The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the lead specialized agency of the United Nations in the international fight against hunger and malnutrition. Among the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), FAO is committed in the first objective to reducing by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger in the world by 2015.
FAO gives great importance to sport as a vehicle for development and peace and to advocate for the fight against hunger and the achievement of the MDGs with the involvement of the civil society. It considers sport as a key tool for mobilizing the political will, action and resources to keep this pledge towards the world’s underprivileged people.
1. 'Professional Football against Hunger' Campaign
In 2008, FAO launched a global “Professional Football against Hunger” solidarity campaign to seek the support of professional football leagues and football organizations in an international movement against hunger to raise awareness on the fact that 1 billion people live in chronic hunger and to raise funds for project of food production in developing countries. FAO and its football partners work together with the same spirit as both football and the fight against hunger need: commitment, patience, endurance perseverance, investment.
Professional Football Against Hunger Partnerships:
The Association of the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL)
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
The Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL)
The Football Federation of the State of Sao Paulo (FPF)
Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Chile (ANFP)
Fédération Française de Football (FFF)
2. Run for Food
Run for Food is organized on an annual basis around the world on the occasion of the World Food Day (16 October). It consists in a 1 to 5 kilometer non-competitive race (the distance depending on the country) with the objective of raising awareness on hunger and malnutrition in the world and of collecting funds - through the registration fees - for FAO community projects. The project is traditionally supported by FAO's Goodwill Ambassadors and celebrities.
3. 'Score the Goals' Educational Comic Book
FAO is one of the six UN organizations involved in the project "Score the Goals - Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals", a 32-page educational comic book featuring 10 football UN Goodwill Ambassadors who become shipwrecked on an island on their way to playing an ‘all-star’ charity football game. Whilst on the island, the team has to tackle the eight MDGs along their journey towards being rescued. The comic book is primarily aimed at 8-14 year old children and provides a fun interactive way to help them understand, familiarize and reflect about the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as inviting them to take action through several activities provided in the adjoining educational guide.
Roberto Baggio
Date of birth: 18 February 1967
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: Italian
Sport: Football Champion
Date of appointment: 16 October 2002
Personal website: www.robertobaggio.com/it
Deborah Ferguson
Date of birth: 16 January 1976
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: Bahamian
Sport: Sprint World Cup gold medalist
Date of appointment: 16 October 2002
Raúl González Blanco
Date of birth: 27 June 1977
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: Spanish
Sport: Football Champion
Date of appointment: 16 October 2004
Beatrice Faumuina
Date of birth: 23 October 1974
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: New Zealand
Sport: Sprint World Championship gold medalist
Date of appointment: 16 October 2005
Personal website: www.beatricefaumuina.com
Carl Lewis
Date of birth: 1 July 1961
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: United States of America
Sport: Olympic Champion Track and Field Runner
Date of appointment: 16 October 2009
Personal website: www.carllewis.com
Patrick Vieira
Date of birth: 23 June 1976
Status: FAO Goodwill Ambassador
Nationality: Senegalese
Sport: Football Champion
Date of appointment: 11 May 2010
Personal website: www.diambars.org
Communications Contact:
Ms. Clara Velez-Fraga
Promotion&Liaison Officer
Office of Corporate Communications and External Relations
Tel:+390657055238
E-mail: Clara.Velezfraga(at)fao.org
Ambassadors Contact:
Ms. Rosarita Pagano
Office of Corporate Communications and External Relations
Telephone +39 06 57056135
E-mail: Rosarita.Pagano(at)fao.org
London (FAO) – FAO Goodwill Ambassador and World Cup winner, Patrick Vieira, stood alongside British Members of Parliament, together with other international football legends, to ‘score’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at a penalty shoot-out on Speaker’s Green held by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch.
Monaco (UNOSDP) – Six UN organizations were awarded today with the prestigious Special Jury Prize at this year’s Peace and Sports Awards for their comic book project “Score the Goals – Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”. The Prize was presented in Monaco at the 5th Peace and Sport International Forum in front of an audience of more than 500 prominent figures from politics, sport, the private sector, and civil society.
Ho Chi Minh City (FAO) – The ‘Asian Football Against Hunger’ Ambassador Kathryn Gill has vowed to spread the good word about AFC and UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s joint fight against hunger. The reigning AFC Women’s Player of the Year Kathryn Gill headlined the campaign in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on the sidelines of the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (FAO) -- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Acting President Zhang Jilong has affirmed that the exceptional power of Asian football is being mobilised to eradicate food insecurity throughout Asia.
New York (UNDP) – The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Carl Lewis, Goodwill Ambassador for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and nine-time Olympic Gold Medal Winner, today unveiled an Olympic Countdown clock marking one year to the Summer Olympic Games taking place 27 July 2012 in London, England.
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Food and Agriculture Organization
Global Compact Office
International Labour Organization
International Organization
Stop TB Partnership
UN-HABITAT
UNAIDS
UN Development Programme
UN Economic Commission for Europe
UN Environment Programme
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Federal Credit Union
UN Population Fund
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
UN Children's Fund
UN Office on Drugs and Crime
UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace
UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
UN Volunteers
World Food Programme
World Health Organization
World Tourism Organization