Food and Agriculture Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that works for raising the living standards of people around the globe through higher food production, better quality of food, adherence to food safety standards, enhancing food storage and distribution capacity. Food and Agriculture Organization commonly known as FAO helps the member states of it help increase its food production capacity and face challenges in food distribution and production.

FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy and has regional offices throughout the world. This organization helps the states even with matters of fisheries, forestry, agriculture, land and water resources etc. It has currently, 197 member states and 49 members serving in the executive council.

FAO consists of :

1. Conference

This organ consists of all member states represented by their members. They meet once in every two years to review the work being done by FAO and to lay down plans and budget for the future.

2. Council

This organ consists of 27 member states elected by the conference that serve 3 year tenure on rotational basis. Council acts as an interim governing body for the organization.

3. Director General

Director General is elected by the Council of FAO and appointed by the Conference of FAO. He/She administers the institution in day to day work and proceedings.

FAO consists of eight departments which are:

1. Agriculture and Consumer protection

2. Climate

3. Biodiversity

4. Land and Water department

5. Economic and Social Development

6. Fisheries and Aquaculture

7. Forestry

8. Corporate Services and Technical Cooperation and Program management.

FAO works in multiple departments to combat global issues relating to food. FAO has played an imperative role in the previous decades in fighting global hunger and reducing global poverty. This organization understands the gravity of solving food related problems and how diverse these issues are. FAO doesn't work within constraints; rather it has helped many states in fighting global hunger without any prejudices and discrimination. This organization has never shown a xenophobic attitude towards any member and continues to serve in diverse ways.

Every year, FAO publishes a number of major 'State of the World' reports related to food, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and natural resources.

1. The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets

2. The State of Food and Agriculture

3. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

4. The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

5. The State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture

6. The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources

7. The State of the World's Forests

8. The State of the World's Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture

9. The State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

10. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture

11. Status of the World's Soil Resources

FAO programs by its food department have been mentioned below:

1. Codex Alimentarius

2. World Food Summit

3. TeleFood

4. FAO Goodwill Ambassador

5. Right to Food Guidelines

6. Response to food crisis

7. EU partnership

8. Food security programmes

9. Online campaign against hunger

10. 75 years of the FAO[edit]

FAO programs by its agriculture department have been mentioned below:

1. International Plant Protection Convention

2. Plant Treaty (ITPGRFA)

3. Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition

4. Integrated pest management

5. Tran boundary pests and diseases

6. Global Partnership Initiative for Plant Breeding Capacity Building

7. Investment in agriculture

8. Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

9. Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA)

10. Animal Genetic Resources