Who is included in digital transformation, and who is left behind? This is the central question of FAO’s contribution to the 3rd UN Virtual Worlds Day.

QU Dongyu addresses Vatican-hosted high-level symposium: AI and the Future of Human Dignity

As part of its technical support to the Government of Madagascar, FAO is introducing a new governance approach: the Innovation Policy Labs (IPL). By placing co-creation and evidence-based decision-making at the heart of the process, this initiative aims to remove structural bottlenecks in the rice sector and strengthen the island nation’s food sovereignty.

Publicly-oriented agricultural research and development (R&D) systems have been growing at an average annual rate of 1.8 percent in the past two decades, reaching $50.4 billion in 2023, while the number of agricultural researchers has grown even faster, new data presented today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The future of food is routinely framed as a technological race: faster innovation, smarter tools, more data. It is a compelling picture. It is also incomplete. As a growing body of research and practice is making clear, the central challenge facing agrifood systems is not only how to accelerate innovation but also how to direct it. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, highlighted scalable, investment‑ready nuclear science solutions to accelerate the transformation of agrifood systems across Africa during a special event held at the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa (ARC).

Nouakchott - The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa report, launched today at the first World Food Forum – Africa, held on the margins of the 34th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Africa, presents new findings and data on women’s labour, food security, nutrition, and wellbeing in agrifood systems across the region. The report also provides policy and investment recommendations to close gender gaps and level the playing field in food production, processing, distribution, and consumption

Director-General calls for today’s innovators to join in One Health initiatives

Lyon, France – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced three initiatives to help enterprising youth in the field of One Health, and outlined the three pillars undergirding the integrated approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

Interview with Tacko Ndiaye, Gender Team Leader and Mariola Acosta, FAO’s Strategic Coordinator of the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026, on why the Year should serve as a vital catalyst to empower women farmers and close gender gaps in agrifood systems.

New Delhi, 18 February 2026. Leading experts from three Rome-based United Nations agencies joined India's Chief Economic Advisor for a panel discussion on transforming artificial intelligence from pilot projects into sustainable, large-scale solutions that address food security, climate resilience, and humanitarian challenges affecting the world's most vulnerable populations. 

Around the world, women represent only one‑third of researchers and about 35 percent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates, a figure that has barely shifted in a decade. This untapped potential and equality gap is mirrored throughout agrifood systems, where women are a majority of agrifood workforce but are often unrecognized or unpaid for their work.

FAO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MInT) hosted an "Innovation Policy Lab (IPL) Phase 1 Sensemaking Workshop" on December 23, bringing together policymakers, startups, researchers, and development partners. 

Local farmers in Colombia have long conserved and developed native seeds with distinctive traits, yet their contributions often went unrecognized and unrewarded because existing seed laws and policies—like those in many countries—were designed primarily to govern commercial seeds. Innovation Policy Labs (IPL), FAO’s newest policy-innovation tool, provides a structured, co‑creative approach to policy design, de‑risking, and implementation that can change that dynamic. 

Dar es Salaam – Africa’s push to accelerate sustainable agricultural mechanization gained fresh momentum today as the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mwigulu L. Nchemba, launched Tanzania’s National Agricultural Mechanization Strategy 2026–2036 at the opening of the Africa Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization

 

During the 2025 Science and Innovation Forum, the FAO Nudge Unit hosted a dynamic session entitled “The Cost of Less: Interactive Workshop on Scarcity, Decision-Making, and Food Security”. Katie Taft, Communications and Engagement Lead at Gates Ag One, opened the session with a reflection on the importance of mindsets in the adoption of innovations. Building on this theme, over 50 participants then engaged in a series of live experiments to illustrate how experiences of scarcity and abundance shape choices and behaviours. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have extended their long-standing partnership, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing sustainable agrifood systems through science, innovation and policy support.

This initiative proposes a novel, participatory foresight study specifically focused on fostering the inclusion and empowerment of women across the entire Agrifood Innovation System (AIS) by 2050 and beyond.

FAO Director-General conveys message at General Plenary Leaders Dialogue at Climate Summit in Brazil

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today commemorated World Food Day and its 80th anniversary with a landmark event in Rome, reaffirming its enduring mission to end hunger and build resilient agrifood systems across the globe.