The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Founded in 1945, the FAOs goals are to improve nutrition and living standards for people around the world, improve agricultural productivity, better the condition of rural populations, and contribute to global economic development. In order to achieve these goals, the FAO works with governments, civil society, international organizations, NGOs, and partners ranging from the private sector to universities and research institutes.
The FAOs mandate is to reduce hunger and malnutrition, achieve food security, improve agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Its activities focus on five main areas: increased agricultural production, improved economic conditions in rural areas, better nutrition and health outcomes, improved food systems and market access, and policy and institutional reform.
The FAO is organized into four main bodies: the Conference, the Council, the Director-General, and the Secretariat. The Conference, which meets at least every two years, is the FAOs governing body and is composed of delegations from all member nations. The Council, which meets about once a year, is the executive organ of the FAO and makes sure the organizations activities are in line with directives and decisions of the Conference. The Director-General is the head of the organization and is responsible for carrying out the FAOs day-to-day activities. Finally, the Secretariat, led by the Director-General, assists the Council by providing advice, technical services, and research.
The FAO develops and promotes policy options and strategies to improve food security, and advocates for national policies and international agreements to be implemented in pursuit of those goals. To that end, it organizes training sessions and workshops, serves as a source of reliable data and analysis, and acts as a forum for global and regional exchange. It also spearheads groundbreaking initiatives like the SUN (Scaling Up Nutrition) Movement, which brings together governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses, and researchers to identify, implement, and evaluate nutrition-sensitive policies and programs.
At the same time, the FAO works increasingly at the local level, with a growing number of partnerships with civil society organizations and networks, often in the form of National Programmes. These programmes, which cover areas such as nutrition, food safety, and farming, are often based on the specific needs of the communities being served.
The FAOs ultimate goal is to increase food security for all and work towards achieving zero hunger. In line with this goal, it strives to ensure that all individuals have access to nutritious and safe food and that poverty and food insecurity are eliminated. The FAO works with its partners to support a wide range of activities that can lead to sustainable and equitable economic growth, including iinitiatives like school feeding and nutrition programmes, support for small-scale farmers, and support for rural infrastructure.
The FAO operates in close collaboration with other United Nations organizations and agencies and with other international organizations and bodies. It also provides technical assistance and advice to a variety of other partners and stakeholders, including national governments, research institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Through these partnerships, the FAO is able to address the underlying causes of food insecurity and bring concerted international attention to local needs.
