Water is essential for agricultural production and food security.  It is the lifeblood of ecosystems, including forests, lakes and wetlands, on which the food and nutritional security of present and future generations depends on. Yet, our freshwater resources are dwindling at an alarming rate. Growing water scarcity is now one of the leading challenges for sustainable development.  This challenge will [...]

Migration has always existed. It has been a means to reunite with family, to find better jobs, to have a new experience or to start a better life. In 2015, the number of people migrating was up to 1 out of every 7 people in the world.   When it is a choice, migration can be a good way to spread [...]

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) or sheep and goat plague is a highly contagious animal disease affecting small ruminants. An estimated 300 million families who rely on small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, as a source of food and income are at risk of losing their livelihoods and may be forced to migrate, particularly in areas where food insecurity, other resource shortages [...]

Eradicating world hunger can only be achieved if food is safe, nutritious and of good quality. Eating unsafe food increases the chances of contracting diseases and can be, in some cases, deadly. Unsafe food can also lead to rejections causing food to be wasted, which then impacts on food security. One thing is certain: there can be no food security [...]

Smiley and energetic, Christine lives in the semi-arid region of Karamoja in north-east Uganda. Her husband passed away some time ago and she is now taking care of her six children on her own. Christine struggled in managing her household and securing the basic needs for her children. “I was permanently asking somebody for something,” she describes. Agriculture had always been [...]

Women and children, especially pregnant women and children 0-2 years of age, are among the groups most vulnerable to food insecurity and chronic malnutrition. This is no different in Mozambique where, according to the FAO Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition 35% of the population is food insecure and 43% of children under 5 are chronically malnourished. Chronic undernutrition levels [...]

When approaching the small house, Hanen can be seen laughing with her family in the yard. Hanen is a 25-year-old biologist living in Ouled Taleb, Siliana, one of several areas in North West Tunisia that are particularly hard-hit by unemployment, low income and high rates of migration. Hanen comes from a poor rural family, who invested in their children’s education [...]

Schools are an ideal setting for teaching basic skills in food, nutrition and health. In many communities, they may be the only place where children acquire these important life skills. Primary schools, in particular, are suitable vehicles for nutrition education. They not only influence children but also target girls, who tend to leave schools earlier. Nutrition lessons can be simple, [...]

.

What word comes to mind when you think of “cities”? Busy? And when you think of “forests”? Peaceful? What if cities could be something different? To date, cities have largely been problematic for the environment. They occupy just two percent of the world’s land. However, they account for over 60 percent of global energy consumption, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions [...]

Knocking on closed doors is something Renu Bala is very good at. First, it was the doors of her neighbours in Panjor Bhanga, her home village in northern Bangladesh. She had an idea for them: what if they formed a milk cooperative? They didn’t have much to lose. “The women of this village are very poor and raise only local Deshi cattle,” Renu explains. [...]

Biodiversity may sound complicated, but it’s a fairly simple concept: the existence of many different types of plants and animals makes the world a healthier and more productive place. A mix of genetics, species and habitats allows Earth’s ecosystems to keep up with challenges like population growth and climate change. Biodiversity is important to us because it plays a crucial [...]

Growing crops, fishing, harvesting fruits and nuts from the forests are just some examples of the activities that millions of people do daily to get food to eat or to earn a living. But when their rights to that land or those natural resources aren’t recognized, livelihoods and food sources can disappear from one day to the next.    

Oceans cover 70 percent of our planet. But did you know that 40 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by what is known as our common oceans?  

What does William Shakespeare have in common with Mexican beekeeper Francisco Lenin Bartolo Reyes? Both men understand the importance of the honey bee, a small but invaluable ally of the human race.

Imagine living in one of the driest areas on the planet. What little rain there is falls over the space of a few months, yielding around 700 mm in total each year. A population of 1.2 million has to survive on 65 percent less water than the rest of their compatriots, on a traditional staple diet of corn and beans. [...]

Youth around the world are increasingly turning away from agriculture. Traditionally requiring tough manual labour and offering low wages, agriculture does not often appeal to new generations who generally prefer to try their luck finding jobs in cities.  

The latest edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World will be launched on Monday 15 July 2019 during a special event on the [...]

A review of FAO’s fight against hunger and malnutrition and challenges ahead with the participation of José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of FAO. 

Where: Sheikh Zayed Centre at FAO headquarters 

When: Friday, 26th [...]

The latest FAO + Switzerland partnership report shows the catalytic achievements and innovative solutions of FAO’s collaboration with one of our strongest partners.

From 2008 to 2018, Switzerland supported FAO in [...]

The farmers will offer seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables to around 3000 people - including employees, contractors, delegates and visitors - that enter the FAO headquarters every day.

Centro Agroalimentare [...]

Buy fresh and seasonal produce at the Farmers’ Market on
Wednesday 26 February from 12.00 – 16.00 hours, and be sure to visit the [...]

FAO email newsletters have sparked great interest across the Organization in the last few years, with over 2 million emails sent out in 2018 and over 3 million last year.

Corporate newsletters cover approximately 100 [...]

Supai is so remote, mail is delivered by mule train

These parks are less popular, but no less spectacular

For the first time, the indigenous community is allowed to gather the cherished plant on protected land

The National Cherry Blossom Festival has moved online due to the novel coronavirus pandemic

Harjo, a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation, says the appointment "honors the place of Native people in this country, the place of Native people’s poetry"

The British Navy knew it couldn't completely disguise a ship to protect it from attack during WWI. So they turned to 'Dazzle Painting'

After the Napoleonic Wars caused a shortage of British Oak, frigate builders looked all over the empire for an alternative. They found one in India

A British frigate fires on the USS Constitution - but its shots either miss or rebound off its tough oak hull

It's June 1945 and the USS Barb has just launched an unprecedented attack on the factories of the Japanese island of Shari