Gorta was established in 1965 as Gorta: The Freedom from Hunger Council of Ireland after the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) called upon the Irish government to create a hunger-related agency that would raise general awareness and public support for long-term agricultural development. Initially set up by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Gorta subsequently moved to the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1979, and in 1998 Gorta relinquished its formal links with the Irish Government to become a completely independent NGO with its head office in Dublin. It is still operating as Self-Help Africa.