FAO Full Form, Roles and Functions

FAO full form is Food and Agriculture Organization. It is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). It was established in 1945, and its mission is to defeat hunger across the world. Check out this article to learn about FAO, its member nations, departments, roles and functions and more.

What is FAO Full Form?

FAO full form is Food and Agriculture Organization. It is a UN-agency established in 1945. It leads initiatives to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security across different parts of the world. The Latin motto of FAO is Fiat Panis, which translates to “let there be bread”. At present, the FAO has 194 Member Nations, one Member Organization and two Associate Members.

The FAO Headquarters is in Rome, Italy. Additionally, the agency has regional and field offices across 130 countries. In India, FAO commenced operations in 1948. It has an office in New Delhi. 

The goal of FAO is to provide food security for all and ensure that individuals get access to high-quality food in sufficient quantities to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle. The Director General of FAO is Qu Dongyu.

Member Nations of FAO

In total, FAO consists of 194 Member Nations. Some of them are as follows:

Departments of FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) contains the following departments:

• The Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department

• The Climate, Land, Biodiversity, and Water Department

• The Corporate Services Department

• The Economic and Social Development Department

• The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

• The Forestry Department

• The Programme Management Department and Technical Cooperation

Roles and Functions of FAO

The roles and functions of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations can be understood with the help of the following points:

• One of the important functions of FAO is to assist governments and development agencies to enhance agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and land and water resources.

• It is responsible for conducting research and providing technical assistance for various projects aimed at improving agricultural output as well as development. 

• It works with governments to implement policies and programs that directly address rural poverty - a major driver of global poverty.

• FAO supports various countries in focusing their sectoral policies on rural poor to make sure they have food security and nutritions, promote economic inclusion and increase resilience against risks. 

• It collects and analyzes data on global food production, trade and consumption. It also publishes reports regarding the state of food and agriculture.

• To address antimicrobial resistance in the food and agriculture sector, FAO collaborates with global partners and focuses on reducing microbial use and preventing resistance development.

• It promotes public-private partnerships and improves smallholder agriculture.

• It creates tools for monitoring, mitigating and warning about food-chain dangers.

• FAO conducts training and educational programmes and analyzes agricultural data to boost yield and production.

Conclusion

FAO stands for Food and Agriculture Organization. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations, and is aimed at defeating hunger and promoting food security and nutrition. It was established on 16 October, 1945, in Quebec, Canada. After this, the location of FAO was changed to Washington, D.C., United States. In the year 1951, the FAO’s location was changed to its current location, i.e., Rome, Italy. India has been a member of the FAO since 1945. The Indian office of FAO is located at New Delhi. The departments of FAO are the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, the Climate, Land, Biodiversity, and Water Department, the Corporate Services Department, the Economic and Social Development Department, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, the Forestry Department and the Programme Management Department and Technical Cooperation. To know more about FAO, we recommend you to visit their official website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is FAO full form in food?

A. FAO full form in food is Food and Agriculture Organization.

Q2. Is India a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization?

A. Yes, India has been a member country of FAO since the organization’s establishment in 1945.

Q3. How many countries are a part of FAO?

A. FAO has 194 member countries in total. 

Q4. Is the Food and Agricultural Organization a part of the United Nations? 

A. Yes, FAO is one of the key agencies of the United Nations. 

Q5. Where is the headquarters of FAO?

A. The FAO headquarters are located in Rome, Italy.

Q6. Who is the Director General of FAO?

A. FAO Director General is Qu Dongyu of China. 

Q7. When did FAO move its headquarters from Washington, D.C., US, to Rome, Italy?

A. The FAO's headquarters was moved from Washington, D.C., United States, to Rome, Italy in the year 1951. 

Q8. Who are the associate members of FAO?

A. Faroe Islands and Tokelau are the associate members of FAO.

Q9. How many departments does the FAO consist of?

A. FAO consists of 7 departments, namely, the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, the Climate, Land, Biodiversity, and Water Department, the Corporate Services Department, the Economic and Social Development Department, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, the Forestry Department and the Programme Management Department and Technical Cooperation.

Q10. Is the European Union a part of FAO?

A. Yes, the European Union (EU) has been a member organization of FAO since 26 November 1991.

Q11. What is the slogan of FAO?

A. The Latin slogan of FAO is “Fiat Panis”, which translates to “let there be bread”.

Q12. What are the reports published by FAO?

A. Reports published by FAO are the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO), the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA), the State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO), the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), etc.