The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized UN agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve food security and nutrition while promoting sustainable agriculture and agrifood systems.

When was FAO founded?

FAO was founded on 16 October 1945, when its Constitution was signed in Quebec, Canada.

Where is FAO headquartered?

FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

How many members does FAO have?

As of 4 February 2026, FAO has 193 Member Nations, one Member Organization (the European Union) and two Associate Members.

How many countries are on the FAO Council?

The FAO Council consists of 49 Member Nations elected by the Conference for staggered three-year terms.

Who elects the FAO Director-General?

The FAO Conference elects the Director-General every four years.

What are FAO's Four Betters?

FAO's Strategic Framework 2022�2031 is organized around better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Updated: 1 September 2026

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Purpose, Members, Structure and Functions

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized UN agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, improve food security and nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and resilient agrifood systems.

Founded16 October 1945

HeadquartersRome, Italy

Membership193 Member Nations, 1 Member Organization and 2 Associate Members

Supreme governing bodyFAO Conference

Council49 Member Nations

Current strategyFAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031

Important corrections to older FAO summaries: the FAO Council has 49 Member Nations, not 27. The Director-General is elected by the FAO Conference every four years; the office is not elected by the Council and then appointed by the Conference. FAO's membership as of 4 February 2026 is 193 Member Nations, one Member Organization and two Associate Members.

What does FAO do?

FAO works with governments and partners to improve food security, agricultural productivity, nutrition, rural livelihoods and sustainable management of natural resources. Its mandate includes agriculture, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, food systems, land and water, plant and animal health, statistics, emergency response and resilience.

The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 supports the UN 2030 Agenda through transformation towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. It is organized around the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO governing structure

Body	Current role and composition
Conference	The supreme governing body, comprising all FAO Members. It normally meets every two years, determines policy, approves the budget, elects Council members and elects the Director-General every four years.
Council	The executive organ acting between Conference sessions. It consists of 49 Member Nations elected by the Conference for staggered three-year terms with attention to geographical balance and rotation.
Director-General	The head of the Organization, elected by the Conference. The Director-General leads FAO administration and implementation of the programme of work.
Committees and Regional Conferences	FAO's governing system also includes the Programme Committee, Finance Committee, Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters, technical committees and Regional Conferences.

FAO organizational structure today

The older description of FAO as simply having "eight departments" is no longer an accurate way to describe its current organization. FAO's official organizational chart includes the Director-General, core leadership offices, regional, liaison and country offices, Assistant Directors-General, specialist offices and technical streams.

Current structures include the Legal Office; Office of Strategy, Programme and Budget; Office of Evaluation; Office of the Inspector General; Office of Innovation; Office of Emergencies and Resilience; Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment; Office of Youth and Women; Office of SDGs; FAO Investment Centre; Joint FAO/WHO Centre; and Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, along with technical and regional structures.

Codex Alimentarius and food standards

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is central to international food-standard work. It operates under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. Its purposes include protecting consumer health, ensuring fair practices in food trade and promoting coordination of international food-standards work.

Codex standards, guidelines and codes of practice are internationally important reference points for food safety, food labelling, contaminants, additives, pesticide and veterinary-drug residues, hygiene and related matters.

Major FAO programmes and international instruments

Important FAO-linked programmes, bodies and international instruments include the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), integrated pest management, One Health initiatives, Blue Transformation and programmes addressing food emergencies and resilience.

The older list also referred to the World Food Summit, TeleFood, FAO Goodwill Ambassadors, Right to Food Guidelines, responses to food crises, EU partnerships and food-security programmes. These remain historically relevant, but FAO's current work is better understood through its Strategic Framework, Programme Priority Areas and current technical programmes rather than as a fixed list of departmental campaigns.

FAO flagship and major global reports

FAO publishes or co-publishes major global assessments on food, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land, water, biodiversity and nutrition. Important recurring publications include:

The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA)
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI)
The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO)
The State of the World's Forests (SOFO)
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)

FAO also produces major assessments concerning land and water resources, soil resources, plant and animal genetic resources and biodiversity for food and agriculture. Publication schedules vary, so these should not all be described as annual reports.

Why FAO matters

FAO provides technical knowledge, statistics, policy guidance, standards support and field assistance to countries. Its work connects food security with climate change, biodiversity, rural poverty, public health, sustainable production, natural-resource management and international trade.

Official FAO sources

For current information, use FAO's official home page, membership page, Conference page, Council page, organizational chart, Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius portal.

Note: Membership, leadership, organizational structure, programmes and publication titles can change. This page uses official FAO information available as of the stated update date.