is crucial for global food security, producing over 80% of the world’s food, with FAO working to strengthen policies and support sustainable agricultural development.
FAO
Chipo Munsaka explains her first name means "a gift for conserving wildlife," which sums up her commitment to addressing conflicts between humans and wildlife. Chipo works as a Resource Monitor in northern Zimbabwe with the Mucheni Community Conservancy, which is being established by the Sustainable Wildlife Management () Programme. Populations of many wildlife species in Zimbabwe have been declining over the last 30 years due to droughts, habitat loss, poaching, and the sale of wildlife products. The SWM Programme supports community conservancies to improve land use planning and promote wildlife corridors to reduce conflict and create benefits for communities that coexist with wildlife.
Biodiversity is essential for food security and the environment, involving diverse agricultural practices such as using indigenous seeds, combining crops, and restoring pollinator populations. Our agrifood systems depend on a wide variety of domesticated and wild species, but biodiversity is declining due to factors like land use changes, climate change and over-exploitation. In Luweero District, Uganda, Jane Nakandi Sebyaala, a coffee and banana farmer, leads the Twezimbe Kassala Community Seed Bank, which focuses on preserving indigenous seeds. These seeds can be replanted multiple times and flourish without heavy chemical inputs. Following training by the Food and Agricultutral Organization (), Jane and her community began collecting and planting indigenous seeds, resulting in healthier, more resilient crop yields, particularly maize and beans.
Saiasi Sarau, a Fijian sailor, has a deep connection to the ocean, which has sustained him since childhood. After starting as a fisher, he became a captain and now works as a fisheries observer in the Cook Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. His role involves collecting scientific data on catch and bycatch, as well as monitoring seabird interactions to ensure ecosystem safety. Currently in Mauritius for a workshop on scientific observation in deep-sea fisheries, organised by the Common Oceans Deep-sea fisheries project and led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (), Saiasi joins peers from various countries to learn standardized procedures for data collection. The workshop emphasizes the importance of independent observers and responsible fisheries management, especially after previous overfishing led to ecosystem damage.
FAO personnel are required to report rule breaches in good faith and are protected against retaliation for doing so.
In the eastern part of Guyana, near the Corentyne Coast, locals farm endemic brackish water shrimp in constructed ponds that combine freshwater from the Canje River and saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean, enhancing the shrimp's unique flavor. Suedat Persaud, a long-time farmer and founder of the East Berbice-Corentyne Aquaculture Cooperative Society Ltd, notes that farming has become challenging due to climate change, including El Niño and La Niña effects. To address these issues, the Government of Guyana began a project in 2021 aimed at improving livelihoods and shrimp production. Training provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization () and Guyana's Fisheries Department introduced better management practices. The initiative also promoted mangrove restoration as part of its sustainable development efforts.
For centuries, pulses have been vital to sustainable agriculture and nutrition. These small but impactful crops not only provide essential nutrients but also support healthier diets and resilient farming systems, making them a key source of nourishment even for the most vulnerable communities. To celebrate the importance of these remarkable crops, the World Pulses Day (10 February) underscores the vital role of these foods in promoting diversity – both above and below the ground. Let’s unlock a more sustainable, nutritious and equitable future.
Education is a human right and a pathway out of poverty. It is the backbone to development and prosperity, and all children should have the opportunity to go to school. But learning is also a lifelong endeavour, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () has the resources to accompany you on this journey. Whether you want to know more about sea creatures or you want your children to learn about the importance of trees, we have the publication for you!Here are five suggestions to get you started – and there is topic for everyone’s taste: eating healthy, identifying jellyfish, being environmentally friendly from a young age, connecting digitalization and agriculture and understanding the issue of child labour.
Despite progress in reducing hunger and food insecurity, high food costs in Latin America and the Caribbean remain a significant challenge.
Two four-wheel drive vehicles come to a halt on a muddy highway southeast of Monrovia, Liberia. The team of five dressed in fluorescent yellow jackets, comprising statisticians from the Food and Agriculture Organization () and the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), sets out on foot to reach their survey sites. LISGIS team leader Anthony Dymacole notes that accessibility is a major challenge for their work, alongside security roadblocks, flooded bridges, and wildlife encounters. Their efforts support the 50x2030 initiative, which aims to conduct agricultural statistical surveys in 50 countries by the next decade. This initiative emphasizes the critical role of agriculture in generating revenue and employment in low- and middle-income countries.
Using nuclear techniques, the and help countries trace coffee's journey from plant to cup, ensuring quality and authenticity.
In 2024, FAO, with support from partners, helped flood-affected communities in Logone Birni by building dykes, creating risk management plans, and providing monetary aid.
Khadiga Khanom from Gazipur, Bangladesh, never considered jackfruit significant until she attended workshops on processing various jackfruit products. Inspired by the training provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (), she started her own business, creating a range of goods such as pickles, jam, burgers, cakes, pizzas, and even plant-based leather. Now processing about 100 kilograms of jackfruit daily with five employees, she earns approximately $400 a month, which helps support her family and allows her to save for business expansion. Jackfruit, Bangladesh's national fruit and a symbol of abundance, has become a pivotal part of her life through the .
highlights the project’s efforts to strengthen food safety and plant health systems in 12 African Union countries, emphasizing its positive impact on public health, trade, and economic development.
In Berd, a town in Armenia's Tavush region, a group of women is showcasing the power of sisterhood through the cultivation of beans, a staple symbolizing resilience in rural life. Beans represent nourishment and are part of a shared heritage of patience and hard work. Anahit Paytyan, Alina Paytyan, and Varduhi Melikbekyan each contribute their strengths to the "Berd Bean" Women’s Association. This group was formed under the “Local Empowerment of Actors for Development” (LEAD) programme, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), the United Nations Development Programme (), and funded by the European Union.