Food and Agriculture Organization

A technical agency of the United Nations, the Food and Agricultural Organization serves as a forum for policy development, negotiating agreements, and information exchange on agriculture, forestry and fisheries. It conducts operational functions in humanitarian efforts against hunger.

In 2006, it created a Crisis Management Centre to fight bird flu and other animal health or food safety emergencies. The Center complements the more human-oriented World Health Organization. While its most recent fisheries management meeting was in 2007, it is a primary focus for dealing with fisheries outside territorial waters, an inherently international function.