The Status of the World's Soil Resources 2026 report, alongside new guidance developed jointly with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), was presented at the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP17). Together, the two publications combine new evidence on the state of the world's soils with practical guidance to accelerate action and help countries avoid, reduce and reverse agricultural land and soil degradation.

This month's highlights include the 2026 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, together with its regional factsheets and summary brief; an 18-year analysis of the implementation of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-Sharing under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; and new guidance on innovation and inclusivity for biodiversity in fisheries monitoring and forestry. Discover also 4 new e-learning courses covering deforestation, measurement, reporting and verification for environmental integrity, and circular bioeconomy livestock systems.

The session made significant progress in advancing technical work to support the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, with a particular focus on preparing the second edition of The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, which is expected to be launched in 2031.

The seven-year Forest Landscape Restoration for Climate Benefits and Resilience project will reach 196,877 beneficiaries (half of whom are women), while a further 149,715 people will benefit indirectly. The project will reduce the climate vulnerability of rural communities that depend on farming, livestock production, forestry or fisheries for their livelihoods.

FAO Liaison Offices in New York, Geneva, and Brussels, together with the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environment and the Land and Water Division, will host a joint hybrid briefing on 23 June 2026 on the role of agrifood systems in addressing food security, nutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and FAO’s support in turning COP commitments into action.

The report - launched on Tuesday at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya - presents updated global fisheries and aquaculture statistics. It highlights how FAO, with Members, communities, institutions, industry and partners, is translating its Blue Transformation vision into measurable results.

This months highlights include a policy brief on agrifood systems in NBSAPs, a national roadmap for Madagascar's agricultural sectors, an assessment for engaging small-scale fisheries with the KMGBF, new platforms and tools for land tenure data and wildlife governance, and guidance for adopting biodiversity-friendly practices in agrifood systems. 

Across fields, pastures, forests, rivers and seas, countries are showing that the choices that put food on the table can also build resilience, reduce emissions, halt biodiversity loss and bring degraded land back to life. 

Roughly three-quarters of the world’s leading food crops depend, at least in part, on animal pollination. Without pollinators, the foods at the center of a healthy diet, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, would become less abundant, less reliable and more expensive.

This year’s theme, “Acting locally for global impact”, reminds us that global commitments depend on concrete actions at national level and on the ground – by farmers, foresters, fishers, herders, and local communities. 

FAO has conducted new analysis of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), assessing how agrifood systems contribute to global biodiversity targets. A Policy Brief released today presents highlights from the forthcoming global analysis.

FAO participated in the third International Conference of the Yerevan Dialogue, a high‑level forum designed to bring together national and international policymakers and stakeholders to respond to interconnected global crises. 

FAO and Madagascar celebrated the conclusion of a two-year project designed to strengthen biodiversity mainstreaming across agrifood systems. The event closed a week-long mission during which the FAO delegation met with the Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy Dr. Paubert Tsimanaoraty and representatives of other ministries, and travelled to Antrema to assess and review activities, gather feedback from producers and stakeholders and exchange results, best practices and future improvements.  

This month's highlights include a report on the status of land tenure and governance, a regional initiative on the global transformation of forests for people and climate and a communication toolkit supporting the roll-out of the Guidelines on Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA). Discover also two new e-learning courses on documenting plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and on agroforestry.

What if the key to feeding future generations isn’t hidden in new technology but preserved in the world’s agricultural heritage systems? The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) programme was established by FAO in 2002 to highlight the value of traditional agricultural systems, ranging from crop farming and fisheries to forestry and pastoralism, in contrast to large‑scale, intensive agriculture.  

Since 2006, when the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) began its partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), it has mobilized more than USD 530 million in the region, supporting 33 countries. At the same time, joint work with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has mobilized around USD 650 million across 24 regional projects focused on sustainable land use, restoration of productive landscapes, and resilience of rural livelihoods, integrating adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development.

This month's highlights include the e-learning course Biodiversity and agrifood systems, a synthesis report on the environmental and health impacts of pesticides and fertilizers, a guide on the fisheries sector and the BBNJ Agreement, and practical manuals and training materials on integrated soil fertility management, biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices and sustainable mussel farming. 

Sonya Kirgizova is well known in the mountain villages of Tojikobod in central-eastern Tajikistan. Her neighbours admire her greenhouse, her jars filled with pickled Anzur onions and cucumbers, and the buzzing hives behind her home. More than anything, though, they trust her. This trust is what m...

As biodiversity loss continues at the ecosystem, species and genetic levels – putting food security, nutrition and livelihoods at risk – FAO has launched a new e-learning course that offers a clear introduction to the critical interlinkages between biodiversity and agrifood systems, and why these connections matter to ensure their sustainability.