When we think of innovation, we often imagine technology like data, artificial intelligence, machines, or robots. These tools are helping improve food and agriculture in exciting ways. But innovation is also about ideas – both new and old. It can mean using an existing something in a new way, or in a new place or finding better ways to share knowledge so that everyone can benefit.
For innovation to really make a difference, it needs to reach the people who need it most. It should be affordable, practical, and adapted to different places and communities around the world.
Whether big or small, modern or traditional, it’s about finding smart solutions, using science, technology, and imagination to grow food, protect nature, and care for the future.
We want you to create a poster that shows what “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” means to you. Show us how innovation can help feed the world, protect the planet, and build a better future for everyone.
Be creative. Be bold. Show us your vision of tomorrow!
To participate, you must be aged 5-19. The deadline for entries is 6 November 2026.
The World Food Day children’s Activity Book, Innovate today, nourish tomorrow, is a tool for educators and parents to help young learners explore innovation in agrifood systems and global challenges through stories and real FAO projects. It encourages youth to become Food Heroes by discovering solutions from science, data, technology, knowledge and nature and understanding how their actions can shape a better food future. Through different activities, it also invites children and youth to take part in the World Food Day Poster Contest 2026, share their ideas, and inspire change.
The Contest is open to children and youth between the ages of 5 and 19, living anywhere in the world.
The age to declare in the entry form is the one at the time of entering the Contest. Minors must have the permission of their parents or legal guardians to participate in the Contest.
General rules
1. FAO reserves the right to disqualify submissions which are not consistent with the Organization’s values and guiding principles.
2. FAO also reserves the right to verify the eligibility of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant’s identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with the Contest Rules, including these Rules, Copyright and Privacy, or who tampers with the entry process.
3. FAO will not pay any fees, nor pay any costs relating to, participation in any contest or for the use of any submissions in relation to the contest.
4. No logos, URLs, telephone numbers, or calls that solicit directly for monetary donations should be included in any material.
5. FAO will not be responsible, and cannot be held liable, for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible entries or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or for any human error, lost/delayed data transmission, or any other error or malfunction.
6. By submitting entries to the contest, entrants agree that personal data, especially name and address, may be processed, shared, and otherwise used in accordance with the FAO Data Protection Policy. The data will be used for the purposes and within the context of the contest, FAO institutional activities, and any other purposes outlined in these Rules, and it may also be used by FAO in order to verify the entrant's identity, address and telephone number or to otherwise verify the entrant's eligibility to participate in the contest.
7. Nothing in these General Rules or in any rules for the contests, nor any acts performed or statements made in relation to the contests, shall be deemed a waiver, express or implied, of any of the privileges and immunities of FAO.
8. FAO employees and their immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter the contests. FAO will determine eligibility at its sole discretion.
9. Partners or relations of partner staff of the institutions involved in the launch of contests, and relations of the judging committee are not eligible to compete.
Copyright and Privacy
10. Entrants must own the copyright of the material they submit to the contest. If the material contains images of a person or persons, entrants must have obtained the permission and consent of those persons or their legal tutors for submitting the material.
11. The entrant declares that, to the best of his/her knowledge, no third party can claim any rights on the materials submitted.
12. FAO will not seek additional approvals in connection with the use of the material and it will not be responsible for any claim or complaint alleging violation of the rights of third parties.
13. Copyright of the material remains with the entrants. By entering the contest, entrants grant an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide exclusive license to FAO, to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the contest and the promotion of FAO’s work, in, amongst others:
