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.
FAO
Züleyha Ceylan, a 22-year-old in Düzce, Türkiye, drives her blue truck to tend to her beehives. Adorned in a canary-yellow beekeeping suit, she calmly inspects her hives, finding joy and energy in the buzzing bees. Despite skepticism from her community about her choice, Züleyha’s parents supported her passion for beekeeping. With high local demand for honey and minimal land required, she produced 100 kilograms of honey this year, selling it through friends and social media. Züleyha aims to expand her business to include products like royal jelly and create jobs for others, bolstered by training from the Food and Agricultural Organization ().
About 673 million people face hunger, while obesity and food waste reveal a system out of balance. Conflicts, extreme weather, economic shocks, and inequality strain the land we farm, the water we depend on, and the biodiversity that supports life. This (16 October) marks the and calls for to build a peaceful, sustainable, and food-secure future where everyone can access a healthy diet and live in harmony with the planet. ! Follow our live blog!
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 Verónica 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
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.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), with the Green Climate Fund () funding, are implementing native forest conservation projects which include generating livelihoods and preserving ancestral traditions of rural communities in Argentina, Colombia, and Chile. Don't miss the opportunity to see the impact of these efforts, check out the photo story!
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.
As rising global temperatures push heat stress to dangerous new levels, especially for outdoor workers, understanding its symptoms, risks, and prevention strategies is vital to protecting your health and saving lives.
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.
In Jabal Saraj, Afghanistan, Hasina and 19 other women have found a livelihood by producing jams and pickles. With support from the 's , funded by Luxembourg, they gather to peel, dice, and package fresh produce. Previously housewives facing financial struggles, they now earn an income, allowing them to provide essentials for their families, such as food, clothes, and school fees. The project equipped them with training and resources for processing and marketing their products, empowering these women to improve their lives and stand on their own feet.
For generations, communities in Senegal’s Casamance region have harvested wild madd fruit, prized for its richness in vitamins and antioxidants. Traditionally collected by youth and often found in the "Sacred Woods," madd is deeply tied to local customs. Despite its cultural significance, producers have faced challenges ranging from limited control over pricing to unsustainable harvesting, over-exploitation, and forest fires. However, on June 25, 2024, madd became the first Senegalese product registered as a Geographical Indication (GI), ensuring protection of its name and quality. This initiative promotes sustainable practices and strengthens local economies by keeping production and income within the community.
Paulo Benedito, a lifelong fisherman from Quissanga, a small coastal town in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, faced devastating changes in 2021 when armed Islamist insurgents attacked his community, forcing him and his family to flee. They sought refuge at the Meculane Centre for Internally Displaced Persons, where Paulo had to transition from fishing to farming. Despite the challenges, he embraced agricultural training offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (). He soon excelled in his new role, expressing a newfound preference for farming over fishing, as it provided more stability and ensured food for his family.
In Zemo Alvani, Georgia, Natia Matcharashvili, a first-generation farmer, handpicks wheat grains from her fields. She and her husband, Shota, returned from Tbilisi to live closer to nature for their children and to revive native wheat varieties that are vanishing. They feel a responsibility to preserve these traditional strains that have adapted to their local soil and climate. By cultivating these heirloom varieties for their bakery, they aim to share their heritage with customers. What began as a simple passion has turned into a commitment to rediscover and rejuvenate forgotten Georgian wheat varieties.