Atoms for food - A global partnership

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have been partners for nearly half a century, contributing to efforts toward shared goals of food security. Their mission - through a Joint Division headquartered at the IAEA in Austria - is to help countries effectively use nuclear science and related technologies for food and agricultural development. Millions of people today look to a better future because of the foresight and longstanding investment of FAO and IAEA Member States in the 'Atoms for Food' partnership. Worldwide, more than 100 countries are working together through the Joint Division to increase their harvests, combat animal and plant diseases and pests, and protect the lands, water resources, and environments on which food and agricultural production depend. This century's stark realities of hunger, poverty, climate change, and environmental degradation bring an unprecedented scale of challenges to the fields of food and agriculture. Action requires the research, expertise, and experience of the FAO/IAEA partnership and other effective alliances worldwide to help countries achieve and sustain higher levels of food security for their people. The two organizations are well matched. FAO brings to the table its comprehensive knowledge and networks on food and agriculture. The IAEA, in turn, contributes technical know-how, specifically in agricultural and related applications of nuclear science and technology. The partnership's potential builds on decades of experience.