About

The Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity and to better the condition o rural populations. Today, FAO is the largest specialized agency in the United Nations system and the lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development. An intergovernmental organization, FAO has 174 Member Nations. Pakistan became a member on 7 September 1947 and the FAO was thus one of the first UN specialized agencies that Pakistan joined.

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

FAO gives practical help to developing countries through a wide range of technical assistance projects. The Organization encourages an integrated approach, with environmental, social and economic considerations included in the formulation of development projects and programmes.

INFORMATION

FAO collects, analyses, interprets and disseminates information relating to nutrition, food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It serves as a clearing-house, providing farmers, scientists, traders and government planners with the information they need to make rational decisions on planning, investment, marketing, research and training.

ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT

Drawing on its widespread information networks and the skills and experience of its technical staff, FAO provides independent advice on agricultural policy and planning and the administrative and legal structures needed for development. It includes national strategies towards rural development, increased food security and the alleviation of poverty.

NEUTRAL FORUM

The Organization acts as a neutral forum where all nations can meet to discuss and formulate a collective policy on major food and agricultural issues. FAO approves international standards, helps frame international conventions and agreements and regularly hosts major conferences, technical meetings and consultations of experts.

FIFTY YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

FAO attaches great importance to Pakistan, which has a large rural population with agriculture as a major economic force. In line with its global mandate and the existing status of agriculture in the country, the major objectives of the FAO programme are to assist the government and people of Pakistan in:-

Policy analysis and advice

Providing policy support and advice in a number of key areas for agricultural development.

Institutional and organizational strengthening

Helping the agricultural sector in reforming and strengthening certain existing institutions and in establishing new ones in other areas of potential. These institutions serve as centres of excellence and provide the required technical backstopping on a sustainable basis.

Organizational strengthening

Focusing on community participation in all stages of development. Depending upon the nature of activities, farmers- are organized to continue and sustain the development process. Farmers' organizations are also encouraged and motivated to pursue local resource mobilization and attempt to obtain better services as a group. The community organizations are effective in production and procurement of quality agricultural inputs, access to credit, collective marketing, private fish fanning and rehabilitation of natural forest resources.

Human resource development

Playing a significant role in assisting the government and the communities in human resource development, as a basic prerequisite for achieving sustainable development. To increase the pool of knowledge and expertise of government officials, FAO awards scholarships in foreign universities and arranges study tours and short-term training abroad. Some government officials and farmers are also provided training opportunities within the country. In addition, the Organization arranges a large number of seminars and workshops to highlight new concepts in the agricultural sector and to bring out the views of various stakeholders on important agricultural issues.

Natural resource management

Providing assistance for watershed management, range management and rehabilitation of marginal lands. Pakistan has meager natural forest resources of about 4.5 percent of the total land area. In addition to the fast-growing population, which demands more land to be brought under agriculture, high timber, fuel wood and fodder requirements have put the natural forest resources under great pressure and threat. Thus natural resource management has been one of the key focus areas of FAO in Pakistan.

Women in development

Formulating and implementing its own Plan o Action for Women in Development to assist women and to integrate their work in the main stream of development. FAO creates its strategies, policies, projects and programmes in such a way that women's participation is encouraged in all stages of development, while prevailing local norms and values are kept in view. In line with FAO's global development policy and plan of action, Pakistan government focuses on the women in development component in all its projects and programmes.

FAO Programmes

FAO Field Programme in the past 52 years.

FAO for the past 52 years has been working very closely with the Government and donors community for the sustainable agriculture development in Pakistan. A total of 225 projects have been implemented by FAO during this period in the fields of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock, Rural Development, Natural Resources Management, Institutional Building and Human Resource Development. In addition, FAO provided assistance through 126 Regional Projects in agriculture and related fields.

Present Focus of FAO Programme.

Presently the FAO Programme in Pakistan is focused on the issues of Food Security. Policy and Strategies for Sustainable Household Food Security and Poverty Alleviation has been launched at National Level. A very successful self-sustaining field program on Food Security is currently underway in Punjab, Sind and NWFP. The Programme is aiming at enhancement of production of food crops of the small farmer through community participation. Replicable packages have been developed by this programme and adopted by local community with a built-in element of income diversification and sustainability. This programme has increased manifold the per acre production of wheat, rice, maize in the selected areas and has attracted the attention of the Government and other donor agencies for expansion in to other potential areas in the country.

Under the FAO’s global food security programme, a trilateral technical cooperation agreement between FAO, Pakistan and Government of Swaziland has been singed under the TCDC and South-South Cooperation.

Other areas of focus are the rational use of pesticides through IPM, Rinderpest eradication from Pakistan, Urban Food Security, development of MIS for agriculture, quality control of livestock products and marine fisheries. In addition, agriculture rehabilitation activities in the cyclone affected areas in Sind and the drought-affected areas in Baluchistan are being implemented.

Contact

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

NARC Premises

Park Road, Chak Shahzad

P.O.Box 1476, Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel : +92 51 9255491-3, ext: 201 Fax : + 92 51 9255454

E-mail: FAO-PK@fao.org