US terminates funding for FAO animal disease, emergencies

In response to a request for comment on a New York Times story that the U.S government had terminated funding for programs at the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an FAO spokesperson said, “FAO has received termination notices for over 100 programs funded by the United States, valued at approximately $382 million. These programs addressed critical issues such as animal disease control, famine prevention, economic stability, and biosafety worldwide.”
The New York Times reported that a 281-page memo detailing cuts to U.S. Agency for International Development programs presented to Congress included cuts to FAO, but did not include details.
The FAO spokesperson continued, “Notably, the Global Health Security Program — which accounted for around 60% of the affected projects — focused on preparedness and rapid response to transboundary animal diseases. Through this program, FAO has worked to strengthen global surveillance systems and enhance biosecurity capacity at country and regional levels. This included efforts to mitigate the impact of zoonotic diseases such as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, New World Screwworm, and African Swine Fever. The program was active in 49 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. In 2024 alone, FAO supported more than 180 outbreak investigations and responses in 22 countries and helped build the capacities of over 160 laboratories in testing, biosafety, quality assurance, and workforce development.
“FAO’s emergency agriculture assistance programs — which provided seeds, tools, and other inputs to communities affected by conflict and food insecurity — were also terminated. These programs supported millions of people in some of the world’s most food-insecure areas, including Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Nigeria, and Chad. Beyond immediate relief, these interventions helped prevent famine, supported rural livelihoods, and reduced the risk of forced migration and radicalization.
“Examples of FAO’s Global Health Security Program impact include:
 In El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, FAO’s surveillance of avian flu in the Atlantic migratory corridor helped prevent additional threats to the U.S. poultry industry.
 Throughout Central America, FAO monitored and responded to New World Screwworm, preventing the spread of the disease to the U.S.
 FAO monitored and mitigated avian flu outbreaks in key hotspots across Asia, like Cambodia and Vietnam, implementing laboratory programs which dramatically improved the speed of detection of new strains and the development of new vaccines.
 In Western and Central Africa, veterinary laboratories successfully diagnosed avian influenza cases within their countries in less than 24 hours.
“Examples of FAO’s emergency agriculture interventions include:
 Supplying sorghum and okra seeds in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan, Sudan, where communities face acute food insecurity, helping prevent famine for 900,000 people and reducing risks of displacement.
 Providing seeds to over 160,000 rural Somalis facing worsening drought conditions and acute food insecurity, in areas impacted by insecurity.
 Supporting 70,000 displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo with seeds and inputs to restore food production and mitigate further displacement.”
 The New York Times – U.S. to end vaccine funds for poor countries

-The Hagstrom Report