Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations[note 1] (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, fiat panis, translates to "let there be bread". It was founded on 16 October 1945.[1]

Quick facts: Abbreviation, Formation, Founded at, Type, Le... ▼

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Abbreviation	FAO
Formation	16 October 1945; 77 years ago (1945-10-16)
Founded at	Quebec City, Canada
Type	United Nations specialized agency
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	Rome, Italy
Director-General	Qu Dongyu
Parent organization	United Nations Economic and Social Council
Website	www.fao.org
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The FAO comprises 195 members, including 194 countries and the European Union. Its headquarters is in Rome, Italy, and it maintains regional and field offices worldwide, operating in over 130 countries.[2] It helps governments and development agencies coordinate their activities to improve and develop agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and land and water resources. It also conducts research, provides technical assistance to projects, operates educational and training programs, and collects agricultural output, production, and development data.[2]

The FAO is governed by a biennial conference representing each member country and the European Union, which elects a 49-member executive council.[3] The Director-General, as of 2019 Qu Dongyu of China, serves as the chief administrative officer.[4] Various committees govern matters such as finance, programs, agriculture, and fisheries.[5]

Table info: 100 lire (FAO's celebration.)... ▼

100 lire (FAO's celebration.)
Obverse: Young woman with braid facing left. Surrounded by Repubblica Italiana [Italian Republic].	Reverse: Cow nursing calf, face value & date. FAO at bottom and Nutrire il Mondo [Feed the world] at top.
Coined minted by Italy in 1970s to celebrate and promote Food and Agriculture Organization.