[en] The Food and Environmental Protection Subprogramme continues to strengthen our joint efforts with FAO and IAEA to protect human health and improve food safety by providing research, technical support and training, including technical support leading to the development and application of international standards that facilitate agricultural trade. These activities are primarily related to the implementation of traceability systems and analytical techniques to control food contaminants, the use of ionizing radiation to control food bacteria and harmful insect pests, and the management of nuclear and radiological emergencies affecting food and agriculture, particularly following the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In this regard, one recent event that we are especially proud of is the successful convening of the IAEA Scientific Forum on Food for the Future - Meeting the Challenges with Nuclear Applications, in September 2012. The Scientific Forum examined challenges related to the improvement of food production, food protection and food safety through the use of nuclear technologies. The 2012 Scientific Forum was organized into three sessions addressing Increasing Food Production, Ensuring Food Protection and Enhancing Food Safety, with the Food Safety session focussing on panel discussions related to food contamination and food irradiation. Additional details on the Scientific Forum are contained in the Past Events section of this Newsletter. In relation to the Japanese nuclear emergency and in follow-up to discussions at the 35th Session of the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (July 2012), we are pleased to report that the IAEA, and particularly the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, is fully involved in the proposed review and potential revision of the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Guideline Levels for Radionuclides in Foods. As many of you are aware, these activities are part of the key role of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division in preparing for and responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies affecting food and agriculture as a full member and co-sponsor of the Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations (EPR JPLAN 2010). This on-going obligation includes our commitment to participate in the next ConvEx-3 international nuclear emergency exercise that will be conducted in Morocco in November 2013. In the area of food contamination, our extra-budgetary funding obtained under the US Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) has already helped to facilitate our train-the-trainer activities related to the establishment of food control systems that lead to enhanced food safety and quality. These initiatives were undertaken in part through cooperation with the re-designated IAEA Collaborating Centre on eLearning and Accelerated Capacity Building for Food and Environmental Protection at the University of Costa Rica. Several training courses and workshops were already held in 2012 under this three year PUI project, with more than 90 developing country scientists being trained in various disciplines that aim to improve the sustainability of food controls through the enhancement of laboratory capabilities, practices and methodologies that promote food safety and quality worldwide. In the area of food irradiation, our newly designated IAEA Collaborating Centre for Radiation Processing for Environmental Remediation, Advanced Materials and Food Irradiation has also already started to facilitate sub programme training and capacity building activities. As indicated in the Past Events section, a Regional Asian Technical Cooperation Project Workshop on Best Practices for Phytosanitary Applications of Food Irradiation was convened at the Collaborating Centre in Jeongeup, Republic of Korea, from 22-26 October 2012. Among other outputs, the Workshop reviewed and finalized a Best Practice Manual for Phytosanitary Applications of Food Irradiation to assist producers, exporters, food irradiation processing facility operators and National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) by providing guidance on 'best practices' when irradiating food for phytosanitary purposes. Our Feature Article in this issue provides a brief summary of the revision and website publication of our newly revised Food Irradiation Treatment Facilities and Irradiated Food Authorization databases. In addition, the article highlights the Joint FAO/IAEA Division publication of analytical methods through the Food Contaminant and Residue Information System (FCRIS) web application, which has been developed in collaboration with the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues.