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The Mississippi State University (MSU) and the Liaison Office for North America of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sponsored  a Congressional Legislative Briefing on “Blue Growth: Future of Fish as a Significant Food Source” on 5 June 2017  in Washington. Dr. Mark Lawrence, Director at MSU’s Global Center for Aquatic Food Security highlighted aquaculture challenges, including feed, seed stocks, disease outbreaks and potential for antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Melba Reantaso, FAO Aquaculture Officer, wrapped up the briefing discussing the way forward for aquaculture and fisheries’ contribution to world food security under the Blue Growth Initiative. In closing, Dr. Kent...

In a meeting on Tuesday, Graziano da Silva and Commissioner Sacko underscored conflicts as a common denominator in areas facing food crises in the continent. "Conflict exacerbates hunger and in many cases hunger and food insecurity to intensify strife and social unrest," the FAO Director-General said.

The FAO office in Russia organized a roundtable - webinar with the Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy on “Effective use of water resources in agriculture and agroecology” in Moscow on 30 May. This is part of a series of webinars on sustainable management of natural resources and agriculture within the framework of the Year of the Environment in Russia. The roundtable- was the second such meeting of experts and policy-makers organized by FAO and the Academy. The first event on “Smart technologies in agroecology and farming” took place in April. Forthcoming events will focus on soil...

A new regional program will support the most vulnerable communities in the Central American Dry Corridor and the arid zones of the Dominican Republic to face the effects of climate change and increase their resilience. The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) provided USD2 million for the program’s formulation under a framework agreement signed yesterday with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

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.