024
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.
International Soil and Water Forum opens in Bangkok to tackle water scarcity and soil degradation
09/12/2024
The first International Soil and Water Forum opened today to map out concrete measures to boost global efforts in managing water scarcity and reversing soil degradation – both critical for global food security and environmental health.
New $282 million program targets climate and environment action through agriculture and food systems
06/12/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) today launched a new program, aimed at strengthening efforts to transform global agrifood systems – from farm to table - so that they are sustainable, nature positive, resilient, inclusive and pollution-free.
For 2025, FAO seeks $1.9 billion to provide life-saving, emergency agriculture assistance to 49 million people
05/12/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is seeking $1.9 billion for 2025 to save the lives and livelihoods of some of the world's most food-insecure populations, as acute hunger tightens its grip across the world’s major food crises. With these funds, nearly 49 million people would be able to produce their own food and make their own way out of acute food insecurity.
World Soil Day 2024 underlines vital importance of accurate soil data and information for food security
05/12/2024
At global celebrations marking Word Soil Day 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today highlighted the crucial need for accurate soil data and information to understand soil characteristics and support informed decision-making on sustainable soil management to ensure food security.
Gaza: FAO calls for urgent access to deliver at-scale emergency agricultural aid to prevent spread of famine
02/12/2024
FAO joined the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and humanitarian partners in calling for unrestricted and safe access to deliver at-scale emergency agricultural aid to prevent the spread of famine and further loss of lives. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol spoke today at the Cairo Ministerial Conference to enhance humanitarian response in Gaza.
Investing in families opens up markets
25/11/2024
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.
In Kenya, with support from USDA, Africa Phytosanitary Programme boosts pest surveillance capacity to protect plant health
05/11/2024
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) received 40 tablets from the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat to boost pest surveillance and protect plant health. The state-of-the-art tablets contain specialized software and mobile applications designed for conducting active surveillance and rapid detection of pests that can severely impact food safety, food security, and international trade.
New FAO report offers guidance and data on integrating nutrition goals into food trade policies
29/11/2024
International trade of food and agricultural products has grown robustly in recent decades and makes very significant contributions to food and nutrient diversity, availability and affordability around the world, a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows.
FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission adopts new standards
25/11/2024
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.
FAO at COP29: Calling for investment in agrifood systems to tackle the climate crisis
25/11/2024
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.
FAO Statistical Yearbook 2024 reveals critical insights on the sustainability of global agriculture, food security, and the importance of agrifood systems in employment
18/11/2024
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.
Improving safety at sea at a time of climate change
20/11/2024
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.
Building laboratory capacity for detecting animal diseases
23/09/2024
As a collaborative initiative of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VETLAB) Network brings together experts to use nuclear-derived and other methods for monitoring, early detection, diagnosis and control of transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases. It is a platform for the sustainable transfer of technologies to strengthen national and regional laboratory capacities and staff proficiency for rapid and early diagnosis and response.
Building resilience: FAO ECTAD’s 20-year journey of protecting global health
21/11/2024
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.
Beekeepers battle against Antimicrobial Resistance, hive by hive
18/11/2024
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.