FAO welcomes agreement by World Trade Organization

FAO has welcomed an agreement by World Trade Organization (WTO) member states through the recently adopted "Nairobi Package" to move towards eliminating export subsidies involving agricultural products. However, it also noted that differences remain over other measures aimed at creating fairer global trading conditions, in particular for developing countries.
The declaration includes a number of decisions in relation to the Agreement on Agriculture. The agreement was issued on Dec. 19 at the conclusion of the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
Four ministerial decisions were adopted, addressing the following:

• Export competitiveness through the elimination of many export subsidies by all countries by 2018
• Allowing developing countries to continue, for the time being, public stockpiling for food security
• The Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for developing countries to make recourse to when facing a surge of imports
• A commitment by developed countries to provide duty-free and quota-free access to cotton exporters from less developed countries from 2016, provided that this is compatible with existing agreements.

While welcoming the Nairobi agreement, FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva stressed the need for a global trade framework in which countries can balance the pursuit of their national food security and development objectives without harming their trading partners.
"The continued uncertainty on how to negotiate such a framework is worrying in a world in which global agricultural trade is likely to grow in importance in the coming decades as patterns of consumption and production continue to evolve," the FAO Director-General said.
"Greater participation in global trade is therefore inevitable for most countries, however, the process of opening further to trade, and its consequences, will need to be well managed if trade is to improve food security," he added.
Trade and food security
Graziano da Silva also referred to FAO's recently released The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO) 2015-16, which stresses how trade affects all four dimensions of food security: food availability, access, utilization and stability.
It also notes how trade and related policies affect the different dimensions of food security in ways that vary across and even within countries, and how these change over time as countries develop. Balancing short-run and long-run objectives is becoming vitally important considering that the nature of disruptions varies enormously and that market shocks will likely become more frequent due to geopolitical, weather and policy-induced uncertainties.
While efforts to intervene and shield domestic markets from global price volatility could in fact lead to increased domestic price volatility, agricultural incentives play an important role in in boosting agricultural production and efficiency and fostering broader economic growth, the report said.
Strengthening trade governance
Trade and food security concerns can be better reconciled in the multilateral trading system by improving the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture. Striking the right balance between better trade policy disciplines and the policy space sought by developing countries has however proved difficult.
In the new edition of SOCO, FAO argues that stepping back to resolve underlying national concerns and priorities may well offer the best way forward. It notes how policy coherence for food security needs to be strengthened, thus enabling governments to better design trade policies, while improving compliance with regional and global trade frameworks.

José Graziano da Silva re-elected FAO Director-General

Incumbent FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva has been re-elected to a second term in the organization's top post with the highest number of votes ever in the history of the organization--177 out of 182. 
Nominated by Brazil, da Silva was the only candidate during this year's election cycle. His new term will run from July 31, 2015 to through July 2019. The election took place on the first day of FAO's biennial Governing Conference, June 6-13. Graziano da Silva is the eighth FAO Director-General since the organization's founding in 1945.
Addressing the plenary after his re-election, Graziano da Silva reaffirmed FAO´s commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition.
Since taking up the post of FAO Director-General in 2012, Graziano da Silva has spearheaded major transformational changes within the organization, making FAO more responsive to its members' needs.
He sharpened the focus of FAO's work on five strategic objectives, with the new goal of totally eradicating hunger and malnutrition.
He also reinforced institutional capacities in the agency's headquarters and in the field; found significant cost-savings by streamlining administrative procedures; increased collaboration with external partners; and enhanced support for South-South Cooperation.
Graziano da Silva joined FAO in 2006 as the head of its regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean and was first elected Director-General in June 2011. Prior to that, he led the team that designed Brazil's highly-successful "Zero Hunger" ("Fome Zero") program and led its initial implementation

FAO raises China’s corn stocks estimate by 15 percent

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has increased its Chinese corn stocks estimate for the 2014-15 crop year by a historic 15 percent, to 95.4 million tons, reinforcing concerns that the country’s import needs may have been vastly overestimated.
FAO’s new forecast will hurt leading exporters, such as the U.S., and agricultural traders.
The revision comes after a sharp downward revision in January by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which cut its medium-term predictions for Chinese corn imports, according to a Financial Times report. The USDA’s 2014 long-term import forecast for China of 22 million tons for 2023-24 has been reduced to 6.5 million tons.
A senior economist at the FAO said there are some worries that the revised numbers were still underestimating China’s stocks levels.
FAO said it had reduced its estimates of corn used for feed for 2004-09, shifting the extra supply to inventories. As a result, inventory numbers for the past 10 years have been revised. The estimate for 2014-15 has been increased from 82.7 million tons to 95.4 million tons, which is higher than the USDA’s 79.2 million tons and the International Grain Council’s 85.7 million tons.
FAO’s increase in stock numbers coincides with bumper crops in 2012 and 2013 and an abrupt drop in consumption in recent years.

FAO to open liaison office in Moscow

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will open a liaison office in Moscow in order to strengthen cooperation links between the Russian Federation and the organization in the areas of agriculture and food security.
Under the terms of a Host Country Agreement signed at FAO headquarters, the new office is set to open later in 2015.
"The opening of the liaison office opens up new partnership opportunities in pursuit of our common goals, exploring at full capacity the country's enormous potential, knowledge and vast expertise in the areas of agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva at the signature ceremony.
The ceremony was also attended by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to FAO Alexander Gorban who said:  "We attach great importance to the opening of the Moscow office. It is intended to further expand cooperation between FAO and Russia and its specialized agencies, industry associations, agribusiness and scientists. We hope that it will also enhance joint FAO-Russian programs, promote wider dissemination of FAO knowledge in the Russian language, and strengthen FAO's position in the region in particular in the countries of Eurasian Economic Union".
Graziano da Silva also noted that the next step in the partnership would be the preparation of a Framework Agreement between the Russian Federation and FAO on strategic cooperation in agriculture and food security. Geographically, the partnership will focus on countries from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus.


Food safety and food security priority areas
The Russian Federation became an FAO Member in 2006. Since then, FAO-Russian cooperative relationship has focused on a wide array of development initiatives in parts of Europe and Asia as well elsewhere around the world. The following have been identified as priority areas of work for the two partners: food security, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, food safety and participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The importance attached by the Russian Federation to cooperation on food safety and international food standards programs is reflected in the concrete support provided to FAO food-related initiatives.

José Graziano da Silva unopposed in bid for FAO director-general

José Graziano da Silva, the current director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO), will be the only candidate in upcoming elections for the agency's top leadership post.
At the close of the January 31 deadline, the only nomination received from member countries of FAO was from Brazil, which nominated Graziano da Silva for re-election.
Election for the post of director-general for a four-year term of office starting on August 2015 will take place during the 39th FAO Conference , scheduled for June 6-13.
Members will cast their vote on a one-country-one vote basis in a secret ballot which requires a simple majority for a valid outcome.
Graziano da Silva was first elected in June 2011. Directors-general may serve only two consecutive terms.
Graziano da Silva has worked on issues of food security, rural development and agriculture for more than 30 years.
Since assuming his mandate as FAO director-general in 2012, he has spearheaded major transformational changes within the organization. These reforms have entailed refocusing FAO’s work, reinforcing its institutional capacities, strengthening partnerships with civil society, private sector and academia and boosting FAO's support for South-South cooperation. Prior to serving as the director-general, he was the FAO assistant director-general.

FAO: Global food prices have stabilized

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  freeimages.com/Sarej

  TheFAO, in its monthly food price index, said global food prices have stabilized after several volatile years.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in its monthly food price index, said global food prices have stabilized after several volatile years. The food price index tracks the prices of major food commodities, such as vegetable oils, sugar, cereals, meat and dairy products on international markets.
  The FAO says the food price index has been stable for three consecutive months, with average prices 6.4 percent below those of November 2013.
  “The index appears to have bottomed out with higher probabilities for a rise in its value in coming months,” said FAO senior economist Abdolreza Abbassian.
  Vegetable oils and grains were up slightly in November. Sugar was down 3.2 percent since October. Dairy prices were down 3.4 percent from October. Meat prices are at a historically high level, but stable in November compared with the previous month. Cereal prices were up significantly for the first time since March, 2.6 percent higher than in October. Vegetable oil prices were down 17 percent from last year, but up slightly from October.

FAO chief calls for global changes in farming

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) met this week in Rome.
  FAO Secretary General Jose Graziano da Silva covered various topics in his remarks, including agroecology, malnutrition and food insecurity, and climate-smart agriculture.
  Scientific evidence on agroecology was presented during the meeting. According to a piece from OxFam America, among the evidence presented was how the right trees, in the right arrangement, at the right location yields benefits in terms of improved soil fertility, food and income.
  Also during the meeting, Graziano da Silva said European governments must help combat hunger and malnutrition on a global level, as failure to do so will boost migration flows and stoke conflicts.
  Graziano da Silva also called for a “paradigm shift” in approaches to overhauling global food systems, making them healthier and more sustainable. He said agroecology, climate-smart agriculture, biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organisms should be explored.
   “We need to explore these alternatives using an inclusive approach based on science and evidences, not on ideologies,” as well as to “respect local characteristics and context,” he said.
  Graziano da Silva urged members of the FAO’s Committee on Agriculture (COAG) to consider the importance of family farming in all aspects of its agenda. 

FAO Meat Price Index rises in July

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) revealed that its July FAO Meat Price Index increased by 1.8 percent when compared June and 14.1 percent when compared to July 2013. While the increases to the index are largely attributed to rising beef prices, higher poultry and sheep meat prices also contributed, the FAO stated.
The FAO Meat Price Index for July was 204.8 points, up 3.7 points from June and 25.4 points year-over-year. July marked the fifth consecutive month where meat prices rose.
FAO Food Price Index decreases
In contrast to the FAO Meat Price Index, the FAO Food Price Index decreased due to a sharp decline in grains and oilseeds. It was the fourth consecutive month for the decrease, averaging 203.9 points in July, down 4.4 points or 2.1 percent from the June figure.
The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 185.4 points in July, down 10.7 points or 5.5 percent from June and 36.9 points or 16.6 percent below the levels of July 2013. The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index, averaged 181.1 points in July, down 7.7 points from June or 4.1 percent. The drop is largely driven by falling soybean prices and a projected record supply of soybeans with a strong U.S. crop.

FAO-IEC egg seminar yields commitment to up egg production

The second joint Food and Agriculture Organization and International Egg Commission seminar drew egg industry leaders from numerous countries with all expressing a commitment to increase egg production and consumption. 
The second joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Egg Commission (IEC) seminar for egg producer organizations took place June 9-10 in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Members of producer organizations from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe were joined by FAO and IEC members from Australia, Canada and South Africa for this two-day seminar, with representatives from each country presenting plans on how to increase egg production and consumption.
Topics such as egg and human nutrition, poultry health, housing systems, the role of egg producer organizations and financing for small business were discussed with a number of experts from the FAO and the private sector.
Building upon the success of the initial joint FAO-IEC Egg Capacity Building seminar held in Lusaka, Zambia, in September 2013, the seminar was held in conjunction with AVI Africa, the annual conference organized by the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) and the largest poultry exhibit in Africa.
Rhodnie Sisala, recently elected as chairperson of the Poultry Association of Zambia commented: “This program should continue in order to consolidate what has been learned and continue to share experiences across the Southern African region.  Our organization is keen to implement some of the ideas presented during the past two days.”
Dr. Vincent Guyonnet from the IEC commented: “The seminar was extremely positive, with the two-day event ending with each country presenting some plans of action to grow egg production and egg consumption in their local markets.  IEC members and FAO staff will continue to provide support to delegates and work together over the coming months to focus on fine-tuning these plans and identifying ways to finance these proposals and implement them.”
Dr. Olaf Thieme from the FAO said: “The inclusion of all stakeholders of the poultry values chains – including small and large producers – in the formulation of national action plans will be important for achieving a sustainable development of the poultry sector that will contribute to reduction of poverty and malnutrition.”

FAO posts draft environmental guidelines for poultry

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has posted three of its draft guidelines for assessing the environmental impact of global livestock production, including its guidelines for poultry. The FAO Life Cycle Assessment guidelines, developed by the organization's Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) with input from the international agriculture community, are open for public comment through July 31.
As the global poultry meat organization recognized by FAO, the International Poultry Council (IPC) has been involved since LEAP was formed in developing the guidelines.
The IPC has contributed financially to LEAP and has worked cooperatively with the International Egg Commission to provide two specialists to serve on the Technical Advisory Group that has worked to develop the guidelines.
Also, an IPC working group comprised of members led by Anne-Marie Neeteson of Aviagen and Lara Sanfrancesco of UNAITALIA, the Italian national poultry industry organization, has been active in reviewing the guidelines.

FAO rules out human-to-animal transmission of H7N9 avian influenza

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says there is no evidence that human patients infected with H7N9 avian influenza can transmit the virus to animals, including birds. FAO referred to the first human case of H7N9 outside China, which was recently detected in Malaysia.
The patient, originally from Guangdong Province in China, where she is thought to have contracted the infection, was visiting Malaysia as a tourist and has now been hospitalized there. Guangdong is one of the Chinese provinces most affected by the H7N9 virus in 2014.
"This case does not come as a surprise and should not be a cause for increased concern, but should remind the world to remain vigilant," said FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Juan Lubroth.
"Humans that become ill with (H7N9) constitute no threat to poultry populations," Lubroth underlined.
"In fact, we have no evidence that affected people could transmit the virus to other species, including birds. The highest risk of virus introduction is uncontrolled live poultry trade between affected and unaffected areas."
People, on the other hand, become infected following close contact with infected live poultry, mostly in live bird markets or when slaughtering birds at home.
WHO risk assessments show that should infected people from affected areas travel internationally, community level spread is unlikely since the virus does not have the ability to transmit easily among humans.
Lubroth observed that "Such 'imported' human cases, like the one reported in Malaysia last week, have been found in the past in previously unaffected areas of China, like Guizhou, Taiwan Province of China and Hong Kong SAR, and we will likely continue to see this in the not too distant future again. To date the virus has not been found in poultry populations outside affected areas in China."
Birds that have contracted H7N9 do not show clinical signs, which renders early detection of the virus in poultry populations more difficult. FAO therefore urges countries to adapt their surveillance programs to include this recently emerged virus.
One of the main recommendations is to target surveillance at critical points of entry, where direct or indirect live poultry trade with infected areas might occur.

In order to reduce human exposure to zoonotic pathogens in general, biosecurity measures should be introduced or reinforced at live bird markets, including frequent cleaning and disinfection, establishing market rest days with no poultry present and applying good hygiene standards.
With the strong support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), FAO is assisting a number of member countries to prepare for a potential introduction of H7N9 into their poultry populations.

FAO is focusing in particular on high risk countries, facilitating risk assessment, contingency planning, expansion of diagnostic capabilities and risk-based surveillance.

Vice president of Diamond V to chair FAO Feed Consortium Steering Committee

Mike Goble, vice president and chief operating officer of Diamond V, has been selected to chair the Feed Consortium Steering Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Mike Goble, vice president and chief operating officer of Diamond V, has been selected to chair the Feed Consortium Steering Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  Diamond V is the world's leading supplier of nutritional fermentation products used to optimize digestive function and nutrition key to animal and aqua health.
During Goble's upcoming, 18-month chairmanship, he will be primarily focused on support of the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP) project. The international initiative represents a collaboration between the FAO and the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF). Other private sector participants include the International Dairy Federation (IDF), the International Egg Commission (IEC), the International Poultry Council (IPC) and the International Meat Secretariat (IMS).
The overarching goal of LEAP is to contribute to improved environmental performance of the livestock sector while considering social and economic viability. The partnership will contribute to the achievement of this goal as it supports decision making by providing guidance on environmental assessments and their application. LEAP promotes an exchange of data and information, technical expertise and research geared toward harmonizing the way in which livestock food chains are assessed and monitored globally in an effort to provide sustainable feed to support sustainable food.
"Mike brings extensive global industry experience to this position," said Joel G. Newman, president and CEO of the American Feed Industry Association. "He oversees the EU, China and Asia business units of Diamond V and their research and new product development functions, as well as provides overall operation leadership for Diamond V. I am confident that his diverse experience and his vision for the future of our global industry will be an asset in his leadership role of the Consortium."
"We are proud to have Mike chair the FAO Feed Consortium Steering Committee," said John Bloomhall, President and CEO of Diamond V.  "Mike epitomizes the spirit and leadership that has established Diamond V as the trusted experts in nutrition and health.
"Mike plays an integral role in helping Diamond V connect its unique competencies in microbial-based fermentation technologies with our specie-specific expertise and world-class research to create profitable solutions for customers worldwide. He has also helped us develop our human business segment which focuses fermentation technologies on supporting human health."

UN lays foundations for more drought resilience

A top-level United Nations conference has, for the first time, laid the foundations for practical and proactive national drought policies to increase resilience to the world's most destructive natural hazard.
The high-level Meeting on National Drought Policy marked the first globally-coordinated attempt to move towards science-based drought disaster risk reduction. The meeting issued a declaration encouraging governments to develop and implement national drought management policies consistent with their development objectives. It also provided detailed scientific and policy guidance on how to achieve this.
The meeting on March 11-15 was organized by the World Meteorological Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and other partners. It brought together more than 300 government decision-makers, development agencies, and leading scientists and researchers.
Brigi Rafini , Prime Minister of Niger, chaired the high-level segment, which was addressed by more than 20 ministers.
"The nature of drought and its effects on key sectors such as water, agriculture, meteorology, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, etc. call for close collaboration between these sectors and beyond in order for drought management to achieve its goals. Such collaboration has, unfortunately, been lacking. It is our hope that the collaboration between a large number of partners in the context of this high-level meeting will constitute the starting point for lifting this constraint at all levels," said Ann Tutwiler, Special Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization to the UN organizations in Geneva.
It has been estimated that droughts are the world's costliest natural disaster, accounting for $6-8 billion dollars annually, and impacting more people than any other form of natural disaster. Since 1900, over 11 million people have died as a result of droughts, and 2 billion people have been affected. The frequency, intensity, and duration of droughts are expected to rise as a result of climate change, with an increasing human and economic toll.
Since the 1970s, the land area affected by drought has doubled, undermining livelihoods, reversing development gains and entrenching poverty among millions of people who depend directly on the land. Women, children and the aged often pay the heaviest price.
Recurrent drought waves in vulnerable regions of Africa have attracted global attention because of the famines and massive social and economic disruptions. But drought affects other regions as well, as witnessed in recent years in the United States, Russia, Europe, India, Brazil and Australia, wreaking havoc on food supplies worldwide.
Presentations at the meeting showed that proactive drought management planning is now possible following major advances in science and technology, and knowledge about sustainable land management. Varied innovations also exist for national and regional drought monitoring, early warning systems, risk-based responses as well as mitigation and coping strategies.
The meeting issued a consensus declaration stressing the need for national drought management policies. Specifically, it encouraged governments to:

• Develop proactive drought impact mitigation, preventive and planning measures, risk management, fostering of science, appropriate technology and innovation, public outreach and resource management as key elements of effective national drought policy.
• Promote greater collaboration to enhance the quality of local/national/regional/global observation networks and delivery systems.
• Improve public awareness of drought risk and preparedness for drought.
• Consider, where possible within the legal framework of each country, economic instruments, and financial strategies, including risk reduction, risk sharing and risk transfer tools in drought management plans.
• Establish emergency relief plans based on sound management of natural resources and self-help at appropriate governance levels.
• Link drought management plans to local/national development policies.
Better drought management is one of the priorities of the Gloval Framework for Climate Services, now being implemented by governments with support from the United Nations. Climate services aim to increase drought resilience by improving climate information and services, especially for the most vulnerable. They will build on fast improving climate prediction capabilities.
The new group aims to give global access to improved services for four initial priority sectors - food security and agriculture, water, health and disaster risk reduction - by the end of 2017.
Outcomes of the high-level meeting will also be transmitted to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of Parties to be held in September 2013. Its last Conference in 2011 took a decision to formulate an advocacy policy framework on drought.

FAO to invest in Equatorial Guinea poultry farming

The government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have signed an agreement that calls for the FAO to invest US$3 million over three years to develop poultry farming in rural Equatorial Guinea.
This investment is part of the government's efforts to develop the country's agricultural sector and create income-generating activities in rural and urban areas. The goal of the government and the FAO is to develop a family-based poultry industry that employs modern practices. The program will provide training and resources for feeding and care of poultry stock, vaccination against diseases and general veterinary care.
Miguel Oyono Ndong Mifumu, agriculture minister of Equatorial Guinea, and Athman Mravili, Malabo representative of the FAO, signed the agreement. "The goal of this government program is to develop the agricultural regions of the country," said Ndong. "This agreement will have a positive impact in rural areas by supporting the work of its people."
The agreement provides training in the provinces and extension and implementation of a system to deliver critical pharmaceuticals.

New guide spells out biosecurity principles

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has released Good Practices for Biosecurity in the Pig Sector—Issues and Options in Developing and Transition Countries as paper #169 in its series of bulletins on animal production and health. It was published in cooperation with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Bank.
The guide was written François Madec of the French food safety authority’s veterinary research laboratory; Daniel Hurnik, University of Prince Edward Island in Canada; and Vincent Porphyre and Eric Cardinale, veterinary researchers at the CIRAD, a French agricultural research center working on issues of concern to developing countries.
The report outlines three main elements of biosecurity. The first is segregation, defined as the creation and maintenance of barriers to limit the potential opportunities for infected animals and contaminated materials to enter an uninfected site. The second is cleaning of materials, such as vehicles and equipment, that have to enter or leave a site. The third is disinfection. The guide says that disinfection, when properly applied, will inactivate any pathogen that is present on materials that have already been thoroughly cleaned.

El Nino drought hits Central American crops

A drought caused by El Nino has hurt agricultural production in much of Central America, according to NotiCen. Southeastern Guatemala appears to be the worst affected, since it came into the season with a rainfall deficit. The corn and bean harvests in October and November 2009 were far below average, leading to acute malnutrition in more than 10% of women and children.
Honduras has issues a drought warning for its entire southern half into June, while thousands of farmers in northern Nicaragua have lost crops. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reporting February crop losses of more than 50% in 23 Nicaraguan municipalities.

FAO releases ‘State of Food and Agriculture 2009’

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has released its 176-page “The State of Food and Agriculture 2009: Livestock in the Balance.”
A key message contained in the review is that growing populations and urbanization are driving expansion of the livestock sector. The FAO recognizes the growing disparity in efficiency between developed and developing nations with respect to crop yields and livestock production.

FAO calls for $23M for agricultural recovery in Haiti

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is seeking $23M in international aid to help Haiti’s agricultural sector recover from the recent earthquake, according to Food Ingredients First.
The aid would support both farms and small-scale “backyard” farming throughout the country, as the collapse of Port au Prince is expected to reverberate throughout the entire country’s economy. It would also be used to repair agricultural infrastructure, such as irrigation canals and food processing facilities.
About 80% of Haitians farm for subsistence or trade, but half are nonetheless undernourished, according to FAO. They need to learn better production methods and get access to equipment and small livestock for backyard egg and milk production, officials say. The next planting season begins in March.

FAO study offers Cambodia ways to prevent avian flu

A study from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) suggests Cambodia better control and regulate imported poultry and increase market hygiene to best prevent the spread of avian flu, according to reports.
Import border control, transport and marketing regulation and a veterinary law would help in attaining these higher standards, the report stated.
Multiple studies were done by local FAO partners during the past two years to research the spread of avian flu and potential ramifications for producers.