UN food agencies to visit Lao PDR to support efforts to boost nutrition

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), with a representative from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will visit the Lao People's Democratic Republic from 14-16 May 2019 to raise greater awareness about the importance of integrated food systems to improve food and nutrition security, and to see first-hand the agencies’ collaborative programmes in action.

During their visit, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and WFP Executive Director David Beasley will meet the Lao PDR Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith as well as the ministers for Foreign Affairs and Agriculture.

They will visit several sites where a food security and nutrition project is being implemented to help boost nutrition in rural areas, in joint collaboration between FAO, IFAD and WFP, and with the Government of Lao PDR and other partners.

Lao PDR has made good progress over the past twenty years in reducing poverty and hunger. However, a diversified, healthy diet is beyond the economic means of many families, and stunting caused by malnutrition affects around one third of children aged under five.

The three UN agency representatives will visit the country’s north where the Agriculture for Nutrition programme is benefiting around 400 villages in four northern provinces. They will also visit a school programme that provides healthy meals to children and encourages local food production.

FAO, IFAD and WFP are working closely together to support countries including Lao PDR to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which include eradicating hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

Follow on Twitter:

• FAO: @GrazianoDaSilva | @FAOnews | @FAOAsiaPacific I @FAO
• IFAD: @IFADnews
• WFP: @WFP | @WFP_Media | @WFPChief | @WFP_AsiaPacific

For more information:

FAO: 

• Allan Dow (in Lao PDR), tel. +66 81 899 7354
• Zoie Jones (Rome), tel. +39 06 570 56309

IFAD

• Susan Beccio (Rome), tel: +39 334 953 3030

WFP

• Kun Li (Bangkok), tel. +66 845558994
• Jane Howard (Rome), tel. +39 346 7600521

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Media AdvisoryNo.: IFAD/08/2019

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided US$20.9 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached about 483 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the United Nations’ food and agriculture hub.

More about IFAD: www.ifad.org