Total food losses have been estimated at 1.3 billion tons per year, which represents roughly one-third of the world food production for human consumption. The economic value of food losses and waste amounts to $680 billion in industrialized countries and $310 billion in developing countries. In total, food loss and waste amount to one trillion dollars globally. Lost and wasted food [...]

Once known as “the gold of the Incas,” quinoa has been one of the world’s neglected crops but is currently becoming more and more popular. For centuries, quinoa remained a hidden treasure grown almost exclusively by indigenous communities in the Andean heights. Lately, quinoa has been growing in popularity with foodies and health-conscious consumers around the world. It was even [...]

Have you ever wondered if you are getting adequate nutrients from the food you eat? It is a common misconception that malnutrition means not getting enough food. This is, however, incorrect! People who take in insufficient food can be malnourished, but also those who consume too much face the same risks. Malnutrition is defined as “An abnormal physiological condition caused by [...]

Global food security largely depends on smallholder family farms where in many regions of the world women play a crucial role as both producers and providers of food. Studies show that when women and other rural poor have better access to resources, the benefits are far-reaching. Families are healthier, more children attend school, agricultural productivity improves, incomes increase, and rural communities [...]

International Kungfu superstar and renowned Hollywood film actor Jackie Chan has joined FAO in the fight against hunger. In a recent visit to Ethiopia, Chan met with beneficiaries of the ‘Purchase from Africans for Africa’ (PAA) project as well as a South-South Cooperation Programme where he discussed with Chinese experts how they exchange technical knowledge with Ethiopian farmers to help them [...]

As FAO launches dedicated webpages on post-2015, here are seven things to know about the process and how FAO is playing its part. 7 - Post-2015 development agenda - The name refers to the process through which Member States agree on a new global development framework to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight goals that followed the UN Millennium Declaration [...]

The mission for an end to hunger in the world’s most populous region has received a boost, with member countries responding positively to a call by FAO for a “massive effort” to end hunger in Asia and the Pacific. 1. Asia-Pacific is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s chronically hungry people. |True|     Asia-Pacific, with over 4.2 billion people, is home [...]

The challenge is to maintain and develop the socioeconomic benefits from forests while safeguarding the resource. FAO’s State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2014 argues that if the focus of data collection and policy is shifted from trees to people, forests can be sustainably managed to meet society’s growing demands. Read the most important findings: The formal forestry sector employs some 13.2 [...]

Farmer field schools (FFS) are essentially schools without walls that introduce new technological innovations while building on indigenous knowledge. In FFS, farmers are the experts. Key features and principles of the FFS approach – TRUE or FALSE? The FFS approach allows farmers to learn through testing changes in a controlled, group-based environment TRUE:  Discovery-based learning is an essential part of the FFS as [...]

Each year, 30 percent of global food production is lost after harvest or wasted in shops, households and catering services. This represents 750 billion USD in terms of producer or farmgate prices, going up to almost a trillion US dollars of trade value of food every year – half the GDP of Italy!If nature asked us to pay the total [...]

At the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a new global challenge for world leaders and individuals from all sectors: create a world where no one is hungry. He emphasized that there is enough food in the world to feed our population, so the challenge comes from making sure that everyone has access [...]

Biodiversity for food and agriculture is among the earth’s most important resources. Biodiversity is indispensable: be it the insects that pollinate plants, the microscopic bacteria used for making cheese, the diverse livestock breeds used to make a living in harsh environments, the thousands species of fish, and other aquatic species in our lakes, rivers and oceans, or the thousands of [...]

In the past 20 years, malnutrition in mothers and children has decreased by almost half. But despite this progress, child undernutrition is still the greatest nutrition-related health burden in the world. One of the biggest problems with child undernutrition is that it continues the cycle of stunting: stunted girls grow up to be stunted mothers, and stunted mothers are much [...]

In its simplest form, a kitchen garden produces fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs for delicious, healthy meals. Research suggests that kitchen gardens can supply up to half of all non-staple food needs, as well as a significant number of vitamins and minerals. This makes them an invaluable tool for food security in vulnerable communities. ‘Imagine one day you lost everything you owned.  [...]

The United Nations launched the 2014 International Year of Family Farming to stress the vast potential family farmers have to eradicate hunger and preserve natural resources. In both developed and developing countries, more than 500 million, or nine out of ten, farms are managed by families, making family farms the predominant form of agriculture. They not only produce about 80% [...]

All over the world local varieties of fruit, vegetables and grain are grown. Many are seemingly forgotten or are underutilized despite having outstanding nutritional or taste qualities. Some have good commercial potential and could be an excellent cash crop for a smallscale or family farmers, aimed at the local, regional or international market. Here are six traditional crops and six facts [...]

In the year 2000, the UN Member States set the eight Millennium Development Goals. One of the most ambitious was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. As part of this goal, the United Nations General Assembly set a target to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015.  But have you ever wondered how hunger is measured in [...]

They are delicious, they are nutritious and they make your mouth water.  If you know your apples from your oranges, then pit your wits against our fruit quiz. You will need to guess where different fruits come from, where they are most popular and how good they are for you. Let’s get started. 1. Which country is the biggest producer of dates? A.    [...]

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We took a look around and put together a list of  Twitter accounts to keep you informed about what is happening in the world of soils.  Here are, in alphabetical order, ten voices on twitter you should follow for the latest on soils: @agriculturesnet The AgriCultures Network shares knowledge on small-scale family farming and agroecology. With agroecology we can build soils for life! http://t.co/pN62odtLt9 [...]

As part of a balanced diet, milk and dairy products can be an important source of dietary energy, protein and fat. But, the scientific evidence is massing up that regular consumption of large quantities of milk can be bad for your health, and campaigners are making noise about the environmental and international costs of large-scale intensive dairy farming. We put together [...]

What happens when money is given directly to people living in dire conditions? Will children be better nourished? Will families be more productive or will they become dependent? Will economies grow stronger? Today, some 70 percent of the world population, most of which live in rural areas, have no access to adequate social protection measures. For this reason, FAO has [...]

Ripe, juicy, and practically begging to be eaten, berries are a spring and summer treat that make your mouth water. To celebrate the pinnacle of berry season, we gathered some facts and figures and are challenging you to see how far your berry knowledge really goes. 

Feeding the world’s growing population, which is expected to go beyond 9 billion by 2050, is one of the world’s biggest challenges. Some of the highest rates of population growth are predicted to occur in areas that are highly dependent on the agriculture sector (i.e. crops, livestock, forests and fisheries). Sustainable agricultural growth is one of the most effective means [...]

Bees pollinate a third of what we eat and play a vital role in sustaining the planet’s ecosystems. Some 84% of the crops grown for human consumption need bees or other insects to pollinate them to increase their yields and quality. Bee pollination not only results in a higher number of fruits, berries or seeds, it may also give a [...]

As we celebrate our 70-year anniversary, find out how much you know about the work that FAO is doing around the world. Answer these 7 questions and help us fight hunger by becoming an ambassador of FAO!

Pulses have been consumed for at least 10 000 years and are among the most extensively used foods in the world. They provide protein and fibre, and are a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc and magnesium. You probably already eat more pulses than you realize but can you put your finger on these facts on pulses? [...]

In 2015 we celebrated the “International Year of Soils” and with good reason. Soil sustains all our agricultural and livestock food production, wood for fuel production, filters water so that we can drink it and fish can live in it. We also use it for construction - therefore it sustains our homes and infrastructure. As we approach the end of #IYS [...]

Mountains provide freshwater and biodiversity, and are a major source of food. By definition, they dominate their surroundings with towering height and protect valleys and their inhabitants. They play a critical part in moving the world towards sustainable economic growth and have a leading role as indicators of climate change. As we celebrate the International Mountain Day, see how much you [...]

10: EtymologyThe word pulse originates directly from the Latin puls meaning "thick gruel, porridge, mush.” 9: Pulses vs legumes, what’s the difference?The term "legume" refers to the plants whose fruit is enclosed in a pod. Pulses are a subgroup of the legume family, but the term “pulse” refers only to the dried seed. Dried beans, lentils and peas are the most commonly known and consumed types [...]

Maize, rice and wheat are fundamental to world food security. We must safeguard production in the world’s grain belts and rice bowls, and increase yields in countries where production has to substantially improve as populations grow. Climate change adds new pressures on cereals, including rising temperatures and a higher incidence of pests, diseases, droughts and floods. FAO’s model of ecosystem-based agriculture, [...]

Ecosystem services make human life possible by, for example, providing nutritious food and clean water, regulating disease and climate, supporting the pollination of crops and soil formation, and providing recreational, cultural and spiritual benefits. In 2014, the value of ecosystem services was estimated at a staggering US$ 125 trillion.  Ecosystem services, provided by biodiversity, are fundamental to food production and [...]

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Climate change is what most of us perceive as the top global threat, and the dangers it poses affect present and future generations alike.  How global warming is threatening the planet has been a theme in children’s books for all ages for some time.   How everyone, especially today’s youth, can make a difference to the future of the world [...]

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of drones? Widely known originally for their use for military purposes, increasingly, researchers, aid organizations, governments and private companies are exploring the many ways drones can be used for good. Otherwise known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, these flying robots have started to transform various industries, including [...]

What do cucumbers, mustard, almonds and alfalfa have in common? On the surface it appears to be very little. However, there is one thing they do share: They all owe their existence to the service of bees. There is more to the tiny striped helper than sweet honey and a painful sting. For millennia, it has carried out its service [...]

Smallholders and people living in rural areas in Africa grow a huge variety of edible plants other than rice, wheat or maize. These crops, including the African yam bean, have long been neglected although they represent an excellent alternative food supplement to most diets. Grown in pockets of tropical Central, West and East Africa, the African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) [...]

We see them each and every day: at the grocery store, the farmer’s market and as side orders served with your favourite dish. In many countries, they are part of the cultural heritage and are consumed on a regular basis. In other parts of the world, they hardly garner a mention except when served as soup on a cold winter’s [...]

Banana split, banana muffins, banana bread, banana pudding, banana pancakes – whether plain, cooked, baked or fried, bananas are among the most widely consumed fruits on the planet. However, how much do we really know about this most produced and exported fruit? Here are 11 interesting facts you should know about bananas: Based on written references discovered in Sanskrit around the year [...]

Cash transfer programmes – regular money payments to poor households - aim to reduce poverty, promote sustainable livelihoods and increase production in the developing world. During the past decade, an increasing number of governments in sub-Saharan Africa have launched cash transfer programmes that target the most vulnerable groups, including subsistence farmers, people with disabilities and HIV/AIDS, as well as families [...]

Every year, FAO publishes a number of major ‘State of the World’ reports containing balanced, science-based reviews of issues related to food, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural resources. The reports also cover vital areas such as food production and hunger alleviation, which are at the heart of FAO’s work. With close to 800 million people currently chronically undernourished and an extra [...]

In 2016 we celebrated the International Year of Pulses and it is obvious why. Pulses are good for you, beneficial to farmers' livelihoods and have a positive impact on the environment. It is clear that even though dried beans, lentils and peas have been around for centuries, they will play a fundamental role in our sustainable future. Even though #IYP2016 has [...]

In the varied and vital roles they play – as farmers, farm workers, entrepreneurs, caregivers and community leaders – rural women form the backbone of rural societies. Almost everywhere, they make crucial contributions to food production, food processing and marketing. Indeed, because women produce, process and prepare much of the food available, they are critical to the food security of [...]

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The oceans have it all: from microscopic life to the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, from the colourless to the shimmering, from the frozen to the boiling and from the sunlit to the mysterious dark of the deepest parts of the planet. Oceans are an essential component of the Earth's ecosystem -- a source of biodiversity, food, and [...]

Over the past years, we have often been reminded that we must leave no one behind as we strive to cement our plans for a sustainable future. Most recent data indicate that many of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have achieved undernourishment levels of less than 5 percent. Good governance is perhaps the most essential factor in increasing food [...]

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 [...]

June 18 was the world’s first Sustainable Gastronomy Day. This begs the questions: 1) What in the world is sustainable gastronomy? 2) Why is it important enough to have a “day” dedicated to it? and 3) Even so, why should I care? What is Sustainable Gastronomy?  Gastronomy is sometimes called the art of food. It can also refer to a style of [...]

Constituting only 5 percent of the world population, indigenous peoples nevertheless are vital stewards of the environment. Traditional indigenous territories encompass 22 percent of the world’s land surface, but 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity.  A third of global forests, crucial for curbing gas emissions, are primarily managed by indigenous peoples, families, smallholders and local communities. Indigenous foods are also particularly [...]