The Highlights of science and innovation in FAO’s Work report was developed to illustrate the breadth and depth of science and innovation in FAO’s efforts. The FAO Science and Innovation Strategy is a key tool to support the implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31. The report presents examples of...

En el marco del curso virtual “Prácticas de consumo para impulsar las economías rurales”, el jueves 12 de febrero se desarrolló la cuarta y última clase sincrónica titulada “Datos y digitalización para el consumo y la economía rural”, facilitada por Lesly Zerna, ingeniera en telecomunicaciones y especialista en tecnologías digitales. La sesión...

Oscar Bazoberry Chali nos invita a un recorrido por 10 años consecutivos del Informa Anual Acceso a la tierra y territorio en Sudamérica: "Leídos en secuencia, el Informe Anual en sus diez versiones no son únicamente una colección de capítulos nacionales, constituyen una serie histórica que acompaña el desplazamiento de...

A new guidance on production, preparation, and export of organic plant products into the European Union provides a comprehensive, simplified summary of the legal requirements for operators and groups of operators in non-EU countries. It was implemented in collaboration with FiBL.

Industrial farming practices are leaving harmful marks on India’s agricultural resources. 30% of the soils are degraded, groundwater is depleting fast, and biodiversity – specifically critical soil microbes, insects and birds – continues to disappear. Furthermore, these practices contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, rendering Indian food systems ever more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The resulting losses in production have pushed marginalised communities – in particular small farmers, women, and Indigenous...

Back in 2024, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) already highlighted – in the Global Land Outlook – that “current global food systems are among the main sources of land degradation. Globally, they are responsible for 80% of deforestation, 70% of freshwater use, and are the largest cause of terrestrial...

This handbook offers practical guidance to strengthen collaboration between labour and agrifood actors to prevent and eliminate child labour in agriculture. It addresses a key implementation gap by positioning child labour in agriculture as both a labour and rural development issue and promoting coordinated, cross-sectoral action on its structural causes....

Indigenous rural production systems often integrate environmental observation, place-based material knowledge, and community governance structures that sustain livelihoods under variable ecological conditions. This paper documents the Chorotega ceramic production system practiced in San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua as an Indigenous-governed rural production system grounded in continuous environmental observation, regional earth...

Set in the vibrant fictional village of Kianda, this engaging radio drama follows Ismael, Leila, Faizal, and Mariamo as they navigate the everyday realities of smallholder farming in Mozambique. Through humour, relatable challenges, and practical lessons, the series explores climate-smart agriculture, soil conservation, natural fertilizers, crop rotation, pest management, and...

Eswatini is expanding its climate adaptation efforts in agriculture by introducing protected cultivation infrastructure and climate-smart technologies aimed at increasing food system resilience. The initiative, implemented with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), was featured during the Coordination Unit for Plant Production and...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential indicator of soil fertility, health, and carbon sequestration capacity. Its proper management improves soil structure, productivity, and resilience to climate change, making rapid and reliable SOC assessment essential for sustainable agriculture. Visible and near-infrared (Vis–NIR) spectroscopy offers a non-destructive and cost-effective alternative to...

Pollination is a key ecosystem service forcacao (Theobroma cacao L.) production, yet naturalpollination rates are critically low, partly due toagricultural intensification and the widespread useof agrochemicals. We investigated how conventionalcrop management practices—specifically the applicationof an insecticide (cypermethrin), a fungicide(copper oxychloride), and a pollinator breeding substrate(oil palm fibre) affect pollination dynamics...

Agriculture is the single largest cause for transgressing planetary boundaries. A global transformation to sustainable intensification is required in order to hold the windows open for meeting the Paris climate accord of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and the global biodiversity framework of halting loss of biodiversity, while securing food...

Food systems are characterised by persistent injustices – from exploitative labour and unequal access to healthy food to disproportionate environmental burdens on marginalised communities. These injustices have spurred diverse conceptual frameworks (e.g., food democracy, food sovereignty, food justice), resulting in a fragmented debate around justice that tends to conceptualise it...

In this blog, Ilse, Ajinkya, Sajal and Hanwant argue for formally recognising camels as essential working animals for pastoral livelihoods and for facilitating their movement across state borders. 

In wetlands, water is the defining force shaping both ecosystems and livelihoods. Communities living in these regions hold rich traditional knowledge of water, embedded in their practices, institutions, and stories. In this blog, Suchiradipta argues that Extension and Advisory Services can serve as a vital bridge by translating between scientific...

Indigenous beekeeping practices across dryland and semi-arid regions often rely on wild, native pollinator populations and are embedded within seasonal, place-based ecological knowledge systems. These practices integrate biodiversity stewardship, water availability, food systems, and livelihoods without treating them as discrete domains. This learning material documents a Maasai women-led beekeeping practice in...

This case study documents how Maasai family farming systems in semi-arid northern Tanzania sustain household and livestock water access under prolonged drought through distributed, family-managed groundwater practices. In contexts where centralized water infrastructure is absent, communities rely on manually dug wells located in dry riverbeds and former lakebeds where surface...

In this episode of The Work We Do, we speak with Lauren Phillips, Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about why women and youth are central to the transformation of agrifood systems. The conversation draws on FAO’s flagship reports to...

This emergency agriculture support brief presents the results of the latest Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM-Monitoring) round conducted in Colombia from August to October 2025. More than 100 000 agricultural households are in need of emergency agricultural assistance in Colombia. This DIEM-Monitoring brief provides humanitarian actors with an in-depth analysis...