Green agriculture has a vast potential to transform the agricultural sector in a way that enables access for everyone to nutritious food and at the same time ensures conservation of crucial natural resources, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said today at the International Agro-Industrial Forum in Moscow.

The Food and Nutrition Council conducted Traditional leaders’ sensitization meetings on the Multi-sectoral Community Based Model for addressing food and nutrition insecurity to reduce stunting (MCBM) programme across the nine districts of Murehwa, Mutoko, Hwange, Beitbridge, Insiza, Binga, Nkayi, Kariba and Zvimba. The meetings were held between the 16th and 19th of September 2019 and were attended by Chiefs, Headmen and Councilors. The purpose of the meetings was to secure the concrete commitment of traditional leaders to the programme. It also served as a platform for outlining the roles and responsibilities of the community leaders in food and nutrition programmes as well as updating the traditional leaders on the food and nutrition situation in their respective districts.

Traditional Leaders As Conduits of Stunting Reduction -Lessons Learnt


Since traditional leaders are fully connected with their communities, their involvement as agents of change towards optimal food and nutrition security is fundamental to the MCBM approach. This is one of the critical lessons that has been learnt in the implementation of the MCBM since its pilot and scale-up phases.

Managing trade policy and climate risks are critical to supporting the more than 25 million farmers who grow cotton, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and other experts gathered at the World trade Organization for a World Cotton Day event emphasized.

Uppsala Health Summit is a recurring international policy arena for dialogue on challenges for health and healthcare, and how we can overcome them. In 2019, the discussion will be on Healthy Urban Childhoods and held in the Uppsala Castle in Sweden. Initiators are Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala County Council, Uppsala City Council and World Class Uppsala.

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FAO has launched an emergency project under its Technical Cooperation Programme to help countries in Latin America and the Caribbean fight the spread of Fusarium wilt (TR4), a fungal plant disease that can wipe out the banana crops upon which the livelihoods of millions of people depend.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 170 points in September, virtually unchanged from August and 3.3 percent higher than in the same month in 2018.

Duty Station: Kayes, Mali

Duration: 20 months (possibility of 3 months renewal depending on funding)

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Burundian forestry activist Leonidas Nzigiyimpa was awarded the 2019 Wangari Maathai ‘Forest Champion' Award in recognition of his passionate commitment and outstanding contribution to improving forests and the lives of indigenous peoples, women and youth in his country.
Food security and nutrition must be a priority in Small Island Developing States, where climate change, isolation, insufficient land resources and dietary changes that favor obesity are all particular challenges, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said at a high-level meeting.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, renewing a formal collaboration the two UN agencies began in 1977. It was signed by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.
Having Member States’ support and buy-in is paramount to FAO successfully rolling out new initiatives, such as the new Hand-in-Hand Initiative, to help accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals - especially ending poverty and hunger - and not leaving anyone behind.
Establishing a new business model based on science, data, transparency and accountability and conducive to strong partnerships with the private sector, is a major focus for FAO.