Core replenishment contributions remain the backbone of International Fund for Agricultural Development’s financing model, enabling long-term rural transformation. As IFAD enters its , each dollar from Member States helps mobilize significantly more investment. Countries like Norway by supporting core resources and supplementary funds targeting specific priorities. During the twelfth replenishment, these funds reached record levels. Norway’s nutrition-focused fund supported projects in Benin, Burkina Faso and Malawi, delivering measurable results. Aligning supplementary and core funding shows how strategic partnerships can scale impact and advance inclusive, sustainable rural development.
Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical chokepoints for oil, gas, and fertilizer shipments, are already pushing up energy and agricultural input costs worldwide. Because energy and fertilizer markets are closely linked to food production, these shocks can quickly spread through global agrifood systems.
In the short term, measures such as diversifying trade routes, strengthening market monitoring, supporting farmers, and providing targeted assistance to vulnerable countries can help stabilize supply chains.
Diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz also remain critical for protecting global energy markets and food security.
This by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization delves into the global implications of the current Middle East crisis.
In Venezuela, the banana has been for generations a symbol of sustenance and tradition, but in 2023, the Fusarium Tropical Race 4 fungus arrived in producing areas causing a phytosanitary emergency. The fungus, a devastating disease of banana and plantain trees, can remain in the soil for more than two decades threatening production and the lives of those who depend on it. With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization and national authorities, , helping rebuild production and strengthen resilience against future outbreaks.
In an increasingly interconnected world, no challenge is individual. Climate change and structural inequalities cross borders and make the development of the most vulnerable populations more complex. In this context, coordinated action and the commitment of everyone become urgent.
As global debates on food, equity and resilience accelerate, one story highlights who must be at the center. This episode of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Work We Do podcast highlights why women and youth are essential to transforming agrifood systems.
Lauren Phillips, FAO’s Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration, discusses findings from FAO flagship reports on women’s central roles, persistent gaps in land, finance and opportunities, and why progress remains uneven. The conversation explores the International Year of the Woman Farmer, youth participation amid high global youth unemployment, and the financing gap. It makes the case for investing in women and youth as drivers of inclusive growth, resilience and food security.
Sonya Kirgizova, a respected farmer in Tajikistan’s Tojikobod region, has become a key leader in efforts to revive traditional crops and strengthen local agriculture. As more men migrate for work, women like Sonya now manage farms but often lack resources. Sonya partnered with the to train women in gardening, greenhouses and beekeeping, and helped establish community seed banks that store climate‑resilient seeds. Women are now accessing seeds, earning income, reviving local varieties and seeing themselves as producers and decision‑makers.
In Cox’s Bazar, Sabekun Nahar revives the traditional Rohingya dish musa, using food, memory and culture to reconnect displaced communities with identity and belonging.
At dawn, Maryam Gholam Alizadeh moves through her pistachio trees, reading the soil and leaves for signs in a landscape strained by heat and dwindling water. Though experienced, she sought new skills through trainings offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture, learning practical methods to use water more efficiently and prevent aflatoxin. Applying these techniques brought steadier harvests and renewed confidence. Today, she shares her knowledge with fellow growers, contributing to a broader effort that has strengthened hundreds of farmers across Iran’s pistachio heartlands.
Overweight and obesity, characterized by excessive fat accumulation posing risks to health, are on the rise worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019 an estimated 5 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases were linked to overweight and obesity. Obesity represents one side of the “double burden of malnutrition”, with more obese people than underweight in every region except South-East Asia. Once largely confined to high‑income countries, obesity has now become a major public health concern in many middle‑income nations, as well. Let's act on obesity to ensure a healthy life for all.
Rural young people are vital to global development, with nearly half of the world’s 1.3 billion youth living in rural areas and brimming with entrepreneurial potential. Yet they often lack access to opportunities that enable them to thrive. Targeted investments, through IFAD’s youth-sensitive programmes, are unlocking that potential — creating jobs, fostering agribusiness leadership and strengthening rural economies. By nurturing skills, providing access to finance and connecting youth with markets, initiatives like Agribusiness Hubs empower young people to build sustainable futures in their communities rather than migrating elsewhere. These success stories underscore why investing in rural youth is essential for food security, economic growth and lasting stability.
In Georgia’s Kakheti region, 25-year-old viticulturist and winemaker Sophio Khutitdze is reshaping how grapes — and wine — are made. Trained in science and driven by a love of nature, she manages 40 hectares of vineyards, where quality starts with the grape, not the bottle. Through a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) project funded by the European Union and Sweden, she is using pheromone-based “mating disruption” to control the destructive European grapevine moth, cutting pesticide use while protecting yields and food safety. As a newly trained trainer, she now shares integrated vineyard management techniques with others, joining 23 wineries across four regions that are adopting sustainable practices. Discover how Sophio and her peers are transforming Georgia’s wine sector.
Marie Therese Zeidan, a farmer in Lebanon’s Bekaa region, symbolizes renewed hope for the future of chickpea production, a staple in Lebanese cuisine. While local production struggles to meet demand, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) aims to revive the sector through improved seed access, farmer training, and improved agronomic practices. Farmers are learning sustainable techniques, including winter chickpea varieties that boost yields. The initiative has trained over 520 farmers and created new chickpea products to enhance market potential, reinforcing local production's role in food security.
Pulses possess exceptional nutritional attributes, and their cultivation provides immense environmental benefits. Yet, per capita consumption has declined in many countries, both developed and developing. Dietary shifts, changing consumer preferences, and a lingering perception in some contexts that pulses are “humble” or traditional foods have contributed to this downward trend. This (10 February), let’s challenge the misconceptions that overshadow these crops and celebrate the true excellence of pulses in making nutritious diets accessible to all.
Inside the Hagadera Refugee Camp in Dadaab, Kenya, Mariam has cultivated a thriving kitchen garden over the past 19 years, following her arrival from Somalia due to political unrest. Supported by the EU-funded Refugee Settlement Project and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (), her garden produces nutritious crops like spinach, kale, and jute mallow, surpassing others in quantity and quality. Fellow community members frequently visit to admire her garden and learn from her. The project aims to expand support to another 2,000 households, promoting vegetable gardening and backyard chicken rearing to improve nutrition and dietary diversity for families in the camp.
Healthy food in schools is crucial for children’s lifelong dietary habits. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , and with childhood obesity rising and undernutrition persisting, schools play a key role in addressing this double burden. In 2025, 188 million school-aged children were living with obesity. WHO recommends setting standards to promote healthy foods while limiting unhealthy options and implementing nudging interventions to encourage better choices. Effective policies and enforcement are essential, yet only 48 countries have restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods. Prioritizing nutrition in schools is vital for future health and well-being.