• UN food organization raises forecast for world cereal production

    Rome, Italy -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released a new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, raising its forecast for world cereal production in 2023/24 to 2.841 billion tons, reflecting expectations of greater outputs of maize, rice and wheat. Global cereal utilization in 2023/24...
  • Israel says Hamas fighter was at target instead of Gaza aid workers

    Israel said it was targeting a "Hamas gunman" when it killed in Gaza seven aid workers whose deaths caused an international outcry, with its military admitting violations of its own rules of engagement. The drone team who killed them made an "operational misjudgement of the situation", an internal Israeli military...
  • Polish PM warns of strained relations with Israel after aid workers killing

    "If it is true that the convoy was deliberately attacked because it was supposed to contain a terrorist, and that civilian lives were therefore sacrificed, I do not know of any (political) system in which this would be justified," he told Polish public radio Trojka.
  • Thousands trapped in Gaza hospital surrounded by Israeli tanks

    Gaza's health ministry said Israeli troops were shooting and firing "shells and (conducting) violent raids in its surroundings in preparation for its storming".
  • Saudi Arabia to donate US$40m for UN agency in Gaza

    The funds, according to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), would support UNRWA's "humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip", where the Israel's war has raged for more than five months. The funding will provide food for more than 250,000 people and tents for 20,000 families.
  • Second aid ship prepares to leave for Gaza from Cyprus

    According to Cyprus foreign ministry spokesperson, the ship will depart for Gaza today even as US charity World Central Kitchen said that the Jennifer had been loaded with 240 tonnes of food but that rough weather made it hard to predict when it would set sail for the Gaza Strip.
  • US charity says aid unloaded, ready for delivery in Gaza

    A US charity said its team in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip had finished unloading the first maritime aid shipment to reach the besieged territory. "All cargo was offloaded and is being readied for distribution in Gaza," World Central Kitchen said in a statement, noting that the aid was "almost 200...
  • US consumer inflation in Feb up as Federal Reserve mulls rate cut

    The annual consumer price index (CPI) came in at 3.2 percent last month, the Labor Department said, while the "core" measure stripping out volatile food and energy prices edged down slightly to 3.8 percent.
  • Situation in Red Sea has a limited impact on food exports so far, says FAO

    ROME, ITALY – The situation in the Red Sea has not yet been reflected in the pace of prices for foods monthly reflected in the FAO Food Price Index, Monika Tothova, the economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said. “Following on its 2023 and...
  • US plan for Gaza aid transfer through sea dismissed by UN expert

    In his annual State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden said the US military would "lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water medicine and temporary shelters."
  • UN agency exhorts Israel to allow port for Gaza aid transfer

    Rome, Italy - The UN's food agency on Thursday said it was pressing Israel to allow it to use the Ashdod port north of Gaza to make it easier to reach starving Palestinians. "We have several requests with the Israelis," World Food Program (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau told AFP in...
  • Envoys push for Gaza truce before Ramadan begins next week

    While negotiators in Cairo tried to surmount tough stumbling blocks, fighting again raged in Gaza where the UN warns famine looms and desperate crowds have stopped and looted food aid trucks. Gazans were waiting to collect bags of flour outside an office of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA,...
  • Global criticism of Israel after ‘massacre’ of Gazans lining for food

    Global condemnation flowed after Israeli forces in war-ravaged Gaza opened fire as Palestinian civilians scrambled for food aid during a chaotic incident which the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said killed over 100 people. The Israeli military said a "stampede" occurred when thousands of desperate Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38...
  • WTO approves services trade rules, overcoming objections

    The set of rules will streamline authorization requirements and ease procedural hurdles faced by businesses, according to a press release. It will help reduce the costs of global services trade by more than $119 billion every year, it added.
  • Dubai food and beverage sector stirs up with investment of US$577m

    Dubai, UAE-- The food and beverage sector in Dubai has attracted new FDI worth $577 million from 2019 to 2023, which was made by 48 international companies from 23 countries, according to data from FDI Intelligence. The UAE’s food and beverage sector generated $16.4 billion in retail sales, including fresh...
  • UN pauses aid in Gaza after food convoy attacked and looted

    The World Food Program (WFP) resumed deliveries on Sunday after a three-week halt but its convoy "faced complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order", it said. Twenty weeks into Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies have warned that food and safe water...
  • Emirates Flight acquires Bustanica

    Bustanica is the world's largest indoor vertical farm.
  • 35 Jordanian companies to participate in Gulfood 2024 in Dubai

    AMMAN, JORDAN – A total of 35 Jordanian companies are taking part in Gulfood 2024, the world's largest annual food and beverage trade exhibition, in Dubai, UAE.The Jordan Exporters Association (JEA) is coordinating the country's participation in the event, which will open next Monday at Dubai World Trade Center.The JEA’s...
  • UN chief slams ‘distressing’ spending on arms over climate

    Without action, "the situation will deteriorate," he warned. "Conflicts are multiplying. The climate crisis is set to spiral, as emissions continue to rise. And acute food insecurity has been increasing year on year."
  • Displacement, health crisis in Sudan is alarming, says WHO

    GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Acting WHO Representative in Sudan Peter Graaff has said that the humanitarian and health crisis in the African country is alarming. The conflict that started 10 months ago has spread to new areas, resulting in widespread displacement of civilians, some of whom have been forced to move...
  • Israeli assault on Rafah a ‘terrifying’ prospect: UN rights chief

    UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged world powers to "restrain rather than enable" as fears of a looming ground incursion grew among more than one million Palestinians trapped in the territory's far south. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to send ground troops into the crowded Rafah area as...
  • Climate change parches Morocco breadbasket amid policy pitfalls

    Berrechid, Morocco -- Around this time every year, Moroccan wheat farmer Abderrahim Mohafid is usually preparing for his spring harvest, but this year his fields lay unusually bare. On the road leading up to his hamlet in Berrechid province, Morocco's historical breadbasket situated some 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) southeast of...
  • Six-year-old Gaza girl found dead days after seeking help

    Palestinian Territories - Six-year-old Hind Rajab pleaded to be rescued, after her family's car came under fire in war-ravaged Gaza City, leaving her alone, frightened and injured, surrounded by the bodies of her dead relatives. "I am so scared," she had said in a desperate phone call to the Palestine...
  • Hamas, Saudi warn of calamity if Israeli troops attack Rafah

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week said he had ordered troops to prepare to go in to the city, crowded with displaced Palestinians, as it hunts down those responsible for the deadly October 7 attacks on southern Israel. The announcement has prompted concern from foreign governments including the United States...
  • Iran agricultural, food exports hit US$4.8bn in 10 months

    TEHRAN, IRAN – The country has exported more than 6.7 million tons of agricultural and food products worth US$4.8 billion during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023 – January 20, 2024), an Iranian economic official said. Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman of the Iranian House...
  • GCC ministers hold discussion on food security in the region

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held a virtual meeting with ministers from the region to discuss a strategy for food security in the Middle East. Ministers responsible for agriculture and food security from the GCC countries attended the meeting. The meeting discussed...
  • WHO urges limiting trans fat across the world

    Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Organization said on Monday that nearly half the world's population was now covered by solid rules limiting trans fat in foods and urged lagging countries to catch up. The WHO appealed in 2018 for industrially produced fatty acids in foods to be eliminated worldwide by...
  • Gaza facing catastrophic situation, famine looming: WFP

    A study conducted between November 24 and December 7 found that all 2.2 million people living in the Palestinian territory were in a crisis level of acute food insecurity, or worse. The situation has only deteriorated since then, said Abeer Etefa, the WFP's senior Middle East spokeswoman.
  • Qatar Chamber discusses ways to boost ties with Korean companies

    Doha, Qatar--The Qatar Chamber (QC) discussed ways to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise with Korean companies in agriculture and food security. The issues were discussed in a meeting with a Korean delegation representing from the Hyundai Research Institute (HRI). The meeting was attended by QC board member and Chair of...
  • Gaza war deaths top 24,000 as UN chief calls for ceasefire again

    Bringing food and supplies to the besieged population of Gaza, which is increasingly at risk of famine, also depends on the opening of new entry routes into the territory, the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a joint statement.
  • US consumer inflation jumps more than expected to 3.4 percent

    Washington, US - Consumer inflation in the United States rose more than anticipated in December, government data showed Thursday, underscoring the bumpy road to cooling price increases as the presidential election looms. The Department of Labor's consumer price index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, was up 3.4 percent from a...
  • UAE and India sign MoUs to deepen ties in renewable energy, healthcare

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE Ministry of Investment has signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with India, setting out frameworks for the expansion of bilateral investment cooperation in the renewable energy, food processing and healthcare sectors. The agreements were signed by the respective Indian ministries, underscoring the UAE’s strong commitment to...
  • Israel is starving Gaza residents, says NGO

    RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Everyone in Gaza is going hungry and about 2.2 million people are surviving day by day on almost nothing, routinely going without meals, said a Jerusalem-based non-profit organization B'Tselem. The desperate search for food is relentless, and usually unsuccessful, leaving the entire population – including babies,...
  • FAO says global food prices fell 13.7 percent in 2023

    World food prices fell in 2023, with considerable declines for grains and oils as supply concerns eased, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said. The FAO's cereals price index fell 15.4 percent last year, "reflecting well supplied global markets" compared to 2022, when prices soared after Russia's invasion of Ukraine,...
  • Jordan takes steps to raise position in Global Food Security Index, says minister

    AMMAN, JORDAN - Agriculture Minister Khaled Al-Hneifat said the ministry has been working hard over the past year to create an action plan to raise the country's ranking in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI). According to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), two of the initiatives taken to achieve this...
  • UAE looks to support farmers to boost sustainability of food sector

    Dubai, UAE--The UAE leadership places utmost importance on supporting farmers to enhance the sustainability of the agricultural and food sector, ensure national food security and address climate change, according to Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment. She was speaking at the ninth meeting of the...
  • Kuwait’s annual inflation jumps to 3.79% in November

    According to the Kuwait Central Statistical Bureau, the upward trend was mainly attributed to rising prices across all major groups impacting key indices, especially food, education, and clothing. The food and beverages sector experienced the most notable increase, with its index surging by 5.81% in November compared to the same...
  • SFD-financed Arkiz Agricultural Project in Mauritania inaugurated

    Dubai, UAE -- The Arkiz Agricultural Project in Mauritania, which has been financed by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) with a $34 million loan, has been inaugurated to enhance water and food security in the country and contribute to the development of key developmental sectors. Saudi Fund for Development...
  • Qatar expects a decrease in inflation next year

    Doha, Qatar-- Inflation in Qatar is expected to fall in 2024, according to Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Finance. In a press conference on Thursday, the minister said that the inflation witnessed in Qatar in 2023 was temporary and associated with a specific period and reasons, such...
  • Silal and MBZUAI sign MoU

    The agreement will bring AI innovation to food production.
  • COP28 focused on achieving balanced package in negotiations: Majid Al Suwaidi

    Dubai, UAE-- The COP28 Presidency is focused on achieving a balanced package in the negotiations, according to Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, COP28 Director-General and Special Representative, noting that they hosted a stocktaking plenary to outline progress made at the technical level and hear feedback on building areas of convergence. During...
  • NEOM launches ‘Topian’ to ensure climate-proof agriculture in Saudi

    NEOM, Saudi Arabia: NEOM, a mega-city project in Saudi Arabia characterized by futuristic urban planning and advanced technologies, Sunday announced the launch of Topian, the NEOM Food Company. Neom said in a statement that Topian seeks to redefine food production, distribution, and consumption through the creation of sustainable and innovative food...
  • Palestinians in Gaza living in utter, deepening horror: UN rights chief

    "Civilians in Gaza continue to be relentlessly bombarded by Israel and collectively punished -- suffering death, siege, destruction and deprivation of the most essential human needs such as food, water, lifesaving medical supplies and other essentials on a massive scale," UN human rights chief Volker Turk told a press conference....
  • Gaza situation approaching humanity’s ‘darkest hour’, says WHO

    Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that since the start of the war, there had been 120,000 acute respiratory infections; close to 26,000 people with scabies and lice; 86,000 cases of diarrhea, including 44,000 among children aged under five, which he said was 20 to...
  • Climate chaos impact on millions frames discussions at COP28

    With the countless repercussions of extreme weather conditions, the planet is witnessing increasing political unrest, deaths and diseases.
  • 134 nations to put food, agriculture in national climate plans

    "This declaration is the moment when food truly comes of age in the climate process, sending a powerful signal to the nations of the world that we can only keep the 1.5 degree goal in sight if we act fast," said the group's CEO Ani Dasgupta.
  • Fed’s inflation gauge slows in October as energy, goods prices drop

    Washington, United States - A key inflation measure used by the US Federal Reserve to set interest rates eased further last month amid declining energy and goods prices, according to government data published Thursday. The annual personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 3.0 percent in October, down 0.4 percentage points...
  • Climate crises drove 27 million children into hunger in 2022, says charity

    Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children facing hunger, Save said.
  • Meals to woof down at Italy’s first dog restaurant

    Thirsty pups can opt for a green apple and watermelon juice, or go wild and have a pear, strawberry or banana one instead.
  • UAE unveils ‘roadmap’ to reduce food waste by 50 percent

    Dubai, UAE--In order to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent, the UAE has launched Ne’ma Food Loss and Waste Reduction Roadmap, looking to achieve the target by 2030. The project was unveiled by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment The roadmap was announced...
  • UN warns fuel shortage to halt Gaza aid work in ’48 hours’

    JERUSALEM - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned Monday its operations in war-torn Gaza would shut down within two days due to fuel shortages as fighting rages between Israel and Hamas. "The humanitarian operation in Gaza will grind to a halt in the next 48 hours as no fuel...