FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa at Seeds to Foods
From Heritage to Diversity: Building a Resilient Present and Future
The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) will showcase the rich agricultural heritage, innovation, food diversity, and community-driven solutions across 10 countries from the region during the SEEDS2FOODS 2026 exhibition, held from 8 to 12 October 2026.
Under the theme "From Heritage to Diversity: Building a Resilient Present and Future," the RNE Pavilion will bring together participating countries to highlight innovative technologies, traditional food systems, cultural heritage, youth engagement, and sustainable agrifood practices.
The RNE Pavilion will spotlight women’s leadership in agrifood systems through interactive stories and demonstrations, while inviting visitors to enjoy food tasting from eight countries that celebrate authentic flavors and sustainable practices.
1. Product Display (80 products from 9 countries)
| • Algeria | • Iraq | • Jordan |
| • Lebanon | • Mauritania | • Oman |
| • Sudan | • Syrian Arab Republic | • Yemen |
2. Food Tasting (68 products from 8 countries)
| • Algeria | • Iraq | • Jordan |
| • Lebanon | • Mauritania | • Syrian Arab Republic |
| • Tunisia | • Yemen |
From dates, olives, honey and olive oil to baobab, carob, couscous, rice, spices, jams and traditional breads, the pavilion will offer visitors an opportunity to discover products rooted in local agricultural systems and food traditions.
Agenda
| Time | Area | Activity / Item | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Product Display (80 products from 9 countries) | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Food tasting 7 countries | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Giveaways | Algeria and Oman |
| 16.00-18.00 | Main stage | Opening ceremony and cultural performances | HQ |
| Time | Area | Activity / Item | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Product Display (80 products from 9 countries) | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Food tasting 7 countries | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Giveaways | Algeria and Oman |
| 10:00-19:00 | Innovation | EyeFish AIoT Smart Aquaculture Monitoring System | Tunisia |
| 10:15-10:45 | Main stage | Intervention / Talk: Nutritious Lebanese Wheat and Chickpea Varieties | Lebanon |
| 12:40 - 13:10 | Main stage | Live demonstration. Traditional hat-making in Lebanon | Lebanon |
| 12:50 – 13:35 | Cooking area | Cooking Show: Rashoof & Lazzagiyyat (Chef Huda Balasyah) | Jordan |
| Time | Area | Activity / Item | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Product Display (80 products from 9 countries) | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Food tasting 8 countries | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Giveaways | Algeria and Oman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Main stage | Intervention / Talk: From Waste to Wearable (Speaker: Dunia Ibrahim M. Yasin) | Jordan |
| 12:40 – 13: 10 | Main stage | Cultural Demo: From Camel Fibre to Craft | Tunisia |
| 15:00 – 16:00 | Kids area | Kids Workshop & Cultural Program: Rhythms of the Badia & Seed Magic: Craft Your Own Eco-Jewelry | Jordan |
| Time | Area | Activity / Item | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Product Display (80 products from 9 countries) | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Food tasting 8 countries | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Giveaways | Algeria and Oman |
| 12:00-12:30 | Main stage | Intervention / Talk: Wheat: the Syrian Arabic Republic’s staple food (Speakers: Jalal Al Hamoud & Amer Jnedan Mohamad) | Syrian Arab Republic |
| 13:20 – 13:50 | Live performance | “Rhythms of the Badia: A celebration of Jordanian heritage” | Jordan |
| 15:10-15:40 | Main stage | Intervention / Talk: From Yemen to the world: coffee and honey value chains (Speaker: Farea Mohammed) | Yemen |
| 17:00 – 17:30 | Main stage | Talk: Time-tested solutions and special agricultural products in NENA (Speakers: Girija Page & Thaer Yaseen) | RNE |
| Time | Area | Activity / Item | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Product Display (80 products from 9 countries) | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Food tasting 8 countries | Regional |
| 10:00-19:00 | Pavilion hall | Giveaways | Algeria and Oman |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Main stage (Cultural performance) | Threads of Jordan: A tapestry of music, thawbs and harvest traditions | Jordan |
| 11:25 – 11:55 | Main stage (Cultural performance) craft making | From camel fibre to craft traditional knowledge, artisan innovation and sustainable use of desert resources | Tunisia |
| 10:00 – 10:45 | Cooking area | Cooking Show: Couscous for everyone (Chef Lahlou Sid Ali) | Algeria |
Regional platforms
- ARAB FORUM FOR RURAL ADVISORY SERVICES (AFRAS)
- Food Price Monitoring and Analysis Tool for FAO RNE
- inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS)
- Food Loss and Waste Reduction in the Near East and North Africa
- Regional Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI) Programme in the Near East and North Africa
- Regional Knowledge Platform on One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) in Near East and North Africa
News
Stories
Blogs
Technical Expertise
From burden to solutions: Advancing food safety across the Near East and North Africa
07/06/2026
Every meal should nourish, not harm. Yet millions of people continue to suffer from preventable foodborne illnesses every year, highlighting the urgent need for stronger food safety systems across the globe.
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Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
Forests and economies in the Near East and North Africa
21/03/2026
On this International Day of Forests 2026, the theme Forests and economies resonates deeply in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. Here, forests are grazing grounds, food sources, water protectors and, increasingly, fragile lifelines.
Technical Expertise
OCOP: How a Systems-Thinking Approach is leading to rural transformation, one product at a time
10/03/2026
Today’s agrifood systems are intricate, interconnected and rapidly evolving. To improve them effectively, we need a systems-thinking approach, which means looking at the big picture, understanding how different parts of the food system influence one another, rather than treating them as separate pieces.
Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
Empowering women for climate resilience: financing the future of sustainability
19/11/2025
Publications
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 Blue Transformation: turning vision into impact
2026
The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 provides the latest evidence-based information and insights on challenges, opportunities and solutions shaping the present and future of the sector. This 2026 edition showcases how FAO is translating the Blue Transformation vision into impact, deploying field projects in close collaboration with Members, partners and key stakeholders.
Empowering small-scale farmers through digital innovation: Insights from the Near East and North Africa region
2026
The report Empowering small-scale farmers through digital innovation: Insights from the Near East and North Africa region examines how digital technologies can support productivity, resilience and inclusion among small-scale farmers across the Near East and North Africa. It highlights the critical role of smallholders in regional food systems, while outlining the structural challenges they face, including climate stress, water scarcity, limited market access, and digital divides.
Good practices for emergency preparedness, response and resilience in the Near East and North Africa region
2026
This brochure presents 14 good practices for emergency preparedness, response and resilience in projects implemented across the Near East and North Africa region supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where climate change, conflict, water scarcity and protracted crises continue to threaten food security and livelihoods.