17/06/2025

“Stories are the vessels of memory. When we recall something that happened it comes back to us as a story. Contained in storytelling is the narrative whole, where experience is reflected intact. Without a sense of story, our understanding becomes piecemeal and disconnected, a collection of disjointed facts and unsupported opinions. With story, we gain a sense of consequence, of who we really are and who we are becoming. Past, present, and future. […]  Stories can inspire and motivate people to take action. By presenting characters overcoming obstacles or achieving great feats, stories can instill hope, resilience, and a sense of possibility. […]  Telling true stories of practice is key to developing a conscious practice which can be shared, deepened and continuously developed” Doug Reeler, Outside Story Inside Story: The power of stories in practices of social change.

Background

Sharing and learning from the experiences of individuals and organizations driving positive change is critical to advancing the agricultural sector towards greater sustainability. All over the world, there are thousands of stories of distinctive work carried out anonymously by family farmers, including women and youth, on successful transitions to more inclusive, sustainable and fair food systems. Those stories are based on co-creation and sharing of traditional knowledge and innovations that are helping to make food systems sustainable, leaving no one behind.

This initiative, launched by the FAO Family Farming Knowledge Platform (FFKP), theFAO Family Farming Engagement, Parliamentary Networks and ComDev Initiatives Unitwithin the framework of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF)and their allies, has been conceived to provide a space to highlight the human, cultural and social dimensions of family farming, assembling a collection of stories and experiences that effectively illustrate how family farmers are promoting models/systems which conserve and restore biodiversity, sustainably manage natural resources, and adapt to climate change, leading the transformation towards climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

1. What is the purpose of the call?

Storytelling offers a window into another´s life, experience and knowledge.  This call shines a light and adds volume to the stories of family farmers to better understand and value how they sustainably manage natural resources, adapt to climate change, and conserve and restore biodiversity in agrifood systems. 

Stories should highlight cases of family farmers* overcoming challenges in the agricultural sector, with a focus on:

🌿Biodiversity conservation and restoration
🌿Climate change adaptation
🌿Sustainable management of natural resources

The content must be based on reality and not fictional in nature.

Stories which are not directly linked to the themes above will not be taken into consideration.

*Family farming includes all family-based agricultural activities. It is a fundamental part of rural development. Family farming is a way of classifying agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production

2. How can participants tell their stories?

Stories are accepted in the following formats:

🔊Audio material

🎥Videos  

 📝Written stories 

 3. How shall the stories be submitted?

• The participant must fill out the entry form and submit it together with the written, photographic, video or audio file.

• ➡️ Access the English, Frenchor Spanish form.

• Submissions are accepted from June 9, 2025 until July 14, 2025 at 23:59 (UTC-07:00)

• Files must be submitted via a link to a publicly accessible file or drive**. Kindly make sure to share the file or drive so that anyone with access to the link can view it without expiry. 

• Submissions are accepted in English, French, or Spanish.

• The submission must not contain dates, text, trade names, logos and/or trademarks.

• There is no limit for the number of submissions per participant.

**How to create a link to a publicly accessible file or drive:

• Upload and Share: Upload the file to a cloud storage service (ex. Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.)

• Generate a shareable Link: Create a shareable link for the recipient to download the file. 

4. Who can participate?

• Farmers, fisherfolk, forest farmers, pastoralists, producers, agricultural extensionists, technical specialists, civil society associations, organizations, universities, institutions, and other relevant actors that are involved in family farming-led, climate-resilient, and sustainable agrifood system transformations. This call is open to individuals and organizations.

• All participants must be 18 or older.

5. What are the general conditions?

• The topic of the story must be aligned with the purpose of the initiative.  Stories which are not directly linked to the themes of the call will not be taken into consideration.

• The content must be based on reality and not fictional in nature.

• Submissions generated with artificial intelligence are not accepted in this initiative.

• Stories must pay due respect to the dignity of people, communities, animals and ecosystems.

• Stories must not include any endorsements of products or services, or any obscene, violent, racist or defamatory content. Incomplete entries or entries that do not comply with the formal specifications will be automatically disqualified.

6. Evaluation Committee

The stories will be reviewed by an Evaluation Committee* chaired by Mr. Guilherme Brady - Head of Family Farming Engagement, Parliamentary Networks and Communication for Development Initiatives Unit within FAO Partnerships and the UN Collaboration Division, and formed by Access Agriculture, Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA), Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), Asian Farmers´ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), CIRAD, EncontrAR, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), Platform of Latin America and the Caribbean for Climate Action on Agriculture (PLACA), Schola Campesina, and World Rural Forum (WRF).

*The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to remove any contribution that they feel may breach any of Terms and Conditions listed above. FAO will determine eligibility at its sole discretion

Copyright and Ownership

• The participant must be the copyright holder of the material submitted.

• Submitted stories must be the work of the participant(s). Stories may be co-authored.

• Stories must not violate or infringe upon the rights of third parties, including but not limited to trademark, privacy, publicity or other intellectual property rights, or constitute copyright infringement.

• If the video or the photographs contain images of a person or persons, participants must have obtained the permission of those persons, or if such person or persons are under the age of 18, of their respective parent or legal guardian, for submission of their video to the call, as well as for the use of the video as described herein. FAO will not be responsible for any claim or complaints alleging violation of the rights of third parties.

• Credit will appear on the published content as follows: Author’s first and last name. 

Permissions

FAO will not claim copyright, but participants must grant a non-exclusive and free license for the dissemination and use of the material for non-commercial purposes.

Annex I: Background paper

Sharing and learning from the experiences of individuals and organizations driving positive change is critical to advancing the agricultural sector towards greater sustainability. All over the world, there are thousands of stories of distinctive work carried out anonymously by family farmers, including women and youth, on successful transitions to more inclusive, sustainable and fair food systems. Those stories are based on co-creation and sharing of traditional knowledge and innovations that are helping to make food systems sustainable, leaving no one behind.

This initiative, launched by the FAO Family Farming Knowledge Platform (FFKP), the FAO Family Farming Engagement, Parliamentary Networks and ComDev Initiatives Unitwithin the framework of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF)and their allies, has been conceived to provide a space to highlight the human, cultural and social dimensions of family farming, assembling a collection of stories and experiences that effectively illustrate how family farmers are promoting models/systems which conserve and restore biodiversity, sustainably manage natural resources, and adapt to climate change, leading the transformation towards climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

Family farmers feed the world and farming families are in fact, uniquely positioned to lead the transformation of food production towards resilience and sustainability. Family farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, foresters, and food producers have valuable insights rooted in traditional knowledge and innovation that are of great value to those beyond their fields and shores. This call seeks to amplify the voices of family farmers around the globe through storytelling and showcase how they are overcoming challenges and forging forward highlighting the different ways in which they responsibly and creatively manage their natural resources, landscapes and ecosystems as well as the cultural and symbolic values that define their identity.

“Stories are the vessels of memory. When we recall something that happened it comes back to us as a story. Contained in storytelling is the narrative whole, where experience is reflected intact. Without a sense of story, our understanding becomes piecemeal and disconnected, a collection of disjointed facts and unsupported opinions. With story, we gain a sense of consequence, of who we really are and who we are becoming. Past, present, and future. […]  Stories can inspire and motivate people to take action. By presenting characters overcoming obstacles or achieving great feats, stories can instill hope, resilience, and a sense of possibility. […]  Telling true stories of practice is key to developing a conscious practice which can be shared, deepened and continuously developed”. (Reeler, D. (2023). Outside Story Inside Story: The power of stories in practices of social change. The Barefoot Guide Connection.)

Storytelling offers a window into another´s life, experience and knowledge.  This call shines a light and adds volume to the stories of family farmers to better understand and value how they sustainably manage natural resources, adapt to climate change, and conserve and restore biodiversity in agrifood systems. 

This call focuses on stories of Practice. “Practice is when we put our concepts and methods into action together as a living capacity to observe, reflect and respond in the moment, to do the right thing at the right time, as the situation asks. […]True accountability is the ability to share deeper and more honest accounts or stories of practice. The point is not just to measure impact (or its absence) but to understand and learn from it to improve future practice (and therefore impact).

Annex II: Guiding questions to consider when creating the story

1. Set the scene and give context to the story:

• Where, when, and how does the story begin? 

• What problem or challenge sparks the story?

• What motivations lead the people involved to seek a change?

2. Introduce the people involved in the story:

• What communities, organizations, networks, institutions, and / or groups play a part in the story?

• Who are the main people involved in the process? 

• Who leads the change shown in the story?
  

3. Highlight the main achievements or benefits for farmers, communities and the environment: 

• What needs are met?

• What new practices or innovations are introduced and why?

• Are there notable changes in behaviors, relationships, capacities, mindsets, etc.?

4. Mention the success factors or lessons learned: 

• How do the people respond to these achievements? 

• What are the next steps, challenges, or recommendations? 

• What lessons are learned?
  
  

Annex III: Tips for telling stories

What makes a good story? 

A good story is determined by its content and the way it is narrated. A good story is coherent and easy to follow, often sticking to a single topic.

Clarity

Before you even start writing, photographing, filming or recording, you need to have clear answers to these three questions:

1. Which practice/experience do I want to highlight?

2. How was the situation at the starting point and what was/were the problem(s)?

3. How should I describe the      practice/experience and its impact?

4. Which were the success factors which have led to the resolution or mitigation of the problem?

5. Who were the people involved in this practice/experience and what were their roles?

6. Which are the impacts of this practice/experience? What were the benefits for farmers, communities and the environment?

Structure

A compelling story needs a clear beginning, middle, and end — each serving a purpose in the audience’s journey. Traditionally, the beginning introduces the experience/practice and its context, the people involved and the main problem, and the ending provides the solution/resolution. 

Planning

While spontaneity and authenticity can enrich a project, planning a story helps keep the goal in sight. Using storyboards or another planning method to chart the written project, photo reportage, video, podcast from start to finish can add to a coherent storyline.

Description

A strong setting transports an audience to a vividly described real-life location. A great setting feels lived-in and helps to understand the plot and events.

More tips: Outside Story Inside Story -The Power of Stories in Practices of Social Change

Any questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected]