Food and Agriculture Organization facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Org type	United Nations specialized agency
Status	Active
Headquarters	Rome, Italy

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Price Index from 1961 to 2021. This shows how food prices have changed over time.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a special agency of the United Nations. Its main goal is to fight hunger and make sure everyone has enough healthy food. The FAO's Latin motto, fiat panis, means "let there be bread." It was started on October 16, 1945.

The FAO has 195 members, including 194 countries and the European Union. Its main office is in Rome, Italy. It also has offices all over the world, working in more than 130 countries. The FAO helps governments and other groups work together to improve farming, forestry, fishing, and how we use land and water resources. It also does research, offers expert help, runs training programs, and collects important information about food and farming.

The FAO is led by a big meeting held every two years. This meeting includes representatives from every member country and the European Union. They choose a 49-member council to help run things. The Director-General, currently Qu Dongyu from China, is the main leader. Different groups within the FAO handle things like money, programs, farming, and fishing.

100 lire (FAO's celebration.)
Front: A young woman with a braid. Around her, it says "Repubblica Italiana" (Italian Republic).	Back: A cow feeding its calf, the coin's value, and the date. "FAO" is at the bottom and "Nutrire il Mondo" (Feed the world) is at the top.
This coin was made by Italy in the 1970s to celebrate and support the Food and Agriculture Organization.

How the FAO Started

The idea for a global organization focused on food and farming began a long time ago. A Polish-American farmer and activist named David Lubin was a big supporter of this idea. In 1905, a meeting in Rome, Italy, led to the creation of the International Institute of Agriculture (IIA). This was the first international group to deal with farming issues worldwide.

The IIA mainly collected and shared information about farming. This included facts about how much food was grown and details about plant diseases. One of its big achievements was publishing the first worldwide farming census in 1930.

World War II brought an end to the IIA. During the war, in 1943, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a conference about food and farming. Representatives from 44 governments met in Hot Springs, Virginia. The main reason for this meeting was an Australian economist named Frank L. McDougall. He had been pushing for a global group to solve hunger and poor nutrition since 1935.

The conference ended with a promise to create a permanent food and agriculture organization. This promise came true on October 16, 1945, in Quebec City, Canada. The first meeting of the FAO Conference started that same day. Sir John Boyd Orr led this meeting. His work to end world hunger and create the FAO helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949.

After the war, the IIA officially closed in 1948. Its work and resources were then moved to the new FAO, which kept its main office in Rome.

At first, the FAO helped with farming research and gave expert advice to countries. This was to help them grow more food, catch more fish, and manage forests better. In the 1960s, the FAO started focusing on growing special types of grains that produced a lot of food. It also worked to solve protein shortages, create jobs in rural areas, and increase farm exports. In 1961, the FAO realized that natural resources were decreasing. So, in 1967, it teamed up with the International Biological Program. It also helped the United Nations General Assembly create the UN World Food Programme. This is the largest group helping with hunger and food security today.

A special medal from 1998 celebrating 30 years of the FAO Money and Medals Programme.

In 1968, the FAO started its Money and Medals Programme (MMP). The FAO made special collector medals to highlight its goals and missions. Over 100 medal designs were made through this program. A medal celebrating the MMP's 30th anniversary was released in 1998.

In 1974, after a famine in Africa, the FAO held the first World Food Summit. This meeting was to deal with widespread hunger and poor nutrition. The meeting ended with a statement that "every person has the right to be free from hunger." It also set a goal to end these problems within ten years. Another summit in 1996 looked at why this goal wasn't fully met. It then made a new plan to fight hunger into the 21st century.

Every year, the FAO publishes important reports. These reports are about the state of food, farming, forests, fishing, and natural resources around the world.

How the FAO Works

Lester B. Pearson leading a meeting at the founding conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in October 1945.

In 1951, the FAO's main office moved from Washington, D.C., USA, to Rome, Italy. The agency is led by a Conference of Member Nations. This group meets every two years to check on the FAO's work and plan its budget for the next two years. The Conference chooses a council of 49 member countries. These countries serve for three years and act as a temporary governing body. The Conference also elects the Director-General, who leads the agency.

The FAO has eight main departments. These include groups for farming and consumer protection, Climate, Biodiversity, land and water, economic and social development, fisheries and Aquaculture, Forestry, and technical cooperation.

Starting in 1994, the FAO made big changes to how it works. It aimed to spread out its operations, make processes simpler, and lower costs. These changes saved about US$50 million each year.

FAO's Money

The FAO's main budget comes from its member countries. They contribute money based on decisions made at the FAO Conference. This money pays for important technical work, partnerships, sharing knowledge, and running the organization.

For 2018–2019, the FAO's total budget was planned to be about US$1,005.6 million. Countries and other partners also give extra money for specific projects. This extra money helps with emergency aid and supports the FAO's main work. In 2016–2017, these extra contributions were expected to be around US$1.6 billion.

Most of this money (71 percent) goes towards achieving food and agriculture goals. Other parts of the budget cover core functions (11 percent), country offices (5 percent), buildings and security (2 percent), administration (6 percent), and technical cooperation (5 percent).

FAO Leaders

The Director-General is the main leader of the FAO. Here are some of the people who have held this important role:

• John Boyd Orr, 1945 – 1948
• José Graziano da Silva, 2012 – 2019
• Qu Dongyu, 2019 – present

Where the FAO Works

Main Headquarters

The FAO Headquarters building in Rome.

The FAO's main office is in Rome, Italy. It's in a building that used to be for the Department of Italian East Africa. A famous part of the building was the Obelisk of Axum. This tall stone monument stood in front of the office. It was taken from Ethiopia by Italian troops in 1937. It was returned to Ethiopia on April 18, 2005.

Regional Offices

The FAO has offices in different regions around the world to be closer to the countries it helps:

• Africa: Accra, Ghana
• Asia and the Pacific: Bangkok, Thailand
• Europe and Central Asia: Budapest, Hungary
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Santiago de Chile, Chile
• Near East: Cairo, Egypt

Liaison Offices

The Liaison Office for North America in Washington, D.C..

The FAO also has offices that connect it with other important groups and countries:

• North America: Washington, D.C., United States
• European Union and Belgium: Brussels
• United Nations: New York City, United States

What the FAO Focuses On

The FAO has key goals in its fight against hunger:

• Ending Hunger and Malnutrition: Helping to get rid of hunger by supporting policies and agreements that ensure food security. This also means making sure people have the latest information about hunger and solutions.
• Making Farming, Forestry, and Fishing Better and Lasting: Promoting good ways to farm, manage forests, and fish. This ensures we produce a lot of food without harming nature.
• Reducing Poverty in Rural Areas: Helping people in the countryside get the resources and services they need, like jobs and social support.
• Creating Fair and Efficient Food Systems: Helping to build food systems that are safe and work well. These systems should support small farmers and reduce poverty and hunger in rural areas.
• Helping People Deal with Crises: Helping countries get ready for natural disasters and other problems. This means reducing risks and making sure their food and farming systems can recover quickly.

Two important areas, gender equality and good governance, are part of all these goals.

FAO's Programs and Achievements

Codex Alimentarius

In 1961, the FAO and the World Health Organization created the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This group develops food standards and guidelines. Their main goals are to protect people's health, ensure fair trade, and coordinate all food standard work by different organizations.

World Food Summit

In 1996, the FAO held the World Food Summit. Leaders from 112 countries attended. The Summit ended with the Rome Declaration, which aimed to cut the number of hungry people in half by 2015. Many non-government groups also attended and asked governments to do more to protect the "Right to Food" for poor people.

TeleFood

In 1997, the FAO started TeleFood. This campaign used concerts, sports events, and other activities to raise awareness and money to fight hunger. It has raised almost US$28 million. This money goes to small projects that help local farmers grow more food for their families and communities. These projects provide things like fishing gear, seeds, and farm tools. They include helping families raise pigs, creating school gardens, and providing school lunches.

FAO Goodwill Ambassadors

The FAO Goodwill Ambassadors Programme started in 1999. Its purpose is to make more people aware of hunger and food security issues around the world. Famous people help share this message.

Right to Food Guidelines

In 2004, the Right to Food Guidelines were adopted. These guidelines help countries understand how to make sure their citizens have the right to food.

FAO–EU Partnership

In May 2009, the FAO and the European Union signed a deal for €125 million. This money was to help small farmers in countries affected by rising food prices. This aid was part of the EU's larger €1 billion Food Facility. The FAO received about €200 million for work in 25 countries.

Food Security Programs

The Special Programme for Food Security is a major FAO effort. It aims to cut the number of hungry people in half by 2015, as part of the Millennium Development Goals. Through projects in over 100 countries, this program offers real solutions to end hunger and poverty. The FAO works closely with countries to make sure these programs are owned and run by local people.

Online Campaign Against Hunger

The 1billionhungry project became the EndingHunger campaign in April 2011. Led by the FAO and other UN groups, this movement uses online tools to fight hunger. It built on the success of the 1billionhungry project in 2010, which collected over three million signatures on a global petition to end hunger (www.EndingHunger.org). This petition was given to world leaders in Rome in 2010.

The campaign uses websites and partnerships to spread its message. It encourages organizations to put banners on their websites and hold events. In 2011, the campaign added more videos and focused on young people aged 14-25. It wanted them to see their power to create a social movement to end hunger.

The EndingHunger project also uses social media like Facebook and Twitter. People who sign the petition can share the website link with friends to get more signatures. The goal is to get 1 million members in the EndingHunger movement's Facebook community. The more people who join, the stronger the message to governments: "We won't accept that hundreds of millions live in hunger anymore." People can also organize their own events to raise awareness, using the yellow whistle as a symbol.

The yellow whistle has been the campaign's symbol from the start. It means we are "blowing the whistle" on the silent disaster of hunger. It's a way to show frustration and make noise about the hunger situation. Many famous people have supported these campaigns, including former presidents, actors, singers, and athletes.

Agriculture Programs

International Plant Protection Convention

The FAO created the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) in 1952. This international agreement helps stop the spread of pests and plant diseases around the world. It keeps lists of plant pests, tracks outbreaks, and helps countries share technical assistance. As of 2018, 183 countries have agreed to this treaty.

Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA)

The FAO is in charge of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. This treaty, also called the Plant Treaty or Seed Treaty, started in 2004.

Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition

The Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM) helps countries and organizations work better to fight hunger and poor nutrition. It connects local, regional, national, and international groups that share the goal of ending hunger. The AAHM works to improve food security by sharing resources and knowledge.

The Alliance was started in 2002 after the World Food Summit. Its mission comes from the UN Millennium Development Goals: to cut the number of hungry people in half by 2015. The Alliance was founded by the FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Bioversity International.

Integrated Pest Management

In the 1990s, the FAO played a big role in promoting integrated pest management for rice farming in Asia. Hundreds of thousands of farmers learned new techniques through "Farmer Field Schools" (FFS). Countries like Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland helped fund these schools.

Trans-boundary Pests and Diseases

In 1994, the FAO set up an "Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases." This system focuses on controlling diseases like rinderpest (a cattle disease), foot-and-mouth disease, and avian flu. It helps governments work together to respond to these outbreaks. One key part is the "Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme," which has almost wiped out rinderpest in large parts of Asia and Africa. The "Desert Locust Information Service" also tracks locust situations worldwide and informs affected countries.

Global Partnership for Plant Breeding

The Food Price Index from 1990 to 2012.

The Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building (GIPB) is a worldwide group. It aims to improve plant breeding skills in developing countries. The goal is to help these countries grow better crops for food security and lasting development. This means making sure there are enough skilled plant breeders, leaders, and experts connected through a global network.

Improving plant breeding in developing countries is very important for reducing poverty and hunger. Plant breeding uses science to create stronger crops that can grow in different conditions. This helps prevent food crises and meets the growing demand for food and energy from crops.

Investing in Agriculture

The FAO's technical cooperation department has an Investment Centre. This center encourages more investment in farming and rural development. It helps developing countries create good farming policies, programs, and projects. It also helps get money from big international groups like the World Bank.

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) program started in 2002. This UN program aims to find, support, and protect important farming systems around the world. These systems include unique ways of life, farm animals and plants, landscapes, traditional knowledge, and cultures. The GIAHS program recognizes how important family farms are. It works towards sustainable farming and rural development.

Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA)

The Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was created in 1983. It's a special group where governments discuss biological diversity for food and farming. Its main goal is to make sure we use and protect this diversity in a sustainable way. This also means sharing the benefits fairly for people now and in the future.

Animal Genetic Resources

The FAO has a group focused on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. These are animal species used for food and farming, including wild animals, local breeds, and special lines. The FAO helps countries follow the Global plan of action for animal genetic resources. It supports different ways to protect these animals, like keeping them in special banks or protecting them in their natural homes.

Forestry Programs

One of the FAO's main goals is to manage the world's forests in a sustainable way. The Forestry Division works to balance the needs of people and the environment with the economic needs of those living in forest areas. The FAO provides a place for discussions about forest policies. It also offers reliable information and expert advice to help countries create and carry out effective national forest plans.

The FAO is a global center for information on forests. It also helps countries build their own ability to collect forest data. Working with member countries, the FAO regularly assesses forest resources worldwide. These assessments are shared through reports and on the FAO's website. The Global Forest Resources Assessment provides detailed reports on forests every five years. The latest one is FRA 2020.

Every two years, the FAO publishes the State of the World's Forests. This important report covers current and new issues facing the forestry sector.

Since 1947, the FAO has published the FAO Yearbook of Forest Products. This book collects statistics on basic forest products from over 100 countries. It includes information on how much is produced, traded, and its value.

Unasylva, the FAO's journal on forestry, has been published regularly since 1947. It is the longest-running forestry journal in multiple languages.

The FAO officially supports International Day of Forests, held every year on March 21. This day was announced by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.

Every six years, the FAO and a host country hold the World Forestry Congress. This is a meeting where people share knowledge and experiences about protecting, managing, and using the world's forests. It covers topics like international discussions, social and economic aspects, and forest policies.

Tree Cities of the World

At the World Forum on Urban Forests in 2018, the FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation started the Tree Cities of the World program. This program celebrates cities and towns that are committed to taking care of their urban forests (trees in cities). By early 2020, 59 cities had been recognized as Tree Cities of the World.

Fisheries Programs

An FAO fisheries expert in Sri Lanka in the 1950s.

The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department has a clear goal:

• Vision: A world where using fish and aquaculture resources responsibly and sustainably helps people's well-being, food security, and reduces poverty.
• Mission: To improve global rules and help members with their management and technical skills. Also, to lead efforts to agree on better ways to protect and use water resources.

This department works on managing and using fish and aquaculture resources in a sustainable way. This includes setting standards and carrying out projects both at the main office and in the field.

Statistics

The Global Statistics Service (ESSG) is a key part of the FAO's Statistics Division. It is in charge of updating and sharing the FAOSTAT report. This report provides free and easy access to data for 245 countries and 35 regions from 1961 to the most recent year. It allows users to browse, analyze, and download data easily.

The Land and Water Division keeps a database of global water statistics called Aquastat. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division maintains a database of global fisheries and aquaculture statistics called FishStat.

FAO Members

As of May 1, 2020, the FAO has 194 Member Nations, one Member Organization (the European Union), and two Associate Members.

     FAO member states      FAO associates

The only UN member state that is not a member of the FAO is Liechtenstein.

Improving the FAO

In 2007, the FAO decided to make big changes after an independent review. They wanted to make the organization more efficient and responsive. This included changing how the main office was structured and giving more power to local offices. They also updated their processes and improved teamwork.

Since the FAO is mainly about sharing knowledge, investing in its staff is very important. They started programs for leadership training, staff rotation, and a new program for young professionals. They also put in place ways to check individual performance and created an ethics officer and an independent evaluation office. These changes were made to improve how the FAO works and to ensure better oversight.

In 2012, Director-General José Graziano da Silva worked to finish these reforms quickly. He also shifted the focus to making sure the benefits of the reforms were fully used in the FAO's daily work.

In 2020, the FAO Council approved more changes proposed by Director-General Qu Dongyu. These changes aim to modernize the organization, making it more efficient and flexible. The goal is to ensure better teamwork and quicker responses to new needs and priorities.

See also

• FAO Country Profiles
• World Food Day
• World Summit on Food Security 2009