In focus

Empowering women in food and agriculture

See why gender equality and women's empowerment is central to FAO’s work

Highlights
Director-General
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol visiting Emergency Livestock Supplements distribution Center in Isiolo, Kenya.
News
Drought in the Horn of Africa: New analyses flag mounting risks, need to support rural families

FAO senior officials visit affected areas in the rush to save lives and livelihoods.

Bulgarian national Yoana Georgieva (above) works for its BlackSea4Fish project.
Story
Meet four women in fisheries at the forefront of change in science

Advancing gender equality in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

36th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East

Read FAO Director-General QU Dongyu’s closing remarks.

Interactive story
Meet the world's most destructive migratory pest

Desert locusts pose a major threat to food security and livelihoods.

Help us spread the word!
International year
Help us spread the word!

Here’s how you can help promote the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022.

Pulses
Publication
Celebrating the power of pulses

Pulses play a critical role in addressing challenges of poverty, food security, nutrition, soil health and climate change.

Director-General
36th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East

Read FAO Director-General QU Dongyu’s closing remarks.

Voices of Impact

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Samoa Women’s Association of Growers (SWAG)

The Samoa Women’s Association of Growers (SWAG) is a grassroots organization helping Samoan women growers and farmers to network, learn, and socialize in an environment that is open and supportive.

DURATION 2:45
Videos
Pulses are not just for adults...

From navy beans to lentils or cowpeas to chickpeas, pulses are wonder foods for human health.


Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries are allowing fishers to play an active role in issues that affect their daily lives and livelihoods.

Podcasts

Innovators across the globe are coming up with novel ways to harness the ocean’s resources sustainably. Meet Lucy Hughes, inventor of MarinaTex, a bioplastic made from fish waste. 


Many residents of Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia depend heavily on fish and rice for their livelihoods and have to send their children to work rather than school in order to survive. FAO is working with the government and partners to get children back to school.

FAO and the SDGs

FAO supports governments and partners to design the right policies and programmes to end hunger, promote food security and promote sustainable agriculture for millions of people around the world.

Hover the mouse over an SDG icon for more information

A world free from hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contributes to improving the living standards of all

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FAO works with governments and partners to empower some of the world’s most marginalized people to end rural poverty.

sdg photo

FAO helps ensure food security by developing ways of growing food that will work in the future so that millions of people don’t go hungry.

sdg photo

Good health starts with nutrition. FAO sets global standards and works with governments and the private sector to ensure food quality and safety throughout the food chain.

sdg photo

FAO invests in educational systems for rural communities and supports improved access to primary education and school meals in order to create equal opportunities for all and chances of lifelong learning.

sdg photo

FAO supports gender equality in the agricultural sector in an effort to raise levels of nutrition in local communities and improve agricultural productivity.

sdg photo

FAO works with governments to ensure water use in agriculture is made more efficient, equitable and environmentally friendly.

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FAO promotes the use of renewable energies and works to ensure access to modern energy services across the food chain.

sdg photo

FAO seeks better economic opportunities for all by investing in sustainable agricultural practices and food systems that reduce inequalities and create decent jobs.

sdg photo

FAO seeks to secure a future for rural communities via investments in transportation, irrigation, food storage facilities and communication technologies.

sdg photo

FAO works with countries and partners to generate employment in rural areas, ensure access to natural resources for the most vulnerable and connect farmers to markets.

sdg photo

FAO works to improve urban healthcare, water quality and rethink city region food systems to help deter the negative effects of sprawling urbanisation.

sdg photo

FAO coordinates major global initiatives and projects to tackle food waste and loss, partnering with international organisations, the private sector and civil society.

sdg photo

FAO supports countries in responding to the threats of climate change by providing advice, data and tools for better agricultural policies and practices.

sdg photo

FAO, in partnership with governments and fishing communities, implements best practices in fisheries to ensure our oceans are protected as a means of livelihoods.

sdg photo

FAO promotes sustainable approaches to natural resource management and supports endeavours that promote a balance between conservation and development initiatives.

sdg photo

FAO plays a critical role in peacebuilding, restoring rural livelihoods, building resilience and participatory approaches to policymaking.

sdg photo

FAO acts as a neutral policymaking forum and develops partnerships with all concerned with food and agriculture to ensure a world free from hunger.

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FAO supports governments and partners to design the right policies and programmes to end hunger, promote food security and promote sustainable agriculture for millions of people around the world.

sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO works with governments and partners to empower some of the world’s most marginalized people to end rural poverty.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO helps ensure food security by developing ways of growing food that will work in the future so that millions of people don’t go hungry.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

Good health starts with nutrition. FAO sets global standards and works with governments and the private sector to ensure food quality and safety throughout the food chain.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO invests in educational systems for rural communities and supports improved access to primary education and school meals in order to create equal opportunities for all and chances of lifelong learning.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO supports gender equality in the agricultural sector in an effort to raise levels of nutrition in local communities and improve agricultural productivity.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO works with governments to ensure water use in agriculture is made more efficient, equitable and environmentally friendly.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO promotes the use of renewable energies and works to ensure access to modern energy services across the food chain.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO seeks better economic opportunities for all by investing in sustainable agricultural practices and food systems that reduce inequalities and create decent jobs.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO seeks to secure a future for rural communities via investments in transportation, irrigation, food storage facilities and communication technologies.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO works with countries and partners to generate employment in rural areas, ensure access to natural resources for the most vulnerable and connect farmers to markets.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO works to improve urban healthcare, water quality and rethink city region food systems to help deter the negative effects of sprawling urbanisation.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO coordinates major global initiatives and projects to tackle food waste and loss, partnering with international organisations, the private sector and civil society.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO supports countries in responding to the threats of climate change by providing advice, data and tools for better agricultural policies and practices.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO, in partnership with governments and fishing communities, implements best practices in fisheries to ensure our oceans are protected as a means of livelihoods.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO promotes sustainable approaches to natural resource management and supports endeavours that promote a balance between conservation and development initiatives.

Tap for more

sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO plays a critical role in peacebuilding, restoring rural livelihoods, building resilience and participatory approaches to policymaking.

Tap for more
sdg photo
sdg photo

FAO acts as a neutral policymaking forum and develops partnerships with all concerned with food and agriculture to ensure a world free from hunger.

Tap for more

World agricultural land by use and main countries (2019)

2020 World

31.2%

2010 World

31.5%

In depth

In Focus
Hand in Hand Initiative

Discover an evidence-based, country-led and country-owned initiative to accelerate agricultural transformation and sustainable rural development. 

4 Betters visual
In Focus
FAO’s Strategic Framework

Articulating FAO's vision of a sustainable and food secure world for all, in the context of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

Graph
Statistics
FAOSTAT - Food and agriculture data

FAOSTAT provides free access to food and agriculture data for over 245 countries and territories and covers all FAO regional groupings from 1961 to the most recent year available.

logo-giahs

Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems