19 January, 2021, Rome/Berlin - Innovative solutions in agri-food systems helped households and countries contain disruptions in food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more will be required to "build back better and build back greener", FAO's Director-General QU Dongyu said today.
With projects amounting to $796.2 million last year, FAO works around the world, from combatting deforestation in Argentina to rangeland restoration in the Sudan, to support the transition towards low-emission, sustainable food systems through climate-smart approaches, practices and techniques that preserve the environment and biodiversity, and at the same time, help build the resilience of millions of poor family farmers.
11 January 2021, Paris/Rome - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, QU Dongyu, today appealed for an urgent scale-up of Africa's Great Green Wall initiative to restore degraded land, create jobs and address climate change.
14 December 2020, Rome - Feeding the world's growing population while limiting the impacts of climate change will require urgent and radical transformation of our agri-food systems, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said at a High-Level event commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
13 October 2020, Geneva/Rome - As extreme weather and climate events have increased in frequency, intensity and severity, particularly due to climate change, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its partners have warned that early warning systems, followed by early action, are critical to prevent disasters and save lives.
8 October 2020, Rome - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a $3 million contribution from Germany and Sweden to help farmers in the world's most vulnerable countries fight the impact of climate change and to build sustainability.
Earth Map has also been designed to empower and provide integrative synergies with the federated FAO's Hand-in-Hand geospatial platform , a more comprehensive tool to provide Members, their partners and donors with the means to identify and execute highly-targeted rural development initiatives with multiple goals ranging from climate adaptation and mitigation to socio-economic resilience.
18 September 2020, Rome/New York - FAO unveiled today its new Green Cities Initiative and Action Plan to help transform agri-food systems, end hunger and improve nutrition in and around the cities in a post COVID-19 era.
"It well aligns with the efforts of the Organization to enhance the resilience of rural communities in times of changing environmental conditions, degrading ecosystems, and increasing water scarcity," Mansur said.
If they become ill or constrained by restrictions on movement or activity, they will be prevented from working their land, caring for their animals, going fishing, or accessing markets to sell produce, buy food, or get seeds and supplies.
Back in January, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicted the worst was still to come, and that by June, the size of the swarms could grow by a factor of 500.And now, at the worst time, a second wave of locusts 20 times bigger than the first has descended on the region, thanks to heavy rains late last month, according to the FAO.
"Mapping peatlands to know their location, extent and greenhouse gas emissions potential, can help countries to plan and better manage their land, water and biodiversity, mitigating climate change and adapting to it more effectively," says Maria Nuutinen, FAO's lead peatlands expert with the Forestry Department and co-author of the publication.
12 March 2020, Havana/Rome - The Board of the Green Climate Fund today approved a $119 million disbursement for a FAO co-designed project to boost the resilience to climate change of vulnerable rural communities in Cuba.
28 February 2020, Rome - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu became today one of the first signatories of a ethical resolution on Artificial Intelligence (AI) endorsed by Pope Francis, stressing the importance of minimizing this new technology's risks while exploiting its potential benefits.
There is a need for innovation not only in science but also in policies, in how we do business and the way we think, said the FAO chief at the opening of SDG 2 - Linking Technological Innovation and Climate Change Actions for a World Free of Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty event on Thursday, on the margins of COP25.
The report, which includes large amounts of data on global and regional land use and forest cover, represents FAO's delivery of a promised "collective product" on the status of drylands around the world.
13 November, Songdo, Republic of Korea - The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) today approved $161 million in funding to support climate resilient projects in Chile, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal benefitting 1.5 million people.
11 November 2019, Rome - FAO today launched a new $7.1 million project supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to make forest data more accessible, transparent and available, and, in particular, help developing countries to meet the Paris Climate Agreement's enhanced transparency requirements.
"The adoption and use of SEPAL for forest monitoring has exceeded all expectations and its impact on country reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is already a significant improvement compared to previous years," said Tiina Vahanen, Chief, Forestry Policy and Resources Division in FAO's Forestry Department.
"This is an alarming report on how the systematic degradation of soils, cutting of forests, desertification, unsustainable agricultural practices, and reduction of biodiversity have turned our land into a major source of carbon, putting our food security and environment at a greater risk," FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources Maria Helena Semedo said.
17 June 2019, Rome - Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovations, be it simple solutions or satellite-based technologies, will help prevent a drought from turning into famine and forced displacement and to reverse desertification, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today.
"Our programme of specially-designed fortified foods has filled an important nutritional gap among young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women at a crucial period of their lives," said Praveen Agrawal, WFP's Country Director in North Korea.
The funding agreement was signed today by FAO Assistant Director-General for Programme Support and Technical Cooperation, Roberto Ridolfi, and the Deputy Director of GCF's Division of Mitigation and Adaptation, Andreas Biermann, at FAO headquarters in Rome.
Having declared the response to Cyclone Idai in Mozambique a top priority, FAO is asking for an initial $19 million to support those most affected over the next three months, with a focus on resuming local food production, assisting fishing communities and supporting livestock owners.
FAO and University of Chile will promote sustainable development in the agri-food sector New agreement will foster knowledge-sharing and technology transfer to address climate change and food security 8 January 2019, Santiago, Chile - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Chile will join efforts in the areas of research, training, and technology transfer.
21 November 2018, Rome - Rapid advances in agricultural innovation that address climate change and support family farmers are crucial if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Director-General told the opening session of the first International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers.
11 June 2018, Rome - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is supporting ten projects in countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and South America to lay the groundwork for climate-resilient adaptation initiatives, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF)'s Readiness Programme.
10 July 2018, Rome - New analysis and modelling released today by FAO and more than 100 collaborating scientists projects that by 2050 climate change will have altered the productivity of many of the planet's marine and freshwater fisheries, affecting the livelihoods of millions of the worlds' poorest people.
13 August 2018, Rio de Janeiro - Improving the health of the world's soils is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger and combating climate change and its impacts, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, today told participants of the World Congress of Soil Science.