Latest news and updates from the partnership
Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Program launches
27/06/2025
Stretching from Bhutan to Papua New Guinea, the Indo-Malaya forest biome harbors one of the last major primary forest areas in the world, hosting more than 5,000 threatened species. To maintain the integrity of these primary forests, so they can deliver biodiversity, climate, and livelihood benefits, the Southeast Asia and the Pacific Forests Integrated Program was launched.
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Empowering women farmers with greenhouses in Afghanistan
25/06/2025
Ms. Laila, a 40-year-old mother of four children from Qarghayi district in Laghman province, faced challenges in providing food for her family. Her husband, a local farmer, earned very little, and they owned only two goats. With no personal income, Liala depended entirely on this limited liveliho...
Seeking youth insights on fixing food systems
20/06/2025
If you're 35 or under and passionate about food systems, YPARD wants to hear from you – your voice will help shape the Youth Strategy for the GEF-8 Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP).
Harvesting Hope: Reversing Desertification through Conservation Agriculture in Southern Iraq
17/06/2025
“I’ve saved 20% on farming costs in the first year alone,” says Issa Ramadhan, a farmer in Southern Iraq. “Traditional tillage is expensive with all the ploughing, fertilizers, and water required. With Conservation Agriculture practices, I’ve reduced these costs significantly, and the results speak for themselves. I’ve been able to reinvest that money into improving my farm.”
USD $5.8 million approved for community-based conservation in DRC's Tanganyika province
12/06/2025
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund approves its first-ever project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Community-Based Conservation for Biodiversity and Livelihoods in the Context of Climate Change project channels USD $5.8 million to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems, and...
USD 8.9 million approved for climate-resilient agriculture in Solomon Islands
10/06/2025
The Solomon Islands is highly vulnerable to climate change due to rising seas, extreme weather, and reliance on agriculture and fisheries. The project funded by the Least Developed Countries Fund and led by FAO will build climate-resilience through sustainable farming, stronger policies and governance, and improved climate information, enhancing 36,000 hectares, training 60,000 people, and directly benefiting over 75,000.
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Op-ed: When our oceans can’t breathe, a sea change is needed
09/06/2025
Accelerated by land-based nutrient runoff, Marine Hypoxia is creating dead zones in the oceans, which have grown by 4.5 million km² in the last 50 years, threatening fish stocks, coastal livelihoods, and diets. The FAO-led GEF-8 Clean and Healthy Oceans Integrated Program (CHOIP) is tackling this phenomenon by curbing nutrient pollution at its source to benefit 10 major large marine ecosystems.
Central Asian countries unite for sustainable water and land management
04/06/2025
Five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – are supporting the development of the Central Asia Water-Land Nexus (CAWLN) programme to strengthen water security, improve agricultural land health, reduce deforestation, and promote rural economies.
Standing the test: Five countries see proof of Integrated Pest Management success
23/05/2025
Integrated pest management is a holistic and environmentally friendly approach to pest control that balances effective pest management with the protection of human health, beneficial organisms and natural ecosystems.
Three tales of biodiversity revival in Latin America
22/05/2025
Latin America and the Caribbean are home to some of the planet’s greatest biodiversity, but it is decreasing worldwide due to unsustainable human activity and changes in climate. Recognizing the importance of biodiversity, particularly within agrifood systems, FAO and GEF work with partners to bolster conservation efforts throughout Latin America. Here are three GEF-funded, FAO projects conserving and restoring ecosystems across Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
Bees for biodiversity in Belize
19/05/2025
Bees play a vital role as pollinators across a wide range of ecosystems, including forest landscapes and food crops worldwide. Nearly 90 percent of wild flowering plants depend on bees and other pollinators to sprout future generations, and 75 percent of the world’s food crops depend on it in part. By pollinating both wild and cultivated plants, bees and other pollinators play an important role in maintaining ecosystem services and biodiversity, while also supporting global food security and nutrition.
Strengthening climate finance mobilization in West Africa
16/05/2025
The workshop led to the development of a strategic roadmap for increased mobilization of GEF and GCF resources, while strengthening the capacities of FAO country offices in environmental governance and sustainable natural resource management.
Celebrating sustainability this World Tuna Day
02/05/2025
When the UN General Assembly adopted May 2 as World Tuna Day less than a decade ago, around 75 percent of tuna production came from sustainably fished stocks. Today, 90 to 95 percent of tuna landed at ports comes from stocks that are not overfished.
Guardian of the Forests – Benita Kaghuvi’s Mission to Stop the Flames in Namibia
02/05/2025
As wildfires escalate in Namibia’s Kavango East Region, one woman’s dedication is helping to protect forests, livelihoods and future generations.
“When I was younger, forest fires were rare,” says Benita Makena Kaghuvi, seated under a tall false mopane tree in Cakuma village. “...
Kamil Yıldız: A role model farmer for Earth Day in Türkiye
22/04/2025
Today is Earth Day, a time to reflect on and to take local actions to safeguard the land and the environments that sustain all life. We each play a part and all efforts for sustainability are worthwhile.
In Adaköy, a village in the Yeniçağa district of Bolu, Kamil Yıldız farms in the qu...
Empowering Zimbabwe's drylands: how the Dryland Sustainable Landscapes IP is transforming lives
02/04/2025
Community Seed Banks supported by the Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme in Zimbabwe serve as "centers of excellence" for sustainable land and forest management. It's a unique four-in-one model that integrates forestry restoration, soil and land conservation, farmer field schools, tree nurseries, orchards, and solar-powered boreholes.
Forest data without borders: FAO launches National Forest Inventory Learning Journey to strengthen forest data across Asia and the Pacific
27/03/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the “National Forest Inventory (NFI) Learning Journey” at a regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand. This innovative, self-paced learning initiative aims to help Member Nations plan, implement, and analyze their national forest inventories. It provides ongoing access to valuable resources to improve forest data management systems and strengthen national capacities.
Promoting sustainable, pollution-free fishing practices in Bangladesh
08/03/2025
Traditional sun drying of fish in Bangladesh is climate-dependent and done at open spaces where insect infestations by beetle and fly are a real problem. Hazardous pesticides or chemicals are often used as a cheaper solution to eliminate insects during drying and storage of dried fish that pose serious public health risks. Innovative fish drying systems are part of a larger initiative that seeks to promote sustainable fishing practices, enhance the quality and marketability of dry fish products, and reduce post-harvest losses.
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Transforming Maize and Wheat agrifood systems through innovation, policy, and global collaboration
03/03/2025
Global dialogue on wheat and maize innovations held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on agrifood systems transformation through innovation, policy and global collaboration.
Seagrasses: Guardians of the Sea in Venezuela
28/02/2025
Seagrass meadows are one of the planet's most valuable ecosystems, providing refuge, food, and breeding grounds for thousands of marine species while also storing up to 18% of the world's ocean carbon. A FAO-GEF project in Venezuela aims to reduce the threats of invasive species in seagrass ecosystems.