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Juliana walks through her thriving garden, now nourished by a solar-powered irrigation system that combats drought. Once struggling after her husband’s death, she faced challenges like failed rains and poor harvests in Baixa da Missão, Angola. To improve her situation, she joined the Chitaka Farmer Field School (FFS), part of the European Union-funded programme. This community learning initiative, in partnership with the Agrarian Development Institute and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (), has trained over 7,425 smallholder farmers in the region, empowering them to grow food consistently despite climate uncertainties.
Food waste isn’t just what’s scraped off plates, it’s a quiet crisis echoing through our climate, economies, and the lives of millions who go hungry. reveals that 19% of consumer-available food is wasted, causing emissions five times higher than aviation, while a third of humanity faces food insecurity. Yet, individuals and communities can act creatively. Chef , Goodwill Ambassador, leads the initiative, turning surplus food into meals at “Refettorios” in nine countries—showing that fighting waste is both responsible and beautiful.
Achieving gender equality is essential to ending poverty, hunger, and tackling climate change. Rural women, while safeguarding the environment, are key in this effort. Yet, they still face deep inequalities while sustaining their families through unpaid work. This International Day of Rural Women (15 October), under the theme “The Rise of Rural Women: Building Resilient Futures with Beijing+30”, calls for their rights and full participation - reflecting the spirit of , a global commitment to gender equality for all women, everywhere.
Peru is a leading producer of coffee and cocoa, ranking fifth and seventh globally, respectively. These crops are mainly grown by small farmers on the Andean slopes, supporting over 200,000 coffee and 100,000 cocoa families. Cocoa cultivation has been actively promoted as an alternative to illegal coca leaf production, leading to a significant expansion from 41,000 hectares in 2000 to 177,000 hectares today. However, both sectors face challenges like low competitiveness, poor sustainability, and limited access to training and financial services. Most family farms are small, and producers often rely on traditional practices, resulting in low yields and contributing to deforestation. High-quality producers are scarce, and market prices are volatile. Additionally, an aging population continues to bear the burden of agricultural labor in these communities.
Magdalena Laine, a 59-year-old farmer from the Kichwa Indigenous Peoples in Ecuador, prepares maize flour before dawn for the La Pachamama nos alimenta (Mother Earth feeds us) agroecological market, where around 300 Kichwa women sell their produce. While Magdalena works with maize, her daughter VerĂłnica and the family prepare fresh vegetables, lemons, lupins, quinoa and eggs that they will sell at the fair. Despite farming challenges and climate change, Kichwa women have maintained food security through their biodiverse farms, known as chakras, as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization ().
An estimated 673 million people face hunger, while obesity and food waste reveal deep imbalances in the global agrifood system which are under growing strain from conflict, climate change, economic shocks, and inequality. Transforming these systems to be more sustainable, equitable, and resilient requires urgent, collaborative action across borders, sectors, and generations.
Together we can create a better, more sustainable food future for all. Make , YOUR day
A in Kenya, has helped farmers by up to 40%, showcasing the vital role of temperature-controlled storage in improving food security.
Morning light shines on Praia das Conchas Roça in São Tomé as Camila Varela De Carvalho, a 32-year-old cocoa farmer, sends her eight children to school before heading to her farm. With a harvesting tool, she collects ripe cocoa pods, crucial for her family's income. Camila, who also works at the Organic Cocoa Production and Export Cooperative (CECAB), helps improve local livelihoods through sustainable cocoa practices. Supported by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization () and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), CECAB has become the largest cooperative in São Tomé, benefiting over 2,000 families and enabling Camila to cover living expenses and her children's education.
After her mother passed, Seuy Phok managed her fields alone while raising her child. For over four decades, she harvested rice using traditional methods in northwestern Cambodia. However, unpredictable rains in recent years have made farming challenging, leading to crop damage. Four years ago, heavy rainfall devastated her rice fields. Seuy then joined the "Promoting Climate-Resilient Livelihoods in Rice-based Communities" project by the , which provided her with high-quality seeds and sustainable farming training. As a result, her yields doubled, allowing her to sell both rice and seeds.
In Benin, black soldier fly larvae decompose organic waste in 12 days, producing natural fertilizer that boosts soil and crop yields.
NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, , is helping lead the fight against the global childhood obesity pandemic by whipping up a healthy recipe for change.
In 2025, obesity surpassed underweight among children for the first time, driven by toxic food environments, while movement empowers youth worldwide to advocate for healthier, more equitable food policies.
In Madagascar, over 80 per cent of the population lives on agriculture. But in some areas of the country, farmers face struggles getting sufficient water for crops while difficult road conditions make it hard to transport goods and access services.
Combined, both problems hamper socio-economic development.
The Inclusive Agricultural Value Chains Development Programme – which is implementing in collaboration with the government of Madagascar in two rural regions, with financing from the – is buidling new roads and solar-powered pumping stations to jumpstart agricultural development.
In a remote town in Lesotho’s Maseru District, farmer Mabitsoane Diholo has transformed her life through potato farming. Once merely for family consumption, potatoes have become her livelihood, contributing to her home and children's education. In 2022, Lesotho joined the One Country One Priority Product () initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), supporting 750 farmers like Mabitsoane. With improved seeds and access to markets like Maluti Fresh Produce Market, farmers are shifting from subsistence to commercial farming, enhancing their incomes and becoming entrepreneurs, thanks to better practices and coordinated efforts.
Unleash your creativity in the and show how healthy food builds thriving, hopeful communities. The deadline for entries is 7 November 2025.