In western Kenya, Stephen Omondi Odhiambo has taught his wife and close ones sign language, after losing his hearing due to an illness at the age of seven. People with disabilities in the region often face marginalization, making it challenging to find work and leading to economic hardship. To break this cycle, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has partnered with Siaya Disabled Peoples Organization (SIDIPO) to promote jobs in the agrifood sector for youth with disabilities. The Integrated Country Approach (ICA) programme is helping to create quality work opportunities for rural youth in five countries, including Kenya, by making agrifood value chains more inclusive. Overall, the programme in Kenya benefitted 64 institutions, 148 youth organizations and 3,800 youths.

Pajazit Thaci, an 81-year-old farmer from Kosovo, faced devastating floods in January 2023 that destroyed his wheat fields. The aftermath left his once-fertile land with a thick layer of stones and sand, rendering it unfit for cultivation. Pajazit didn’t just lose his current crop, he also suffered a grave disruption to his usual annual harvest and lost the money of which his family would have lived for three months. He received vouchers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help rehabilitate his land and restart his farming, acknowledging his efforts as a farmer.

Known as the heroes of deserts and highlands, they can survive in the harshest of climates. They live in more than 90 countries and are vital to the livelihoods of millions of people. They are part of people's cultures, livelihoods and identities. They are also working animals that support indigenous peoples and local communities. Their products contribute to nutrition, food security and economic growth around the world. What animals are we talking about? The camelids. Let us introduce ourselves on our international year!

FAO Blue Transformation is a journey that is committed not only to ensuring long-term sustainability of all fisheries but also to integrating them into resilient, sustainable, and equitable aquatic food systems.

Farmers in the Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley are taking part in the Smart Farming for the Future Generations project of the FAO. Greenhouses are now alive with digital sensors connected to the internet, through which farmers can control the temperature, humidity, light and soil moisture. "Living labs” allow farmers to exchange information and tips with each other and with experts and innovators. FAO is scaling up the Digital Villages Initiative, in Central Asia and beyond, working closely with rural communities to identify the agricultural technologies best suited to the community.

Cheshma Shirin is a village in Afghanistan where Fatema and her three children live. She weaves wire mesh for gabions to protect the village from flooding and erosion. It is a necessary skill in an area that has suffered from increasingly extreme weather, with floods and droughts affecting the villages. Fatema learned this skill through an Emergency Food Security project funded by the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which provides essential livelihood support, health services, and food assistance to the people of Afghanistan. The project complements other FAO programmes aimed at long-term recovery and resilience-building.

During the holidays, we spend more time with family and friends, cooking, exchanging gifts or travelling to meet loved ones. All of these actions can be done in a more sustainable way, respectful of ourselves, our cities and our planet. Sustainability, in fact, goes beyond the environment; it includes other things that people need, such as jobs, equal opportunities, health, education, safety and a vibrant quality of life. Here are some things you can do to make this holiday sustainable, merry and bright, such as cutting back on your water usage, shopping with responsible companies, promoting inclusion and respect for others and sharing what you have learned.

Monitoring is key to defining actions for healthier and more sustainable food systems. The Food Systems Countdown Initiative, in which FAO collaborates, has published a new brief—the first in a planned annual series—that presents the current state of national food systems. The report identifies areas of improvement, proposes solutions, and inspires stakeholders that progress can, and must be made. The Food Systems Countdown Initiative aims to build a science-based system to track the performance of global food systems toward 2030 and the conclusion of the Sustainable Development Goals.  

The International Year of Millets 2023 Photo Contest has received hundreds of great pictures from over 50 countries around the world. The images demonstrate the many benefits of millets, from their diversity to the variety of nutritious dishes they can produce, their ability to thrive on arid lands, and their market potential. The contest jury had a tough time deciding on the first prize, which went to Jonathon Rees from South Africa. The picture shows a woman harvesting Pearl Millet after a morning gathering Marula fruit to make traditional beer and oil. The second prize will be chosen from four candidates, which you can vote for on Facebook.

Camelids are key to the livelihoods of millions of households across over 90 countries. From alpacas to Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas, they are a source of meat, milk, fiber, fertilizer, and transportation in hostile environments like deserts and highlands where other livestock species cannot survive. The International Year of Camelids 2024 aims to build awareness of the untapped potential of camelids in building resilience to climate change and to advocate for greater investment in the camelid sector.

FAO through funding from the Africa Development Bank, have excavated a pond to store water, provided a solar-powered water pump for irrigation and seeds, empowering female farmers like Lilly in South Sudan, to be able to plant and sell their vegetables. 

Women in Niger experience gender-based violence in various forms including physical and sexual abuse, social norms that limit their participation in decision-making and community activities and being forced to marry at an early age. Child marriage violates human rights and hinders development efforts. It limits girls' education and leads to health issues. It also breeds reliance on men and limits opportunities for young women to make their living. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has implemented several projects in rural Senegal to raise awareness among all community members about the dangers of this practice, for girl children and the community at large. FAO works with communities to set up discussion and action groups called Dimitra Clubs.

Mountains are natural treasures that we must cherish. They are home to 15% of the world´s population, host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots, and provide fresh water to half of humanity. Unfortunately, they are threatened by climate change, contamination, and overexploitation. International Mountain Day 2023 (13 December), under the title “Restoring mountain ecosystems”, aims to raise awareness about the relevance of mountain ecosystems and calls for solutions and investments that increase the ability of mountains to adapt to daily threats and extreme climatic events.

In the face of climate change, pastrolists in South Sudan are losing their livestock and in turn, their livelihoods. With support of FAO through funding from the Africa Development Bank, pastoralists like Lokuru, now have enough water for the animals. 

This interactive feature illustrates FAO’s report, which presents over 50 actions that policymakers and governments can take - from biodiversity monitoring to conservation.