Nouvelles

From 4 to 6 June, FAO organized a workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the pressing issue of the control of high-impact transboundary animal diseases (TADs) in Southern Africa. Invitees and participants came from affected countries in Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), as well as from international organizations, such as the African Union (AU) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and some BRICS countries, such as Brazil and China. TADs pose a serious threat to intra-regional and inter-regional trade, as well as to food and nutrition security within communities. Southern Africa, like other regions of the...

A pig disease originating from Africa hit the news in 2007 when it made its appearance in Europe after being detected in Georgia. Since then, African swine fever has progressively spread throughout Eastern Europe, entering the European Union in 2014. Despite large efforts and investments, in the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment, no territory has been able to control it effectively and prevent its spread. Recently, the disease has been spotted at the doorsteps of the Balkan region in Bulgaria, Hungary...

As producers of the majority of the world’s food, family farmers not only contribute to food security and nutrition, but also fulfil economic, environmental, social and cultural functions in the areas in which they live. Despite this, family farmers are paradoxically among the world’s most vulnerable and food-insecure populations. The UN Decade of Family Farming, led by FAO and IFAD, is an opportunity to work together to create an enabling environment for family farmers. During the global launch of the Decade, a wide range of stakeholders came together for a three-day period to work on concrete actions to support...

ROME - The 2019 annual International Seminar on Global Poverty Reduction Partnerships that was held on May 15, at the margins of the Expo for International Cooperation (EXCO 2019), highlighted the role of technological innovations and global partnerships in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including accelerating poverty reduction and eradicating hunger. The seminar was organized by three Rome-based UN agencies (RBAs)...

Rome Building on years of successful partnership, FAO and Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) have agreed to continue in partnership for another five years, focusing on improving food security, livelihoods, and resilience in an effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With 11 universities and seven state agencies, Texas A&M is one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States. It is renowned for its expertise and research in several areas that complement FAO’s mandate, including agriculture, natural resources and plant and animal health. In 2014, FAO and Texas A&M established a formal partnership to work together on...

Rome – Senator Guido Girardi, author of the Chile’s food labeling law, recently visited FAO for a working meeting with the Parliamentary Alliances team of the Partnerships division, taking the opportunity to present an update on the impact of the law.  The Chilean food labeling law, which entered into force in 2016, was the first of its kind and an important example of the role that parliamentarians can play in improving food security and nutrition. The law requires foods that exceed specified limits of sodium, sugar, and saturated fats to be clearly labeled as such, and imposes certain restrictions on advertising...

The global fight against poverty and hunger is far from over. Hunger has been on the rise due to a combination of factors including conflict, economic downturn and climate shocks: in 2017, the number of undernourished people is estimated to have reached 821 million, 41 million more than three years ago. Against this backdrop, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has begun to engage with parliamentarians and other non-state actors, redoubling its efforts in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, and strengthening partnerships in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As part of this initiative, and...

Arusha – Recognizing the lack of progress in improving food security and nutrition situation in Eastern Africa, parliamentarians from nine nations have pledged to urge their governments to intensify their battle against food insecurity, malnutrition and hunger by enacting sound legislation and allocating adequate resources. During their first Annual Meeting, held from 15 to 17 April 2019 in Arusha, Tanzania, members of the newly-formed “Eastern African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition" (EAPA FSN) expressed...

A team from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (EMBRAPA, in its Portuguese acronym), visited the city of Praia, Cabo Verde, from 1 to 6 April 2019, in the framework of a South-South Cooperation (SSC) activity. The initiative aimed at sharing knowledge and information with experts from Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique on the sustainable control and integrated management of the Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. The participants learned about...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Turin have agreed to continue collaboration to promote sustainable development in mountain regions. The partnership, which promotes education and knowledge sharing in cooperation with the university’s Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences Department, aims to equip people with the necessary skills to address the unique challenges faced by mountain ecosystems. Mountain ecosystems play a fundamental role in the global context, providing water, energy and biodiversity to more than half of the world’s population.