Its three main goals are:
- the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition;
- the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all;
- the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
The FAO was also responsible for the "International Year of the Potato", 2008.
The FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy and operates a network of regional offices all over the world.