Why an FFS Innovation Award? 

Innovation is crucial for addressing the complex challenges facing global food and agriculture today. With the existential threat of climate change and increasing pressures on food security, ecosystems, and rural livelihoods, there is growing recognition of the need for innovative, inclusive solutions. These must enhance rural livelihoods, resilience, sustainability, and equity — especially in the face of deepening uncertainty. 

Renewing farmer education and rural advisory services, and empowering innovation at the grassroots level, will be essential to the transformation towards more sustainable agrifood systems. 

Farmer Field Schools (FFS) have already proven to be powerful platforms for experiential learning and innovation. In over 90 countries, FFS have supported rural transformation across technical, institutional, political, and social dimensions. They foster collective action, experimentation, and co-creation of knowledge — allowing producers to adapt and develop practical solutions suited to their local realities. 

Yet, FFS have not fully realized their potential to support territorial food system transformation and agroecological transitions. There remains a vast, untapped opportunity to better identify, document, and scale successful innovations emerging from FFS processes — especially those led by producers and communities themselves. 

Meeting this challenge requires a shared, strategic effort to push the boundaries of how FFS contribute to innovation, and how these innovations can accelerate the shift toward more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient agrifood systems. 

That is why, in 2024, FAO launched the first-ever FFS Innovation Award, and it garnered remarkable enthusiasm and support across the global FFS community. Facilitators, producer groups, and grassroots organizations embraced the opportunity to showcase their innovations, resulting in a vibrant pool of entries. Laureates and their teams expressed pride and motivation, and the initiative was widely acknowledged by partners and stakeholders as a timely and meaningful means of recognizing field-level excellence. The innovations gathered through the Award process fueled the development of the New Ambition for FFS, which launched during the Award Event at SIF 2024.  

Building on this success, the 2025 edition introduces enhancements to unlock  greater potential for impact. By embracing a more inclusive process, expanding outreach, increasing accessibility, and enhancing collaboration with key partners, the award is poised to amplify the visibility and scalability of grassroots innovations that are shaping the future of sustainable agrifood systems.