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This State of Food Insecurity in the World report takes stock of progress made towards achieving the internationally established Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) and World Food Summit hunger targets and reflects on what needs to be done, as we transition to the new post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. The report reviews progress made since 1990 for every country and region as well as for the world as a whole. Progress towards the MDG 1 target, however, is assessed not only by measuring undernourishment, or hunger, but also by a second indicator – the prevalence of underweight children under five years of age. [...]

Outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases, including forest pests and aquatic diseases, food safety and radiation events has been increasing over the past years, impacting people’s access to quality food, and putting their livelihoods and health at risk. To address this challenge, FAO established the Food Chain Crisis Management Framework (FCC), an approach combining prevention, preparedness, and response to emergencies affecting the food chain and caused by transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases (including aquatic and forests pests and diseases), food safety and radiological threats.

The objective of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Framework for Action for Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Crises (CFS-FFA, the Framework) is to improve the food security and nutrition of populations affected by, or at risk of, protracted crises by addressing critical manifestations and building resilience; adapting to specific challenges; and contributing to addressing underlying causes. The CFS-FFA is a short document that provides a broad framework that can be used by all stakeholders who may have a role in improving or impacting food security and nutrition in protracted crises.

This paper is an attempt to bring together the thinking on nutrition and resilience from a food and agriculture perspective and to discuss the linkages between the two agendas from a conceptual, strategic and operational perspective. The paper argues that good nutrition is both an essential “input” for resilience and an outcome of resilience. It highlights key areas of convergence between the two concepts as well as opportunities to enhance the nutritional impact of resilience building programming in the context of the food and agriculture sector. Building on the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s resilience strategy, this paper then [...]

Disasters and crises undermine development. Natural disasters have affected more than 2.7 billion people over the last decade. More people face hydrometeorological hazards (for example, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires) and geological hazards (for example, earthquakes and landslides) than ever before. The intensity and frequency of natural disasters is increasing, compromising sustainable development by affecting livelihoods and threatening food security and nutrition. Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture are among the most exposed and affected sectors. Existing risk reduction and management measures need to be improved and scaled up. Many countries are poorly equipped to prevent, prepare and mitigate the impacts of current extremes and risks, including [...]

The Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) addresses prevention and early warning across the entire food chain. It promotes the effective containment and management of the most serious epidemic pests and diseases and food safety threats through international cooperation involving early detection, early warning, preparedness and timely reaction, coordination and communication, and capacity development.

The number of undernourished people in the world remains unacceptably high at close to one billion in 2010 despite an expected decline – the first in 15 years. This decline is largely attributable to a more favourable economic environment in 2010 – particularly in developing countries – and the fall in both international and domestic food prices since 2008.  FAO estimates that a total of 925 million people are undernourished in 2010 compared with 1.023 billion in 2009. Most of the decrease was in Asia, with 80 million fewer hungry, but progress was also made in sub-Saharan Africa, where 12 million [...]