FAO Podcasts

All around the world, people, plants and animals are dying from infections that cannot be treated – even with the best medicines available. That's because of the rise in antimicrobial resistance - the increasing failure of antibiotics and other life-saving drugs to treat diseases. It's a global problem that threatens to be the next pandemic, as Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption explains.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO. Photo: ©FAO/ Luis Tato

The COVID-19 pandemic could threaten global food security if urgent action is not taken, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The UN agency has launched a COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, which aims to mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic while also strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods. In this podcast, FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol details the plan and calls for a global coordinated response to the crisis. 

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO. Photo: ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano / FAO.

Sudan has been hit by devastating floods; the worst seen in decades. More than 600,000 households (2.9 million people) have been impacted across 17 of the country’s 18 states, with homes destroyed and farmland damaged just ahead of the harvest season. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is calling for urgent funding to support Sudan, a country already facing alarmingly high rates of hunger and food insecurity. Dominique Burgeon, the Director of FAO’s Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, has just returned from a mission to Sudan.

Producer & Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO. Photo credit:©FAO/Montser Elsaddig.

August 19th marks World Humanitarian Day, a day to commemorate the humanitarian workers worldwide who are protecting and saving the lives of millions. 2020 has been a particularly challenging year as a result of the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this podcast we hear from Meshack Malo, FAO representative for South Sudan.

Deforestation and desertification impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveals big gains in forest protection but that it’s still not enough to meet global targets. FAO Senior Forestry Officer Anssi Pekkarinen explains how data can help boost protection.

Interview: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.

The number of hungry people worldwide continues to rise, according to the latest report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. The joint report by UN agencies gauges whether the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger remains achievable. To learn more we’re joined by FAO’s Assistant Director General and Chief Economist Maximo Torero via Zoom.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.

The pandemic's impact across the Pacific has been immense. For many countries in the region, imported foods constitute half of a person's food intake. If the pandemic continues, and the global and local supply chain is affected, it will disrupt the region's food systems, explains Eriko Hibi, FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Pacific and Representative to thirteen Pacific States.

Interview: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.

300 kilometers south of Tunis, in the Gulf of Gabes, women have long harvested clams to generate an income. The seasonal work is often labor intensive and poorly paid. That is why FAO, in collaboration with the Tunisian government and a local women’s association, have created a pilot project to support the women in securing a fairer price for their clams, and it’s having all kinds of other benefits.

Producers: Annie Ho, Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin. Presenter: Charlotta Lomas. Photo: ©FAO/Amine Landoulsi

It’s the worst Desert Locust outbreak in decades for many countries in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are most affected by the locust swarms. To date, the swarms have spread to a total of seven countries, including nearby Djibouti, Eritrea and Uganda. As the situation continues to deteriorate, FAO warns there’s a growing risk the pests could migrate to more neighboring countries.

Report: Charlotta Lomas, FAO

In 2013, FAO launched the Blue Growth Initiative, which supports the development of aquatic resources and the communities that depend on them.

Today, innovators across the globe are coming up with new and exciting ways to harness the ocean’s resources sustainably, from blue fish fashion to the medical use of fish skin. These creative inventions offer potential alternative income generating opportunities for fisheries communities worldwide.

Lucy Hughes is the inventor of MarinaTex, a bioplastic made from fish waste. The graduate student's innovation won the 2019 James Dyson Award.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO. Photo: © 2020 Lucy Hughes, MarinaTex.