Rome –The benchmark index of international food commodity prices declined for the 12th consecutive month in March, driven by declines in world quotations for cereals and vegetable oils, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded […]
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
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Cabo Verde faces spike in food insecurity as a result of drought, Covid-19 and the crisis in Ukraine
DAKAR – The number of people affected by food insecurity in Cabo Verde is set to spike with more than 46,000 women, men and children – almost 10 percent of the population – facing an acute deterioration in food security between June and August this year. This represents a threat to the country’s hard-won gains […]
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FAO and WFP warn of looming widespread food crisis as hunger threatens stability in dozens of countries
Rome, June 6, 2022 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today issued a stark warning of multiple, looming food crises, driven by conflict, climate shocks, the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and massive public debt burdens – exacerbated by the ripple effects of […]
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Global Report on Food Crises: acute food insecurity hits new highs
Rome, May 4, 2022 – The number of people facing acute food insecurity and requiring urgent life-saving food assistance and livelihood support continues to grow at an alarming rate. This makes it more urgent than ever to tackle the root causes of food crises rather than just responding after they occur. This is a key […]
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War in Ukraine: FAO renews appeal to bolster agriculture and provide urgent support to vulnerable rural households
Rome – Some $115.4 million are urgently needed to prevent a further deterioration of the food insecurity situation and worsening of the disruption of food supply chains in Ukraine. There is urgency to support Ukrainian farmers in planting vegetables and potatoes during this spring season, and farmers should be allowed and supported to go to […]
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How tomatoes became known for boosting health, food security and livelihoods
Whether nestled atop pizza, standing out in salads or crushed into sauces, tomatoes are a key ingredient in cooking around the world. However, it may surprise you to know that it hasn’t always been that way! The tomato originated in South America, and though eaten by the Aztecs in Mesoamerica as early as 700 A.D., […]
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Young people reconnecting to ancestral food systems
Mariah Gladstone’s childhood laid the perfect foundations for the work she does these days, breathing new life into Indigenous Peoples’ food traditions through her online cooking show Indigikitchen. With her approach to sustainable diets, making use of pulses and other ancestral foods, Mariah became a Champion for the World Food Forum, a youth-led initiative launched […]
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Africa’s Great Green Wall gives viable return on investments, FAO-led study finds
Rome – Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) programme to combat desertification in the Sahel region is not only crucial to the battle against climate change but also makes commercial sense for investors, a new study led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and published in Nature Sustainability shows. For every US dollar put into the massive […]
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Acute hunger set to soar in over 20 countries, warn FAO and WFP
23 March 2021, Rome – Acute hunger is set to soar in over 20 countries in the coming months without urgent and scaled-up assistance, warn the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) in a new report issued today. Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria top the list and face catastrophic […]
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“Safeguarding water means safeguarding humanity,” says FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in World Water Day celebration
Rome, March 22, 2021 – Water is an “essential element of every aspect of development”, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today during a large virtual celebration to mark World Water Day 2021. He called on all stakeholders to work together to safeguard water and widen access to this precious […]
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Disasters take heavy toll on agri-food systems as new threats emerge
Rome, March 18, 2021 – Agriculture absorbs the bulk of the financial losses and damages wrought by disasters which have grown in frequency, intensity, and complexity, says FAO in a new report released today. At no other point in history have agri-food systems confronted with such an array of new and unprecedented threats, including megafires, extreme weather, […]
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Acute malnutrition threatens half of children under five in Yemen in 2021
SANA’A/ADEN/ROME/NEW YORK/GENEVA, 12 February 2021– Nearly 2.3 million children under the age of five in Yemen are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021, four United Nations agencies warned today. Of these, 400,000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition and could die if they do not receive urgent treatment. The new figures, […]
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New FAO report highlights the role of soil organisms in ensuring sustainable agri-food systems and mitigating climate change
Rome, December 4, 2020 – Soil organisms play a crucial role in boosting food production, enhancing nutritious diets, preserving human health, remediating pollution and combating climate change, but their contribution remains largely underestimated, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said today in its report on “The State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity“. […]
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Global Report on Food Crises: COVID-19 poses new risks to vulnerable countries
Brussels/Rome/New York April 21, 2020 – Today an international alliance of UN, governmental, and nongovernmental agencies working to address the root causes of extreme hunger have released a new edition of their annual Global Report on Food Crises. The report by the Global Network Against Food Crises, along with key findings, statements by partners, and […]
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Locusts in East Africa: A race against time
February 25, 2020 – JOINT STATEMENT by QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Mark Lowcock, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and David Beasley, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) East Africa is a region beset by climate- and […]
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FAO: World food prices rise in January
Rome February 6, 2020 – World food prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in January. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 182.5 points during the month, up 0.7 percent from December and 11.3 percent higher than the same month a year earlier. Vegetable oils, sugar, and wheat were the chief drivers of the index, […]
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Nature-based solutions to climate change must be scaled up across food systems
Madrid December 12, 2019 – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu has highlighted the key role of agriculture in offering nature-based solutions to address climate change. He made his remarks on Wednesday at a special event “Accelerating Action on Nature-Based Solutions Together in 2020” on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference COP25. These solutions involve […]
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FAO launches 2020 as the UN’s International Year of Plant Health
Rome, Dec. 2, 2019 – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today launched the United Nations’ International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) for 2020, which aims to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development. Plants make up 80 percent of the […]
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Putting Mediterranean and other traditional diets back on the consumer’s plate
Rome, November 27, 2019 – Promoting traditional healthy diets is important for advancing our efforts towards a food system that respects the environment, culture and well-being of people, which is a fundamental element of sustainable development. That was the main message at an event today organized by the Government of Italy with support from […]
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UN calls for urgent action to curb rise in hunger and obesity in Latin America and Caribbean
Santiago de Chile, Nov. 12, 2019 – The prevalence of adult obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean has tripled since 1975, affecting one in four adults in a region where hunger has grown once again, reaching 42.5 million people, according to a new United Nations report issued today, the Panorama of Food and Nutritional […]