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In August 2017, 61 cases of aflatoxin and 17 deaths were reported from five districts in the Dodoma and Manyara regions. The Government took immediate action to investigate the outbreak. Out of the 115 maize samples tested, 52 showed high levels of aflatoxin poisoning that exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) threshold of 5 micrograms per kilogram of cereal and the Tanzania Bureau of Standards’ maximum acceptable limits for maize and groundnut. Maize is the United Republic of Tanzania’s staple food and is also prone to the development of mycotoxins, produced by fungi (e.g. Aspergillus). Aflatoxins can cause acute or [...]

Since 2004, the Right to Food Guidelines have introduced an approach that has influenced the global agenda to eradicate hunger and malnutrition and is relevant to today’s global efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, grounded in human rights and hence recalling the importance of the progressive realization of the right to adequate food. This publication highlights efforts of a number of countries, organizations, groups, at the global, regional and national level, in taking legislative actions, designing policies and strategies, setting up accountable institutions and bodies, to respect, protect and fulfil this human right. [...]

The IGAD member states are situated in a region exposed to recurrent natural shocks, political instability and characterized by internal and cross-border population displacement. Conflict is the root cause of food insecurity in South Sudan where about 6 million people were estimated to be severely food insecure in September 2017. Internal and cross-border displacement prevents households from engaging in typical livelihood activities, inhibits economic growth and disrupts markets and trade routes. Consequently, income-earning opportunities are limited, and the Government’s earnings in United States dollars are very low, which has led to hyperinflation. The European Union funded “Strengthening the Livelihoods Resilience [...]

Gender equality is a key to eliminating poverty and hunger, as it has been demonstrated by the FAO throughout its research worldwide. As part of the FAO efforts on generating evidence and knowledge, and in compliance with the FAO Policy on Gender Equality, the purpose of the Country Gender Assessment for Uzbekistan is to contribute to the production of knowledge for better informed, targeted and gender sensitive actions in agriculture and rural development. It has been produced as it is required in the FAO Policy on Gender Equality. This Gender Assessment has served as a resource for the Country Programming [...]

Today, about 783 million people live in extreme poverty. Extreme poverty is primarily a rural phenomenon, with 80 percent of the extreme poor living in rural areas, across greatly diverse rural landscapes. Despite great progress in poverty reduction, the standard of living of the poorest of the poor has remained almost unchanged in the past 35 years, signaling that a huge gap in policy making and programmatic approaches are leaving them behind.  FAO has established a Corporate Framework on Rural Extreme Poverty to orient and bring to bear the relevant work of the Organization towards reaching Target 1.1 of the SDGs. [...]

With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, FAO’s mandate has been reinforced and scaled up to a depth and scope that calls for a greater commitment in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Much still needs to be done in order to mobilize sufficient resources and support to meet the global necessities related to the eradication of hunger, malnutrition and poverty globally. Deepening our engagement with key resource partners and fostering new alliances with like-minded players is essential for generating real and far-reaching impact on the ground. This report provides a comprehensive overview of France's partnership [...]

This bulletin is prepared by the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Team of the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) in the Trade and Markets Division of FAO. It contains latest information and analysis on domestic prices of basic foods mainly in developing countries, complementing FAO analysis on international markets. It provides early warning on high food prices at country level  that may negatively affect food security. The July 2019 edition is also available in: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. 

Despite its enormous potential, West Africa continues to suffer from high levels of food insecurity, with an estimated 11 percent of its population suffering from undernourishment or chronic hunger. With stunting, wasting, underweight and micronutrient deficiencies (such as vitamin A, iron and iodine deficiencies) affecting the most vulnerable groups, in particular children aged under five and women in reproductive age, a number of initiatives were adopted and projects implemented in the region. However, there has been insufficient coordination of these initiatives and projects, despite the fact that they target similar geographical areas and beneficiary populations. In addition, the Right to [...]

E-Agriculture is a global community of practice that facilitates dialogue, information exchange and sharing of ideas related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Large numbers of people in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region suffer from hunger and malnutrition, with recent estimates indicating that 14.9 percent of the people in the region suffer from hunger or undernourishment. There is also a continued high incidence of malnutrition. In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, new strategies are required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) of eliminating hunger and malnutrition by 2030. It was realized that a SAARC-level regional framework and plan of action would help to enhance and complement national-level efforts in this field. A new regional [...]