The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is is a specialized agency of the United Nations founded in 1945, which primary global mission is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
The FAO directs its international efforts toward three fundamental goals:
-
Eradicating Hunger: Eliminating food insecurity, malnutrition, and famine worldwide.
-
Reducing Poverty: Driving economic and social development, with a specific focus on transforming rural communities.
-
Sustainable Management: Promoting the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources, including land, water, forests, and fisheries.
-
Knowledge Network: Serving as a global hub for vital statistics, data, and research on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and human nutrition.
-
Policy Forum: Offering a neutral space where developing and developed nations can negotiate international agreements and debate food policies.
-
Technical Assistance: Providing direct hands-on support to countries looking to modernize and improve their agricultural, forestry, and fishery practices.
Its headquarters are located in Rome (Italy).
They are composed of over 194 member states and operating in more than 130 countries worldwide.
The FAO coordinates this global awareness event every year on October 16th, commemorating the exact date of its founding.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) jointly published every year by the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. It tracks the world’s progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030.
It standardizes two main indicators: the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) (the traditional measure of hunger) and the Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity (based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale).
Each year features a specific theme—such as the impact of climate change, economic shocks, or urbanisation on food systems—offering data-driven policy recommendations for world leaders.
FAOSTAT provides free, direct access to food and agriculture data for over 245 countries and territories from 1961 to the present.