For centuries, pulses have been vital to sustainable agriculture and nutrition. These small but impactful crops not only provide essential nutrients but also support healthier diets and resilient farming systems, making them a key source of nourishment even for the most vulnerable communities. To celebrate the importance of these remarkable crops, the World Pulses Day (10 February) underscores the vital role of these foods in promoting diversity – both above and below the ground. Let’s unlock a more sustainable, nutritious and equitable future.
Despite progress in reducing hunger and food insecurity, high food costs in Latin America and the Caribbean remain a significant challenge.
UNOPS has improved food security in Niger by constructing solar-powered irrigation systems, boosting crop yields and supporting economic growth in Sia-Kounza.
The situation in Sudan is devastating, marked by horrific violence and massive displacement. Amid this crisis, a looming nutrition disaster threatens future generations. Over 20 months of conflict have led to soaring malnutrition rates, with approximately 3.2 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition by 2025 and over 770,000 expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Children facing this condition are vulnerable to developmental issues, diseases, and even death. The nutrition crisis is exacerbated by disease outbreaks, declining access to health services, and unprecedented displacement. In response, is rapidly scaling up its nutrition efforts to combat the heightened risk of famine.
Two four-wheel drive vehicles come to a halt on a muddy highway southeast of Monrovia, Liberia. The team of five dressed in fluorescent yellow jackets, comprising statisticians from the Food and Agriculture Organization () and the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), sets out on foot to reach their survey sites. LISGIS team leader Anthony Dymacole notes that accessibility is a major challenge for their work, alongside security roadblocks, flooded bridges, and wildlife encounters. Their efforts support the 50x2030 initiative, which aims to conduct agricultural statistical surveys in 50 countries by the next decade. This initiative emphasizes the critical role of agriculture in generating revenue and employment in low- and middle-income countries.
Using nuclear techniques, the and help countries trace coffee's journey from plant to cup, ensuring quality and authenticity.
Khadiga Khanom from Gazipur, Bangladesh, never considered jackfruit significant until she attended workshops on processing various jackfruit products. Inspired by the training provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (), she started her own business, creating a range of goods such as pickles, jam, burgers, cakes, pizzas, and even plant-based leather. Now processing about 100 kilograms of jackfruit daily with five employees, she earns approximately $400 a month, which helps support her family and allows her to save for business expansion. Jackfruit, Bangladesh's national fruit and a symbol of abundance, has become a pivotal part of her life through the .
highlights the project’s efforts to strengthen food safety and plant health systems in 12 African Union countries, emphasizing its positive impact on public health, trade, and economic development.
Xie Fanghua noticed the difficulties farmers faced in getting their fruit to market in his mountain community in China and devised a solution with custom designed monorail tracks. With a loan from , he made the technology available to others.
The UN has proclaimed 2025 as the with the theme "Cooperatives Build a Better World." Led by the , the initiative highlights the vital role cooperatives play in tackling global challenges, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and fostering economic and social inclusion. The year aims to raise awareness, promote cooperative growth, and inspire youth engagement, emphasizing cooperatives' resilience and community-driven impact on poverty reduction and sustainable development.
In the Rusayo camp near Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 32,500 Internally Displaced Persons live in temporary shelters due to ongoing conflict. Just 18 kilometers from the frontline, they endure the sounds of gunfire and explosions, seeking safety for their families. The camp is overcrowded, stretching resources thin and increasing security risks from armed groups. Food insecurity is a pressing issue, prompting support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (), which assists 25,000 vulnerable households in North Kivu and Ituri. FAO provides cash vouchers and resources for micro-gardening and livestock production. These micro-gardening kits enable families to grow vegetables while integrating animal breeding to enhance soil fertility. With access to quality seeds and animals, residents can improve their diets and generate income through selling their produce and animal products.
As marks its , a sustainable world is one where everyone counts, and each of us, including youth, can take action to create a better future for all.
In Senegal's Bousra Ndawène village, pastoralists from Senegal, Gambia, Mali, and Mauritania travel annually along a 110-km transhumance corridor, seeking fresh pastures for their livestock. Babacar Ndaw, a local farmer and breeder, helps manage resources, balancing the needs of both pastoralists and locals. The Regional Sahel Pastoralism Support Project (PRAPS) has improved infrastructure, animal health services, and water access, reducing conflicts and supporting over 350,000 pastoralists in Senegal. PRAPS aims to assist more than a million pastoralists by 2027, preserving pastoralism while ensuring sustainable resource use.
With IFAD's support, rural farmers in North Africa and the Middle East are improving their marketing skills, boosting incomes, and gaining recognition for their high-quality products.
For Saeeda, a coffee farmer in Taiz, Yemen, her work is a legacy. Growing up on her family’s farm she learned to care for coffee trees from her parents. Now, as she tends to her family’s 8,400-square-metre plot, her love for the land and dedication to Yemen’s coffee heritage drive her amidst challenges from climate change. With rainfall declining, coffee farmers face significant hardships. To help, the United Nations Development Programme (), in partnership with the Public Works Project and funded by the World Bank, has built rainwater-harvesting tanks in the region. These tanks have helped farmers like Saeeda maintain their crops during droughts. Saeeda dreams of a future where Yemeni youth continue the coffee legacy, encouraging them to recognize its economic and cultural value.