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Rural communities are where food systems begin and resilience takes root. Home to many of the world’s poorest people, they face the harsh edge of food insecurity, climate disruption and migration pressures. Yet within these landscapes lies extraordinary promise. With sustained investment, stronger value chains, access to finance and closer links to markets, rural people can transform vulnerability into opportunity, strengthen food security and build more stable futures. To invest in rural areas is to invest in the first mile of a more secure and sustainable world.

Inspired by the date-growing traditions of southern Tunisia, agricultural scientist Kaouther Aounallah returned to her hometown to launch Sweet Jana, a bakery creating nutritious, date-based products. With support from the FAO Agri-Accelerator programme, she strengthened her business through coaching, funding, and technical guidance, expanding its economic, social, and environmental impact. Her enterprise promotes healthier snacks, preserves local traditions, creates jobs, and empowers women and young people in a region where opportunities are limited. Kaouther's journey shows how innovation rooted in local heritage can drive sustainable rural development and strengthen communities.

What’s on your plate may not always be what it seems. As seafood travels through increasingly complex global supply chains, opportunities for fraud grow—from mislabeled species and diluted products to counterfeit brands and illegally sourced catches. The consequences extend beyond consumer deception, affecting food safety, honest businesses, and the health of marine ecosystems. New tools, stronger traceability, and international collaboration are helping expose fraudulent practices and protect the integrity of one of the world’s most traded food commodities. Could the fish you bought really be the fish you ordered? 

By compensating rural communities for ecosystem services such as reforestation, soil restoration, and carbon sequestration, we can generate income while promoting conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development.

Before dawn breaks over Nepal’s eastern highlands, 28-year-old Subita Rai tends her herd of 20 yaks and chauris, continuing a tradition many of her peers left behind in search of opportunities abroad. Defying gender norms in a male-dominated profession, she balances herding, family responsibilities, and the growing challenges of climate change. Through support from the  Food and Agriculture Organization of the 91����-hosted Mountain Partnership Secretariat and partners, Subita gained training and access to cheese-processing facilities, enabling her family to turn perishable yak milk into higher-value artisanal cheese. The shift has reduced losses, improved income stability, and strengthened local livelihoods. Now a cooperative board member, Subita represents a new generation of women pastoralists building resilient futures in Nepal’s mountain communities.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the 91���� (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility are working across 140 countries to transform agrifood systems so they deliver food security, climate resilience, biodiversity protection and land restoration together. Their partnership supports solutions that improve incentives, policies and investments for farmers and rural communities. Examples include Indigenous-led forest restoration in Peru that strengthens biodiversity and livelihoods, conservation agriculture in Iraq that boosts yields and reduces water use, and regional cooperation in Central Asia to restore degraded river ecosystems. In Pakistan, banana waste is being converted into textile fibres, reducing pollution and creating new incomes. Since 2006, the partnership has combined science, funding and local knowledge to scale sustainable practices, for a more resilient and sustainable future globally.

Double-landlocked in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is dominated by an arid climate. Almost half of the country is covered by rangelands that sustain the livelihoods of pastoralists, small-scale herders, ranchers and farmers. But with the escalating impacts of climate change and land degradation this territory and the local communities who depend on it are under unprecedented pressure. Yet, it is within these local communities that the most powerful solutions are being forged, with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, including a shift away from water-intensive, traditional farming towards a more resilient model.

At dawn in Rwanda, tea harvesters in bright yellow gear work the country’s lush hills, sustaining a sector that is key to the economy. Agriculture employs over 60% of the population, with tea as the second-largest export. Smallholder farmers, many of them women, are central to production, using handpicking techniques to ensure high-quality leaves. Government programmes and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 91���� () support have helped farmers improve livelihoods, lifting many out of poverty and expanding opportunity. A national tea strategy now aims to boost quality, strengthen market access and attract investment, helping rural communities grow and securing the future of Rwanda’s tea industry.

Bees and other pollinators are essential for life. According to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 91���� (FAO), nearly 75 percent of food crops depend on them, especially fruits and vegetables. From Mexico to Argentine Patagonia, bees are at the heart of experiences of collective work, economic autonomy and women’s leadership. The stories from Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia and Ecuador show that when communities, and especially women, become protagonists, beekeeping and meliponiculture go beyond production to become engines of social and environmental change. With FAO’s support, these initiatives protect pollinators while also strengthening local economies, promoting equity and regenerating territories.

Guatemala has made its first-ever deposit to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, vital to its food systems. The collection includes maize, beans, squash, amaranth and teosinte, crops deeply tied to the country’s agricultural heritage and biodiversity.

This milestone strengthens as climate change, land degradation and extreme weather increasingly threaten agrobiodiversity.

The origins of tea stretch back more than 5 000 years, but its contributions to health, culture and socioeconomic development are still as relevant today. Grown in very localized areas, tea supports over 13 million people who depend on the sector for their livelihoods. (21 May) is an opportunity to celebrate tea’s cultural heritage, health benefits, and economic importance. This year’s observance at headquarters in Rome features a performance by the Wuzhishan Rainforest Children’s Choir from Hainan Province, China, followed by a tea-tasting experience.

In this , we hear from Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist at the UN 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.

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 91���� 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 91����, 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.