The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a United Nations specialized agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security globally. It was founded on October 16, 1945, in Quebec City, Canada, following the 1943 Hot Springs Conference, to address global food shortages and malnutrition exacerbated by World War II. The FAO's objective is to eliminate hunger and improve standards of living by increasing agricultural productivity.
The FAO's mechanism is outlined in the Preamble of its Constitution, which mandates four core functions: gathering and disseminating information, formulating policy recommendations, providing technical assistance, and assisting governments with FAO-related obligations. It operates through a biennial Conference of all 195 members, which is the highest governing body, and a 49-member Council that handles day-to-day work. The organization's work is structured around four "Betters": better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, which guide its Strategic Framework 2022-31 for transforming agrifood systems.
The FAO connects to other Rome-based agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which together form a global partnership against hunger. It also collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) to form the Codex Alimentarius Commission for developing food standards. India is a founding member of the FAO, joining in 1945, and the partnership has been instrumental in strengthening the Green Revolution, the National Food Security Act (NFSA), and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. Recently, the FAO has shifted its focus from smaller sustainable agriculture projects toward the systemic transformation of agrifood systems, emphasizing integrated policies and governance models for economic, social, and environmental sustainability.