Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture
Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación

Founded

1945-10-16 Québec QC Canada

History

Constitution signed in 1945 by 44 countries. Absorbed H-XH2139 - International Institute of Agriculture, set up as an intergovernmental organization on 7 Jun 1905, and H-XH1801 - International Emergency Food Council, set up 1946. As a Specialized Agency of the A-XA3375 - United Nations (UN) within F-XF1000 - United Nations System, reports annually to E-XE3377 - ECOSOC.

Aims

Contribute towards an expanding world economy and ensure humanity's freedom from hunger by: raising the level of nutrition and living standards of people in member countries; securing improvement in the efficiency of production and distribution of all food and agricultural products; bettering the living conditions of rural populations.

Events

Activities

Structure

Significant restructuring from 1994 onwards has decentralized operations and streamlined procedures.

I. /Governing Bodies/:

'Conference', meets in odd-numbered years, comprising all Members and Associate Members, and includes Chairperson and Secretary-General. 'Council', normally holding at least 5 session in a biennium, and containing 49 Member Nations. K-XK0546 - Committee on World Food Security (CFS). 'Regional Conferences': Africa (ARC); Asia and the Pacific (APRC); Europe (ERC); Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC); Near East (NERC). 'Council Committees' (3): Programme; Finance; Constitutional and Legal Matters. 'Technical Committees' (4): Agriculture (COAG); Commodity Problems (CCP); Fisheries (COFI); Forestry (COFO).

II. /Statutory Bodies/ - by subject matter:

• 'Agriculture':
  • European Commission on Agriculture (ECA), set up 1949 monitors F-XF5077 - European System of Cooperative Research Networks in Agriculture (ESCORENA);
  • Panel of Eminent Experts on Ethics in Food and Agriculture.
• 'Animal Production and Health':
  • E-XE9649 - Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA);
  • E-XE1391 - Commission on Livestock Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LDAC);
  • E-XD0626 - European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EUFMD);
  • Panel of PAAT Advisory Group Coordinators.
• 'Commodities and Trade':
  • Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal;
  • E-XE4198 - Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and on Tropical Fruits;
  • E-XE3038 - Intergovernmental Group on Citrus Fruit;
  • E-XE3056 - Intergovernmental Group on Grains;
  • E-XE3073 - Intergovernmental Group on Hard Fibres (IGG on Hard Fibres);
  • E-XE3046 - Intergovernmental Group on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres (IGG on Jute, Kenal and Allied Fibres);
  • E-XE3014 - Intergovernmental Group on Meat and Dairy Products, including
    • E-XE3031 - Intergovernmental Group on Oilseeds, Oils and Fats;
    • E-XE3066 - Intergovernmental Group on Rice;
    • E-XE3069 - Intergovernmental Group on Tea.
  • 'Fisheries':
    • Advisory Committee on Fisheries Research;
    • E-XE1023 - Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC);
    • E-AA1981 - Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission (CACFish);
    • 'COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture';
    • 'COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade';
    • E-XE9953 - Comisión de Pesca Continental y Acuicultura para América Latina y el Caribe (COPESCAALC);
    • E-XE0139 - Committee for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture of Africa (CIFAA);
    • 'Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics';
    • E-XE1070 - European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC);
    • E-XE9778 - Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF);
    • E-XE0994 - General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM);
    • E-XE2029 - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC);
    • E-XM0774 - Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI);
    • E-XM0772 - South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC);
    • E-XE3487 - Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC).
  • 'Food Policy and Nutrition':
    • E-XE8700 - Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC);
    • Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes;
    • Codex Committee on Cocoa Products and Chocolate;
    • Codex Committee on Contaminents in Food;
    • Codex Committee on Fats and Oils;
    • Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products;
    • Codex Committee on Food Additives;
    • Codex Committee on Food Hygiene;
    • Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems;
    • Codex Committee on Food Labelling;
    • Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables;
    • Codex Committee on General Principles;
    • Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene;
    • Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling;
    • Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products;
    • Codex Committee on Natural Mineral Waters;
    • Codex Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses;
    • Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues;
    • Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables;
    • Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods;
    • Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs;
    • Codex Committee on Sugars;
    • Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins;
    • Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA);
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA);
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Europe (CCEURO);
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC);
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and the South West Pacific (CCCNASWP);
    • FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East;
    • E-XE6099 - Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
  • 'Forestry':
    • Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI);
    • E-XE9583 - African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC);
    • E-XE6407 - AFWC/EFC/NEFC Committee on Mediterranean Forestry Questions - Silva Mediterranea;
    • E-XE9622 - Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC);
    • E-XE6120 - European Forestry Commission (EFC);
    • E-XE2371 - International Poplar Commission (IPC);
    • E-XE1755 - Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission (LACFC);
    • E-XE4876 - Near East Forestry Commission (NEFC);
    • E-XE5873 - North American Forestry Commission (NAFC).
  • 'Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture':
    • Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
    • Ad Hoc Technical Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
    • E-XE6950 - Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA);
    • Governing Body of K-XK1387 - Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-AnGR);
    • Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
    • Panel of Experts on Forest Gene Resources.
  • 'Land and Water Development';
  • E-XE2076 - Agricultural and Land and Water Use Commission for the Near East (ALAWUC).
• 'Plant Production and Protection':
  • E-XE3927 - Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC);
  • E-XE9590 - Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region (CRC);
  • E-XE9706 - Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in South-West Asia (SWAC);
  • E-XE9584 - FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region;
  • Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM);
  • U-XK0863 - FAO Desert Locust Control Committee (DLCC);
  • T-XT5116 - International Plant Protection Convention, 1951 (IPPC);
  • Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM);
  • Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR);
  • Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Specifications (JMPS);
  • Standards Committee;
  • Subsidiary Body on Dispute Settlement (SBDS).
• 'Statistics':
  • E-XE9654 - African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS);
  • E-XE9186 - Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (APCAS);
  • FAO/ECE/CES Study Group on Food and Agricultural Statistics in Europe;
  • FAO/OEA-CIE/IICA Working Group on Agricultural and Livestock Statistics for Latin America and the Caribbean.

III. /Regional Offices/ (5):

• E-XE9659 - FAO Regional Office for Africa (FAO/RAF);
• E-XE0151 - FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP);
• E-XE9681 - FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (FAO/REU);
• E-XE9569 - FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (FAO/RLC);
• E-XE0365 - FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa.

IV. /Director-General/ heads Offices, Departments and Divisions. Departments (6): Agriculture and Consumer Protection; Economic and Social Development; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; Corporate Services; Human Resources and Finance; Technical Cooperation. Programmes/projects functioning in the above departments include:

F-XF4072 - FAO GLOBEFISH; E-XE0361 - FAO Investment Centre.

Languages

Staff

Finance

Relations with Inter-Governmental Organizations

Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Publications

Members

Type I Classification

Type II Classification

Subjects ^*

UN Sustainable Development Goals ^**

UIA Org ID

XB0971

Last News

2023