FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 15 March 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

Family Farming in Asia-Pacific  
14 March 2014, Rome – The International Year of Family Farming was launched as part of a global campaign to reinforce awareness and support for small scale and family farmers around the world. The move to focus on family farmers for the international year was driven by strong advocacy from civil society, mainly the World Rural Forum. According to FAO, the contributions of these important agricultural producers is critical to the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Both in developing and developed countries, family farming is the predominant form of agriculture in the food production sector.

GM crops in traded food  
13 March 2014, Rome – There is a steady increase in incidents where low levels of GM crops are being detected in traded food and feed, FAO has said today. It is noted that this can be attributed to the increased production of genetically modified crops (GMOs) around the globe. According to FAO, the trace amounts of GM crops become mixed with non-GM food and feed crops as a result of accidents occurring during field production – for example, a field trial of a GM crop grown near a field of a non-GM crop. This could also by (…)

Asia and the Pacific: increase production
10 March 2014, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia— Government Ministers and high-level officials from nearly 40 countries are set to gather in Asia’s largest land-locked country this week to discuss ways and means to bring an end to hunger and improve food security across this vast continent. The 32nd Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, is being hosted by the Government of Mongolia and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). FAO has warned that governments in Asia and the Pacific should take some major, fundamental decisions – and soon – about (…)