FAO has trained 28 forestry experts from Angola and Mozambique in the latest remote sensing techniques to support the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025. Held in Lobito and funded by the European Union, the workshop focused on using satellite data and local knowledge to improve forest monitoring. Participants learned to track forest changes using Collect Earth Online, an open-source tool for image interpretation, enhancing the region’s ability to produce accurate, up-to-date forest data. This initiative marks another step in FAO’s global effort to strengthen sustainable forest management through advanced technology.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Government of Mozambique, through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation, launched on 17 April 2025, the Digitalization of the Farmer Field School (FFS) Project in the District of Mocuba, Zambézia Province. The project, part of the 100 Days of Governance activities led by the Government, aims to modernize agricultural education with digital technologies by promoting digitalization and digital inclusion across all sectors and levels of governance, ensuring that farmers have real-time access to information.

Mozambique’s new Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries brings together key sectors that shape the lives of millions. FAO is seizing this opportunity to work more closely with national partners to deliver real improvements in food security, rural livelihoods, and natural resource management. By strengthening coordination and focusing on people, this renewed partnership will help communities growing more, protecting their environment, and building a better future.

To strengthen sustainable fisheries management, FAO, through the SWIOFC-Nairobi Convention Partnership Project (SWIOFC-NC PP2) and the EAF-Nansen Programme, conducted two community-level training sessions on the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in Moma, Nampula Province, and Machanga, Sofala Province. Held in February and March 2025, the sessions engaged 92 participants in each location, including fishers, community leaders, NGOs, and government representatives. The training introduced interactive methodologies to enhance understanding of EAF principles and support the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs). By integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches, the initiative empowers coastal communities to actively participate in sustainable resource management, ensuring the long-term resilience of marine ecosystems and livelihoods. 

This story illustrates how community-based agricultural training and technical support are helping smallholder farmers in Mozambique build resilience against climate shocks. Through improved livestock management and sustainable feeding practices, farmers are now able to secure food for their animals during droughts and create new income opportunities, such as hay production and sales. These initiatives not only strengthen food security and livelihoods but also promote self-sufficiency and economic diversification in vulnerable rural communities.

As Mozambique grapples with the devastating effects of El Niño-induced drought, FAO has stepped in to support more than 31 000 vulnerable farming households with timely and targeted assistance. Combining innovative e-voucher systems and large-scale in-kind distributions, FAO’s intervention has enabled farmers to access essential seeds and tools, plant on time, and restore their livelihoods. This article highlights how FAO’s dual approach is helping farmers rebuild food production, improve food security, and strengthen resilience for the future.

Ahead of anticipated floods linked to La Niña, FAO supported nearly 4 000 farmers in Sofala and Zambézia with flood-resilient seeds, cash transfers, and mobile phones to safeguard livelihoods and food security. Despite milder forecasts, communities remain vulnerable after months of hardship and ongoing cyclones. FAO continues to scale up anticipatory actions and strengthen resilience, proving that acting early is essential to reduce losses and protect vulnerable populations.

Since October 2023, FAO and WFP have worked together in Tete Province, Mozambique, to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods and food security for smallholder farmers. Focusing on livestock support, the programme has delivered essential training, veterinary kits, and mobility tools to local technicians and livestock promoters in Changara, Cahora Bassa, and Marara districts. Key actions include establishing forage banks to ensure sustainable feed during dry seasons and promoting hay and silage production to prevent livestock losses. By enhancing veterinary services and encouraging better feeding practices, the initiative aims to reduce vulnerability, improve resilience, and secure the livelihoods of farming communities facing increasing climate risks. 

Francelina da Cruz Romano, a young mother from Naelle village in northern Cabo Delgado, has transformed her family’s life with the help of just four chickens provided through FAO’s emergency agricultural support. Struggling to feed her seven children and make ends meet, Francelina now has a reliable source of nutritious food and occasional income from selling poultry. Her story, featured as part of FAO’s Around the Table series, highlights how simple, sustainable solutions can strengthen food security and empower women in vulnerable communities. More than a livelihood, for Francelina, poultry farming has become a way to care for her family and celebrate life’s moments with dignity and hope. 

FAO Mozambique has been actively delivering emergency agricultural assistance to thousands of vulnerable households, focusing on the provision of quality seeds, farming tools, and poultry assets to help families resume food production. With agriculture being the primary livelihood for most families in the region, restoring farming activities is critical to reducing dependence on external aid and promoting self-sufficiency.

In response to Mozambique’s first outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in October 2023, FAO, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Directorate of Livestock Development (DNDP), has strengthened the country’s frontline defense through a specialized training programme. Held in August 2024, this hands-on training equipped over 36 veterinarians, para-veterinarians, and field officers from high-risk provinces with essential skills in HPAI detection, response, and biosecurity. By focusing on surveillance, safe sample collection, outbreak management, and health protection measures, the initiative enhanced Mozambique’s capacity to prevent and respond to HPAI threats, protecting poultry livelihoods and public health while contributing to regional and global health security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Norwegian Government, introduced fish silage as an organic fertilizer to boost crop nutrition and improve farming outcomes for small-scale producers.

Strengthening disease surveillance is key to improving animal and public health in Mozambique. To support this goal, FAO, through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), has led a national effort to improve sample collection and diagnostic capacities. Following a regional training in Senegal, Mozambican trainers delivered a comprehensive course in Magude District, Maputo Province, in October 2024, equipping national and provincial staff with practical skills in safe sample collection, preservation, and transport, supported by mobile technology. In partnership with national institutions and backed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this initiative enhances Mozambique’s ability to detect and respond to zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), contributing to the One Health approach and reinforcing global health security efforts. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER) in Mozambique, is celebrating the successful completion of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Investigation Course. This virtual training programme, delivered through FAO's Virtual Learning Centre for Southern Africa, marks a significant step in building the capacity of veterinary professionals from Portuguese-speaking African countries to respond to transboundary animal diseases.

The Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) successfully concluded its extraordinary in-person session in Dar es Salaam, hosted by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania. Held on 5 December 2024, the session convened key stakeholders to address pressing challenges in sustainable fisheries management across the Southwest Indian Ocean.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) Mozambique team convened its second annual retreat from 2 to 6 December 2024 in Bilene. The retreat aimed to align the team's efforts with both national priorities and global goals to effectively address these pressing challenges.

Samuel Minato Sithole, a 94–year–old smallholder farmer from Dondo, not only represents a beneficiary success story but also a role model and a symbol of human strength and resilience. Read about his story...

On October 16, 2024, Mozambique joined the global celebration of World Food Day, with a focus on the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future. Leave No One Behind.” The event, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), highlighted the universal right to diverse, nutritious, and affordable food, emphasizing the urgency of transforming this right into a reality for all.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER) and the Technical Secretariat of Food Security and Nutrition (SETSAN), the ceremony drew attention to Mozambique’s ongoing challenges in food security, including climate change, conflict in the north, and the impacts of pests and diseases. These factors continue to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations.

In southern Mozambique, farmers like Ananias and Samuel are battling a severe drought worsened by El Niño. Despite failed crops and water scarcity, they remain resilient, relying on limited resources to keep farming. FAO is supporting these communities with drought-tolerant seeds and water conservation efforts to safeguard livelihoods and prevent further suffering.

Mozambique faces a severe drought crisis, worsened by El Niño, affecting 1.8 million people. Crops have failed, and families, especially women, search for water. FAO is delivering drought-tolerant seeds, water conservation, and livestock support to vulnerable communities. Immediate action is vital to safeguard lives and livelihoods.