On the 19th of July 2017, the Italian Chamber of Deputies launched the FAO Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security; the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) welcomes this initiative in the presence of Italian Parliamentarians, representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and civil society organizations.  “Ensuring food security is a real challenge but it is within our reach”, said Honourable Stella Bianchi promoter of the Alliance, which already gathers almost 50 Parliamentarians from different political parties. “We want to contribute to the achievement of the Zero Hunger Goal and we...

The creation of Haiti's Parliamentary Front against Hunger is a fundamental step towards implementing measures to ensure the right to adequate food, FAO said today. On Tuesday, July 4th, Haiti’s House of Representatives approved the resolution that officially creates the country’s Parliamentary Front  against hunger, a key legislative space to promote food security laws."The role of the legislature is indispensable because of its ability to formulate laws and allocate public resources for the implementation of agricultural and food security policies, backing strategies and programs throughout the country," said Natanael Hishamunda, FAO’s Representative in Haiti. With this great step forward, Haiti...

6 July 2017, Rome - Parliamentarians have a key role to play along with governments, civil society, private sector, international agencies and donors "to achieve a Zero Hunger generation in our lifetime", said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva today at a meeting with lawmakers on the sidelines of the FAO Conference. "You are the ones who are responsible for enacting laws and for approving budgets, among other roles," he said asking them to increase funding in their national budgets for food security and nutrition. He also noted...

To achieve sustainable development we must transform current agriculture and food systems, including by supporting smallholders and family farmers, reducing pesticide and chemical use, and improving land conservation practices, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today addressing European lawmakers. "Massive agriculture intensification is contributing to increased deforestation, water scarcity, soil depletion and the level of greenhouse gas emission," Graziano da Silva said. He stressed that while high-input and resource intensive farming systems have substantially increased food production, this has come at a high cost to the environment.

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, on the occasion of his visit to Japan, attended the launch of the Parliamentarian Friendship League. The League is chaired by Yoshimizu Hayashi, former Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from 2012 to 2015; he gathered together with over 40 parliamentarians to exchange views with the FAO Director-General. “FAO looks forward to working with the League to promote nutritious food including in neighbouring countries and regions" FAO Director General said, remarking the role of parliamentarians in the fight against malnutrition. Indeed, given their representative, legislative, budgetary and oversight responsibilities, FAO recognizes that Parliamentarians are best placed...