Current Affairs Appointments

Category : Appointments

India has nominated member of Niti Ayog, Ramesh Chandra to head Food and Agricultural Organisation. Ramesh Chand’s candidature is challenged by Qu Dongyu of China, Medi Moungui of Cameroon, Catherine Geslain-Laneelle of France and Davit Kirvalidze of Georgia. To get elected to the post of Director-General of FAO, the candidate needs to secure a simple majority of the 194 members. The only Indian to head the FAO is Binay Ranjan Sen, who was the Director-General from 1956 to 1967.

Food and Agriculture Organisation The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO aims to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) was established as the specialised agency in 1945 at the first session of the United Nations and the temporary headquarters of the FAO was located at Washington in the US and the headquarters was moved to Rome, Italy in the year 1951. Priority areas of FAO in the fight against hunger are: Help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. Reduce rural poverty. Enable inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises. FAO report notes that almost 800 million people are always hungry and 2 billion suffer from deficiencies in micronutrients in their diet that leads to health problems. The report also notes that the world would have to feed a global population that is expected to reach about 10 billion by 2050. FAO integrates the two key areas of gender and governance in tackling the challenges through priority areas.