In this , we hear from Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist at the ĢƵ Food and Agriculture Organization. Charlie traces how his upbringing on a farm in Ireland and an early interest in science fiction shaped his techno-optimistic worldview and his belief in the power of science and innovation to improve society. He discusses why scientific advances often fail to reach smallholder farmers, what it takes to close the gap between knowledge and adoption, and how financial, institutional, and systemic barriers can be addressed. Charlie explores the growing role of data in agriculture, including questions of ownership and governance, and the limitations of current research funding models. And he shares vision for a more effective, future-ready agrifood science system.
Agriculture and Food
The highlights the importance of protecting plants to improve food security, biodiversity and global economic growth. Healthy plants provide most of the world’s food and oxygen, making plant biosecurity essential for human survival.
Plant pests and diseases destroy up to 40 percent of global crops each year, causing billions of dollars in agricultural losses. Climate change and increasing trade are spreading pests faster, making stronger international plant health measures more important than ever.
In Georgia’s rural highlands, a dairy farmer is helping revive a nearly lost milk tradition while protecting the rangelands that sustain it. Nino Nugzarashvili produces cheeses and “Do,” a rare, fermented milk product, using cattle raised on natural pastures that enhance quality and flavor. With the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations support, she gained equipment and training to expand production and meet rising demand. Her story highlights the vital role of communal grazing lands in supporting livelihoods, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining cultural food heritage, even as these landscapes face growing pressure from land degradation and reduced access.
On a small family farm in southern Grenada, lettuce is thriving without soil—and increasingly without fear of the weather. Faced with erratic rainfall and growing climate uncertainty, Roger and Josanne Benjamin turned to hydroponics, a method of growing plants with their roots suspended in a flowing mix of water and nutrients instead of soil. With support from a project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, their early experiment evolved into a solar-powered, climate-smart system. The results reach beyond higher yields: water use is far lower, production is more stable, and the work is less physically demanding. Their experience is now inspiring others nearby.
For centuries, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Kenya have relied on herbal medicine to care for their families, drawing on knowledge passed from elders to children. Today, that wisdom is at risk—often ignored or exploited—just as forests and sacred landscapes disappear. Through community-led projects supported by the United Nations Development Programme’s , healers like herbalist Roda Saaya and community elder Lekerio Sakui are protecting health and heritage. By documenting remedies, restoring forests, and mentoring youth, communities show that healing people and healing nature are inseparable, and that care, culture, and biodiversity must endure together for future generations.
In a new episode of the FAO’s The Work we Do podcast, experts warn that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since 28 February is beginning to expose deep vulnerabilities in global food systems. The strait previously carried up to 35 percent of global crude oil, 20 percent of natural gas and nearly 30 percent of traded fertilizers. Prices have not yet spiked because existing stocks are absorbing the shock, but prolonged disruption could drive higher input, commodity and retail food prices into late 2026 and 2027. With planting seasons approaching, farmers face hard choices, making targeted, time‑bound support critical to prevent a wider food crisis.
From a remote farm or village, the spark of the next pandemic can travel faster than the world expects. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) argues that prevention starts in these rural “first miles,” where most infectious diseases emerge from animals and degraded ecosystems. Its investments strengthen livestock health, restore land and support small-scale farmers whose livelihoods anchor global food systems. By improving animal husbandry, ecosystem management and local incomes, IFAD reduces health risks at their source while stabilizing supply chains. Guided by a linking human, animal and environmental wellbeing, and boosted by its new role in the global Pandemic Fund, IFAD is scaling up rural investments that protect communities locally while reinforcing health security and economic resilience worldwide.
Rangelands and pastoralists may seem like distant silhouettes on the world’s margins, but together they form one of humanity’s quiet anchors, shaping landscapes, livelihoods and climate resilience across nearly half the planet. FAO is spotlighting their importance during the . Stretching from grasslands and savannahs to deserts, wetlands and mountain regions, rangelands cover almost half of Earth’s land surface. When healthy, they regulate water, protect soils, store significant carbon and sustain biodiversity. Found on every continent, they underpin meat, dairy and fibre production and support cross‑border trade.
Rita once began each morning with a three‑kilometers walk to fetch water, balancing farming with caring for her children as drought and limited irrigation threatened crops and food security. That routine changed when a new dam created a reservoir for her community. Built by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the government of Angola and European Union funding, the dam is part of FAO’s programme to strengthen water and food resilience in southern Angola. With year‑round irrigation, Rita now grows staples and vegetables, sells surplus produce to help cover school fees, and applies new techniques learned through FAO Farmer Field Schools with her children.
What if the key to healthier children and stronger farmers fit in the palm of your hand? Bhutan’s One‑Child, One‑Egg initiative links smallholder poultry farmers with school feeding programmes to combat malnutrition and support rural livelihoods. The pilot provides eggs to 32,000 students in 343 schools, boosting nutrition, energy and attentiveness. Farmers like Tenzin Drukpa now benefit from a reliable market that aids recovery and strengthens community wellbeing.
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 ĢƵ 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 ĢƵ 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.