In turbulent times one feelgood gesture has connected populations across the globe. The simple act of sharing a cup of tea. We prepare tea in many ways, but this ancient ritual stretches beyond cultures. Tea is a culture in itself. Tea is bonding.
Farmers and pastoralists in the small village of Yarwa, in Sudan’s semi-arid region, face several threats to their way of life. Climate change and environmental degradation are damaging lands, destroying forests, and increasing the risk of drought, while the growth of commercial mechanized agribusiness is reducing their access to land. For a long time, small-scale farmers and pastoralists didn’t have any way of accessing finance to grow their businesses. And women, especially, were held back by societal norms, which gave them little say in financial decisions. Today, however, the 13 members of the Alwifaq women’s savings and credit group are charting a way to a better, more resilient future for their community.
Food security is caught in the crossfire in Haiti as people reel from gang violence alongside rising prices, climate shocks and the Ukraine-crisis ripple effect. 1.3 million Haitians are at risk of . has assisted more than 62,000 people with emergency assistance in the metropolitan areas this year, with over US$4.1 million in cash assistance. It plans to assist a further 145,000 in the coming months. Since mid-May, the agency has provided 44,000 hot meals to families who have been displaced by gang violence.
The number of people affected by hunger globally rose to as many as 828 million in 2021, an increase of about 46 million since 2020 and 150 million since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a United Nations that provides fresh evidence that the world is moving further away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. We must transform our agrifood systems so everyone has access to the food they need. Read the 's to learn more.
Have you ever wondered where your coffee beans come from? Chances are it was prepared in Guatemala, ninth largest coffee exporter in the world. In the remote region of Ixil, far off the beaten tracks of the northern part of the country, low literacy rates and poverty have long plagued the Maya Ixil Indigenous population. Employment opportunities are far and few between and many parents feel that they have no choice but to bring their children to work with them in coffee fields to make ends meet. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and partners in the Ixil region are tackling child labour and poverty by promoting education and safe youth employment in the coffee industry.
Producers: Anais Hotin, Charlotta Lomas
Presenter: André Vornic, FAO
Photo credit: © FAO/Santiago Billy
’s flagship publication, the , shows how efforts to make progress towards SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, are proving insufficient.
If you’re aged between 5 and 19, wants to hear from you! Use your imagination and create a poster showing a world where everyone has access to healthy and affordable food.
Through an project in Fiji, fishers learn how to access aquatic species further offshore and are given the skills and equipment they need to do it. It’s about building capacity and resilience.
Global food imports will soon hit a new record of US$1.8 trillion this year - higher prices and transport costs account for the bulk of the expected increase, according to a .
Food security means having regular access to enough safe and nutritious food to lead an active and healthy life. That makes food safety an integral part of food security.
Thanks to its nutrient-rich composition milk is the third biggest supplier of protein and the fifth largest provider of energy, improving global nutrition and strengthening human health.
Safe food is one of the most critical guarantors for good health. Only when food is safe can we fully benefit from its nutritional value and from the mental and social benefits of sharing a safe meal. In contrast, unsafe foods are the cause of many diseases. Globally, 1 in 10 people are affected by foodborne diseases annually. The good news is that most foodborne diseases are preventable. World Food Safety Day is an opportunity to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe, mainstream food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of foodborne diseases.
The is working with countries on the preparation of $12 billion of new projects for the next 15 months to respond to the food security crisis. These projects are expected to support agriculture, social protection to cushion the effects of higher food prices, and water and irrigation projects. In addition, the World Bank’s existing portfolio includes undisbursed balances of $18.7 billion in projects with direct links to food and nutrition security issues, covering agriculture and natural resources, nutrition, social protection, and other sectors.
The art of making tea dates back over 5,000 years to the Chinese Shang Dynasty. Today, globally, tea is the most popular drink, second only to water. Let's celebrate tea and the farmers who produce it!
Humans rely on a shockingly low number of plants for the majority of our daily calories. Thousands of plant species and varieties that fed our ancestors are already extinct, and we are losing more every day. Diversity is our food’s life insurance. The , established through the , supports farmers in developing countries to safeguard and use plant genetic diversity for food security and help these communities cope with climate change.