15 May 2012 – Sub-Saharan Africa cannot sustain its present economic growth unless it eliminates the hunger that is affecting almost a quarter of its people, according to a new United Nations report launched today, which calls for new approaches to empower local communities to ensure food security in the region.

15 May 2012, Rome - Measures to improve regional food security by cutting food losses and waste and by mitigating and adapting to climate change will be considered by FAO's Regional Conference for the Near East.     

Land and water constraints severely limit the potential for increased food production to feed a Near Eastern population set to grow from 380 million to 520 million in 2030. In addition to improving land and water management, lower food losses and waste would help provide the extra food without putting additional pressure on limited land and water resources.

 11 May 2012, Rome - In a landmark decision the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) today endorsed a set of far-reaching global guidelines aimed at helping governments safeguard the rights of people to own or access land, forests and fisheries.

The new Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security outline principles and practices that governments can refer to when making laws and administering land, fisheries and forests rights.

10 May 2012 – A major funding gap is threatening efforts to boost food security and development in the Sahel region of West Africa and in the Horn of Africa in the east, a senior United Nations official warned today.

3 May 2012, Rome - Global food prices measured by the FAO Food Price Index fell three points or 1.4 percent from March to April 2012 but seem to have stabilized at a relatively high level of 214 points, FAO said today.

The fall was the first after three consecutive months of increases and although the index is significantly down from its record level of 235 points in April 2011, it is still well above the figures of under 200 which preceded the 2008 food crisis.

2 May 2012 – At least one million children are at risk of dying of malnutrition in the central-western part of Africa’s Sahel region due to a drought crisis, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today, adding that more resources are urgently needed to help those in need.

2 May 2012 – Expanding Africa’s shift towards organic farming will have beneficial effects on the continent’s nutritional needs, the environment, farmers’ incomes, markets and employment, the deputy head of the United Nations trade and development body said today.

28 April, 2012, Rio de Janeiro - A project aimed at using research and education to tackle growing global concerns over the negative health implications of poor nutrition and also improve food security was officially launched during the World Nutrition Rio Congress 2012 in Rio today.

A narrowing of variety in people's diets, with nutritionally-poor processed foods dominating the dinner table, has led to a raft of health issues. One third of the world's population is suffering from hunger and micronutrient malnutrition, while obesity and diet-related chronic illnesses have reached critical levels.

30 April 2012, Brazzaville – The creation of an African-funded trust fund to support food security in the continent was discussed at FAO’s Regional Conference for Africa, held last week in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

Complementing international resource mobilization, the Africa Trust Fund would raise resources in the continent to fight hunger and would also allow for the scaling up of successful activities to prevent and respond to food and agriculture crises in the region.

In support of the proposal, civil society organizations attending the Regional Conference made a symbolic donation to the trust fund.

Ending hunger and malnutrition is an essential part of sustainable development. It is a goal that can be achieved. To do so, policies and investments for food and nutrition security should have the following characteristics: a. Encouraging the production of more food while — at the same time — protecting natural resources and supporting inclusive rural development;
b. Reducing waste and losses along the food value chain from producer to consumer ;
c. Enabling all people to secure year- 4. round access to the varieties of food required for good nutrition, including through stable, open, well-functioning markets and food supply systems;