Thanks to the development of rapid and affordable genomic sequencing technologies, it is now possible to identify the presence and function of a huge array of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi as well as their theatre of action in different ecosystems. Research has shown that the gut microbiome, referring to the genomes of all microorganisms living in the gut, can influence human and animal nutrition and health. In a similar way, it has also been shown that the microbiomes of soils, rivers, lakes and oceans can affect environmental health. A recent FAO story looks at the importance of the microbiome across the food system and for the bioeconomy and discusses FAO’s role in bringing microbiome science into policy debates. See http://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1393101/ (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for more information.