FAO in review: At 80, FAO unveils greener, upgraded facilities and friendly environment
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu visits the Asian Pavilion in the garden area. FAO Headquarters.
©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto
In its 80th year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has unveiled a transformed headquarters in Rome, featuring expanded green spaces, an inspiring new museum, as well as upgraded facilities across its global network.
As FAO enters its ninth decade, these changes symbolize a commitment to trust, innovation, and a future where no one is left behind. From green roofs and solar-powered offices to immersive cultural spaces, FAO is opening its doors to Rome and to the world.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu visits the Asian Pavilion in the garden area. FAO Headquarters.
©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto
Greener headquarters
Visitors to FAO’s Rome headquarters are now welcomed by a sprawling garden that blurs the line between institution and city. Covering 17,419 square metres, the redesign increased green space by 84 percent, adding 9,400 square metres of planted areas, permeable surfaces, and green roofs.
The gardens capture and reuse rainwater through underground tanks and soil-moisture seniors based on the ecosystem friendly design of sponge park. Nearly 80 new trees, 10,000 shrubs, and over 100 plant species enhance biodiversity, while edible species such as olives, almonds, pomegranates and citrus reflect FAO’s mission. Paths of reused stone reinforce a circular approach to materials, complemented by new landmarks like an eight-jet fountain and a monumental vertical stone from China.
FAO’s new Entrance, along Rome’s Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, serves as a welcoming front door. Built to LEED standards, it features a green roof and improved access controls.
Inside the pavilion, decorative panels narrate the archaeological discoveries unearthed during construction. Excavations coordinated with the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma uncovered Roman era remains, including masonry and stratified evidence charting the area’s evolution, as well as amphora layers testifying to Mediterranean trade in wine, oil, and other goods.
The headquarters’ travertine façades were restored with support from Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure, while the historic Santa Balbina wall was reinforced and integrated with travertine planters for climbing vegetation.
A new three-story parking structure, clad in travertine, was built above preserved Roman remains. The curtain walls of the parking building are covered in travertine marble, harmonizing with the architectural style of FAO’s current buildings.
“Sustainability has been a guiding principle throughout these projects, as with all the building work we have undertaken to renovate headquarters,” said Director-General QU Dongyu. “We prioritized the use of sustainable materials, and existing materials were re-used wherever possible.”
Left/Right: Unveiling of the Chrysanthemum Stone. ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito
Works at FAO new Garden Area. © FAO/Alessandra Benedetti
FAO MuNe and upgraded spaces for collaboration
On World Food Day 2025, FAO inaugurated the Food and Agriculture Museum & Network (FAO MuNe), a permanent, digital-first exhibition celebrating food, agriculture, and FAO’s legacy.
Visitors can explore rare books, artworks, farming tools, textiles, and garments, alongside interactive displays that connect culture, community, and agrifood traditions worldwide. The networking element offers a dynamic, digital space where culture, community, and storytelling reveal the deep ties between people, land, and traditions. Through powerful images and shared knowledge, visitors may discover the people, practices, and innovations shaping diverse and evolving agrifood systems across countries, cultures, and generations.
In addition, FAO’s headquarters now hosts dynamic new spaces:
- Netherlands Acceleration Zone – A cutting-edge hub for collaboration, featuring advanced audiovisual systems and a moss-wall installation.
- Kazakhstan Lounge – A luminous, yurt-inspired space for cultural exchange and acoustic comfort.
- Indonesia Room – Revitalized with a glass façade and intricate teak carvings depicting epic tales and symbolic motifs.
- Liberia Situation Room – A real-time decision-support center for food security crises.
- Zimbabwe Lounge – A traditionally styled, energy-efficient venue for informal gatherings.
Beyond architecture, FAO advanced its Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy 2020–2030, accelerating green transitions worldwide. This includes solar PV systems, LED upgrades, and energy meters in country offices. To date, 22 solar systems have been installed, cutting emissions by over 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Furthermore, in June, FAO, in collaboration with the Municipality of Rome and Atac – the Italian capital’s municipal public transport company – inaugurated the redesigned entrance hall of the Circo Massimo metro station, which has been renamed “Circo Massimo-FAO.”
Left/Right: Inauguration Kazakhstan Lounge - World Food Forum 2025. ©FAO/Giorgio Cosulich de Pecine
Inauguration Zimbabwe Lounge - World Food Forum 2025. © FAO/Giorgio Cosulich de Pecine
Regional developments and key events
In 2025, FAO also implemented measures to improve facilities and its support to Members.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO’s Regional Office in Santiago (RLC) has developed a digital applications ecosystem that simplifies processes related to project planning, resource mobilization, investment, partnerships, communication, and administrative management to travel, health, human resources, and procurement.
RLC has also strengthened the implementation of the Virtual Business Rounds for Agrifood Value Chains. Since 2020, the initiative has brought together more than 5,500 agrifood enterprises, cooperatives and agribusinesses, facilitating nearly 7,000 business meetings and generating over USD 240 million in trade intentions.
In Africa, FAO’s Regional Office in Accra (RAF) inaugurated a dedicated nursing room thoughtfully designed to cater to the needs of new mothers. This year, RAF supported and participated in the Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 (AFSF2025), held in Dakar, under the theme: “African Youth, a Driver of Agrifood Systems Transformation.” The event, focus on the centrality of youth as drivers of transformation, brought together several African heads of state and government around strong commitments to accelerate agrifood systems transformation across the Continent.
In Asia and the Pacific, FAO’s Regional Office in Bangkok (RAP) has increased the number of plants in common areas and offices, fostering a greener and healthier workplace. Additionally, to address high seasonal air pollution, measures have been implemented to reduce staff exposure to dust and PM2.5. This includes the installation of airtight entrance and side doors, as well as sealing louvres and windows to enhance air quality.
To emphasize FAO’s focus on science, innovation and technology, RAP also organized the Inter-Regional Digital Agriculture Solutions Forum 2025, which brought together nearly 400 participants from over 50 countries, including government leaders and cutting-edge innovators. Innovations highlighted included climate-smart crop production, drone-enabled rice farming, AI-supported fisheries management, non-intrusive spectroscopy to detect meat spoilage in livestock, and digital traceability systems in forestry.
In the Near East and North Africa, FAO’s Regional Office in Cairo welcomed FAO Representatives from across the world for the Third Global Working Conference (GWC) in mid-December. It was a unique opportunity to reflect, exchange knowledge, and align the work of FAO’s Decentralized Offices and headquarters with both global needs and the priorities of the Organization. During the Conference, the Director-General also officially launched the FAO Villages Recognition, an initiative that stems from my deep belief that rural communities are at the very core of global agrifood systems transformation.
In Europe and Central Asia, during this year FAO’s Regional Office in Budapest organized the first Global Forum on Green Agriculture and the Second Regional Science and Innovation Week in September. The event brought together over 230 participants to accelerate the shift toward sustainable and climate-resilient agrifood systems. It showcased more than 100 practical green solutions and launched the first interregional Green Agricultural Policy Assessments, highlighting shared priorities such as food security, water management, climate adaptation and biodiversity protection.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu official visit to Egypt. ©FAO/Ahmed Elshemy
Inauguration of the Netherland Acceleration Room - FAO Conference 44th Session.
©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti
FAO Renaissance
In 2025, both headquarters and decentralized offices continued to forge ahead with the spirit of the “4Rs” launched by the Director-General - Recovery, Rebuild, and Reform for the Renaissance of FAO, which follows on the “4Es” – Efficiency, Effectiveness, Extraordinary and Excellence. The FAO Renaissance is transforming the Organization into a more vibrant, dynamic, efficient, and environment friendly workplace and a more powerful ally for its Members, while nurturing a future founded on the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The FAO Renaissance is the renewal of the Organization to modernize its structure, embrace innovation, and intensify efforts to achieve “freedom from want” as laid down in its Constitution by its founding member 80 years ago. The FAO Renaissance reflects a turning point in the Organization’s history, preparing its core competency for the challenges of the future.
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FAO opens its new Food and Agriculture Museum & Network (FAO MuNe) on 16 October 2025, on the occasion of World Food Day and the Organization’s...