As part of ongoing efforts by the FAO and IFAD led GEF-8 Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP) to transform food systems to be more sustainable, regenerative, inclusive, resilient, and pollution-free; representatives from eight countries across Asia and ...

In the heart of Egypt’s Western Desert, in Kharga Oasis, 700 kilometers from Cairo, a groundbreaking initiative is transforming the lives of local farmers with hearing and speech impairments. The GEF-funded project, focused on the sustainable management of Kharga Oasis agro-ecosystems, identified the unique challenges and potential of Khaled, a farmer field school participant who is deaf and mute. In response, the project established a specialized Farmer Field School designed to support farmers with similar impairments, empowering them to thrive in the region.

The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO), in partnership with the FAO-GEF Unit and the FAO Office of Evaluation, held its first-ever, partnership-wide Evaluation workshop in the GEF’s three-decade history. The workshop focused on advancing shared evaluation priorities, exchanging best practices, and aligning efforts to better capture impact from GEF-funded projects and programs. 

Land degradation is a pressing ...

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe - In a move to address the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, and members of the Bulawayo local authority, convened a crucial technical i...

With 55 percent of the world’s population residing in urban areas, it is estimated that by 2050, urban population is expected to rise to 68 percent, mainly in low-income countries. Local councils are finding it increasingly challenging to ensure urban and peri-urban populations have access to inc...

Over one hundred cross-sectoral stakeholders including land users, government officials, technical partners and project implementers from ten different countries across dryland ecoregions gathered in the Warm Heart of Africa (Malawi) on 29 July for the second regional stakeholders workshop for Southern Africa under the GEF-7 Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (DSL-IP).

Blantyre, Malawi – Government officials, experts and landscape managers from across Southern Africa met today for a week of discussions on the challenges and solutions for drylands in the region organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and pa...

Amidst the picturesque desert landscapes of Rigan in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s southeastern Kerman province, one community is witnessing a remarkable revival of its culinary tradition while upholding environmental sustainability.

Such a transformation is the fruit of the Rehabilita...

The CBIT AFOLU Cuba Project is leading advances to improve the accuracy of greenhouse gas measurements in the agricultural, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector. In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and with the financial support of the Glo...

Starting in 2016, Lebanon's rugged mountain terrains witnessed a transformative initiative aimed at restoring ecological balance and uplifting rural communities. The "Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas" (SALMA) project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization ...

Nuristan, one of Afghanistan's most forested provinces, has an estimated population of 150 000, and an area, of 9 000 square kilometers. This remote province of eastern Afghanistan is known for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, rich natural and cultural heritage, and unique traditions. The province was historically isolated and remained relatively untouched due to its rocky topography, which contributed to the preservation of its unique culture. During the past 45 years, this remoteness made Nuristan an insecure place, used as a base by mujahideen and more recently Islamic State militants.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) this week helped 28 countries to unlock $70 million in financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address urban sustainability, groundwater management, biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation.

Land holds the past, present and future of humanity. Everything from nutritious food and thriving ecosystems to agricultural heritage and livelihoods rely on healthy and productive land. Yet every year, an average of 100 million hectares of land are degraded through unsustainable agriculture, ...

The Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) programme was officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2024. It consists of six projects in Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, the Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam. The five-year initiative aims to catalyze investments to minimize the u...

As part of an 

Two Pacific small island states are set to...

Walk through farmlands in the rugged, hilly terrain of parts of Mexico and you’ll see maize plants grown widely spaced apart with pole beans climbing up them and the large leaves of squash covering the soil alongside edible herbs. These are all part of a farming system known as a milpa. It is ...

From bees to earthworms, from coral reefs to rain forests - biodiversity helps to ensure our food diversity and must be key to transforming our food production systems. On International Day for Biological Diversity, FAO launched its updated action plan for Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Agricultural Sectors and prepared to embark on several new biodiversity-related initiatives. 

Since the beginning of the project, the DSL-IP and the REM country projects (Kazakhstan and Mongolia) have engaged with CACILM through events focusing on sustainable pasture management, including a webinar on sustainable management of pasture resources in Kazakhstan and a regional workshop on gender.