FAO-led global COVID-19 Food Coalition gains momentum

The initiative, launched by the Government of Italy and led by FAO, is gaining momentum, as more countries are joining the initiative in an effort to tackle medium and long-term adverse impacts of the current pandemic on food systems and agriculture.
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Strengthened Action on Nutrition in the COVID-19 Response

Putting healthy, affordable and sustainable diets at the heart of a human-rights based response to COVID-19

This narrative was created by members of the UN Interagency Task Force on NCD’s Nutrition Working Group. Members represent UN agencies and partner organisations who work collaboratively to raise awareness and strengthen action towards reducing all forms of malnutrition and diet-related NCDs. 

Read the full advocacy piece here.

The narrative advocates for strengthened action on nutrition to stem the rising food and nutrition crisis that threatens to violate human rights and worsen what is already the leading cause of ill health globally – malnutrition.

It details both the pathways through which the impact of COVID-19 is likely to impact on nutrition, as well as providing a list of areas where UN agencies and their inter-governmental organization partners have focused attention to advance the nutrition agenda and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on malnutrition.

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IKEA Foundation contributes $3.5 million to support FAO’s work with refugees and host communities in eastern Africa

Many of the refugees have been present in the countries for long periods of time; some have fled past conflicts in neighboring countries such as Somalia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, and Eritrea, but others have been forced from their homes by famine or environmental events such as droughts and floods.
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FAO unveils platform to help accelerate action on reducing food loss and waste

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today unveiled a comprehensive platform to help the global community step up action to reduce food loss and waste as the UN agency and partners call for increased efforts and gear up for the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste – to be marked for the first time on 29 September 2020.
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Webinar: Building Forward Better with Aquatic Foods

Wednesday, 29 July 2020 - 16:30-18:00 Rome time

Register here

COVID-19 has exasperated efforts to improve food and nutrition security around the world, demonstrating our food systems are not prepared to withstand shocks. As research agendas pivot to COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience; our challenge is not to restore the old food systems but to transform them to do better for people and planet. 
 
Aquatic foods must be part of this solution. They are highly regenerative and naturally rich in the micronutrients that humans need. Despite their importance, aquatic food systems are frequently overlooked in important policy and investment decisions due to the critical gaps in knowledge needed to address the complex challenges set out in the 2030 global sustainable development agenda, made now even more urgent by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
This discussion forum, hosted by WorldFish and partners, seeks to build a concerted, science-based approach to ensure aquatic foods are an integral part of the response and recovery to COVID-19 and the transformation of global food systems towards healthier and sustainable diets. 

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CFS-FSC Webinar: Making Food Systems Work for Healthy Diets

28 July 2020, 2:00 to 3:30pm (Rome time)

Through an interactive discussion, this event will offer participants an opportunity to learn about the work of the gFSC and the initiatives under the CFS, especially the relevance of the Guidelines. Discussions will touch on ways to promote their use in shaping policies and coordinated action at country and regional levels.

Panelists will provide an overview of the work of the CFS and its role in the global governance of food security and nutrition, present the content of the Guidelines with particular attention to the policy recommendations included in Part 3, and present ideas on how UN agencies and bodies could promote their implementation.

More specifically, the webinar will:

  • Familiarize participants with the CFS and showcase examples of its processes and products;
  • Introduce participants to the current version of the Guidelines, its core messages and overarching goals;
  • Stimulate a discussion on the potential role of the Guidelines in steering policymakers and relevant stakeholders when designing policies, laws, regulatory frameworks, strategies, and programmes at local, country, and regional levels;
  • Reflect on potential areas of collaboration between the CFS and the gFSC, with particular attention to the potential use of CFS products – and more specifically the Guidelines – in support of the gFSC’s coordination activities, strategic programming and operations.

Flyer

Concept note

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Kenya beats back desert locust upsurge for now, but East Africa remains at risk

Q&A with Cyril Ferrand, FAO’s Resilience Team Leader for East Africa
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FAO and Russian Federation sign Contribution Agreement to ramp up fight against desert locusts, help affected communities

The $10 million agreement was signed today by FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Rome-based UN Agencies Victor Vasiliev during a virtual ceremony.
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Webinar: Critical Action for Nutrition Equity

Thrusday 23rd July, 10:00-11:30 (EDT)

Register here

Recent developments – including the COVID-19 pandemic – have highlighted that our food and nutrition systems have not treated populations in developed or developing countries equally. Those suffering from the outcome of inequities - the poor, women and children, minorities, refugees and those living in fragile or conflict states - are disproportionately experiencing the negative consequences of hunger and undernourishment. 

Today, the ultimate outcome of this disparity is glaring. Globally, 1 out of 9 people is hungry or undernourished while 1 out of 3 is overweight or obese. Many countries are experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with overweight, obesity and other diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCD’s).

Join FAO North America and the Alliance to End Hunger for a panel of global food and nutrition experts who will discuss the effects of inequitable food systems on nutrition and share sustainable solutions in both policy and practice.

Join the conversation on Twitter using the #NutritionEquity during the webinar. 

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United Kingdom supports FAO’s desert locust-fighting efforts with £ 17 million contribution

The funds come via the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and are in addition to a previous contribution of £ 8 million donated earlier this year for the desert locust appeal. The contribution from the United Kingdom will scale up ongoing efforts in East Africa, Yemen and Southwest Asia.
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FAO and Islamic Development Bank strengthen partnership with new cooperation agreement

The Memorandum of Understanding - the first to be signed virtually by the IsDB - will also focus on project design/implementation, policy advice and knowledge-sharing to increase the joint impact of both FAO and the Bank's work in the agricultural sectors.
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Yemen sees return to alarming levels of food insecurity

Economic shocks, conflict, floods, desert locusts and now COVID-19 are creating a perfect storm that could reverse hard-earned food security gains in Yemen, warns the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners.
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