The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is the United Nations agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Here is how it works.
History
The FAO was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada. Its headquarters later moved to Rome, Italy. Its founding date is marked every year as World Food Day on 16 October.
Members
The FAO has more than 190 members, including member countries, the European Union and associate members. Its supreme body is the Conference of member nations, which meets every two years. A Council acts between sessions, and the organisation is led by a Director General.
What FAO does
- Collects and shares data on food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries
- Publishes major reports such as The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, along with other UN agencies
- Helps countries with policies on farming, nutrition, land and water
- Responds to crises such as locust attacks, animal diseases and food shortages
- Runs the FAO Food Price Index, a monthly measure of world food prices
With WHO, the FAO runs the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which sets international food safety standards.
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Funding
FAO is funded by assessed contributions from members and by voluntary contributions for specific projects.
FAO and India
India has been a member since the FAO’s founding. FAO’s India office works with the government on areas such as:
- Crop diversification and climate resilient farming
- Fisheries and livestock
- Nutrition sensitive agriculture
- Control of pests such as desert locusts
At India’s proposal, the UN General Assembly declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, and FAO was the lead agency for its celebration. India’s support for millets, called Shree Anna, was highlighted throughout the year.
FAO and other food agencies
The FAO works with two other Rome based UN agencies:
- **World Food Programme (WFP):** provides emergency food aid
- **International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):** finances rural development projects
Did you know
The FAO motto is Fiat Panis, a Latin phrase meaning Let there be bread.
Bottom line
The FAO is the UN’s main agency on food and farming. From World Food Day to the International Year of Millets, it has close links with India’s agriculture.
Source / स्रोत: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO in India
