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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.
We waste over 1 billion tonnes of food each year, squandering the resources behind its production and transport. This loss equals 1.3 discarded meals for every person facing hunger, making it both a humanitarian tragedy and a climate threat, as up to 10% of global emissions come from wasted food. Addressing the problem requires action across the entire food system—from policy to agribusiness—yet individuals can also help reduce waste. Here are seven practical tips.
Angèle is helping transform Benin’s rice sector, showing how targeted support can improve local nutrition and compete with imports. ’s main funding comes from core contributions, which support long-term rural development, while extra funds from partners like Norway help focus on specific priorities, such as better nutrition. With Norway’s support, IFAD expanded projects in seven countries, improving food systems and reaching hundreds of thousands of people despite global challenges. This shows.
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.