FAO Activities

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Activities

Introduction to FAO Activities

Functions of the FAO include collecting, analyzing, and distributing information about nutrition, food, and agriculture; fostering conservation of natural resources; and promoting both adequate national and international agricultural-credit policies and international agricultural-commodity arrangements. Among its projects are the development of basic soil and water resources; the international exchange of new types of plants; the control of animal diseases and plant diseases; and the provision to needy member nations of technical assistance in such fields as nutrition, food preservation, irrigation, soil conservation, and reforestation. In recent years, the FAO has worked to develop new plant mutations by using radioactive materials, to aid developing nations in cultivating fast-growing varieties of crops such as rice and wheat, and to establish monitoring networks to warn of possible food shortages (such as the current potential for widespread starvation in Africa).

In 1974 the FAO helped organize the World Food Conference, held in Rome, which considered the critical problem of maintaining adequate food supplies. On the recommendation of the conference, the FAO expanded its information-gathering services to facilitate improved worldwide food security.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about FAO Activities in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to FAO Activities

In this Section

Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO Structure and FAO Activities.