Civil Society

Partnerships are an essential part of FAO’s ability to achieve its goal of achieving food security and good nutrition for all. Partnerships with civil society organizations bring a broad range of experience, technical expertise and a stronger ability to advance on global goals, making them key counterparts in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Transformative partnerships deliver sustainable outcomes through systematic, long-term, disruptive action; catalyze impact at scale; and invest complementary resources from all involved to create value beyond that which FAO could achieve alone.

Partnerships build on the resources and levers that all sectors of society can bring to the table to solve today’s complex, interconnected challenges through meaningful and lasting change.

For FAO, civil society organizations are key partners in the efforts to transform our agrifood systems, contributing a unique and valuable set of assets:

  • Outreach to the most vulnerable and a voice for citizens
  • Understanding of local needs
  • Diversity of knowledge, approaches and experience
  • Commitment to fairness, equality and justice
  • Local legitimacy for social mobilization

By engaging with civil society organizations through strategic and truly transformative partnerships, FAO can achieve the organizations goals of its Strategic Framework 2022-31 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring lasting and impactful results that leave no one behind.

Key Publications
FAO's Partnerships with non-state actors - Partnerships Report 2024
2025

Unity is the cornerstone of FAO’s mission to address global challenges and achieve food security and nutrition for all, leaving no one behind. This...

Partnership Brief Series: Harnessing beekeeping resources to address rural community challenges
2024

Highlighting the engagement between FAO and Apimondia, this partnership brief provides an overview of the work undertaken in addressing data and knowledge...

Partnership Brief Series: Strengthening capacities of farmers, rural women and youth for sustainable agrifood systems
2024

Highlighting the engagement between FAO and AsiaDHRRA, this partnership brief provides an overview of the work undertaken in developing the capacities...

FAO Strategy for Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations
2013

The FAO Strategy for Partnerships with Civil Society reflects the vision for strategic engagement with a wide range of civil society organizations that...