In the mountainous Tokushima region of Japan, farmers have grown local varieties of millet, vegetables and other crops for more than 400 years. But in recent times, the cultivation of millets almost died out. Only the love of a farmer in Nishi-Awa helped save a local variety of finger millet from vanishing completely. The Nishi-Awa site is remarkable because, on extremely steep slopes normally deemed unsuitable for agriculture, farmers derived an innovative way of cultivating indigenous varieties of crops without converting the land into terraced fields. The United Nations officially designated 2023 as the International Year of Millets to raise awareness of their nutritional and health benefits.

Our current agrifood systems impose huge hidden costs on our health, the environment and society, equivalent to at least $10 trillion a year, according to an analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization covering 154 countries. This represents almost 10% of the global GDP. More than 70% of those hidden costs are driven by unhealthy diets that might lead to obesity and non-communicable diseases. Low-income countries are proportionately the hardest hit by this situation. The report urges governments to use true cost accounting to transform agrifood systems to address the climate crisis, poverty, inequality and food security.

A FAO report reveals that the hidden costs from how we produce, transport, process and consume food are at least 10 trillion dollars a year.

Fatmata Binta Jalloh is a gender and youth expert working with Sierra Leone's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. She helps rural women by providing them with access to technical training, inputs, and other opportunities to help them maximize their agricultural activities. Fatmata, along with Foday Kamara, the director of a local NGO that supports youth and women's empowerment, took part in a project implemented jointly by the FAO and the NGO Solidaridad. The programme aimed to equip both women and men with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the agricultural sector, while also strengthening the position of rural women and enabling them to participate in decision-making processes.

Transforming agrifood systems will contribute not only to eradicating poverty, ending hunger and improving nutrition, but also ensure that they are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

Conservation agriculture is a relatively new practice in Timor-Leste, centred on minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of plant species. Despite facing resistance from farmers like Joaquim, FAO and partners supported farmers, who were willing to adopt this technique. These efforts paid off after a few years of implementation with increased land utilization rates, more fertile and productive soil. Joaquim, now an avid advocate of CA has produced enough food to support his family. The practice also has great appeal for farmers, because it does away with the need for ploughing, ending some of the hard manual labor involved in farming.

ILO is raising awareness and fostering concrete actions to improve safety and health for workers in the coffee supply chain through its #coffeepeople campaign.

An International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) nutrition expert talks about the challenge of obesity; a Technical Specialist on Nutrition discusses how food inflation impacts diets. Lastly, we chat with IFAD’s Director for Food Systems Coordination Nadine Gbossa to discuss the nutritional challenges of Guyana’s indigenous communities. 

From 27 to 29 September 2023, FAO is organizing its first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization. This event will provide a forum for FAO Members, farmers, universities, agricultural scientists, mechanization service providers, development agencies, and other actors for dialogues to prioritize actions and strengthen technical networks for sustainable development of agricultural mechanization.

Located at two hours’ drive east of Lagos, Nigeria’s sprawling business capital, Eriwe farm village is the site of one of the countries’ biggest catfish clusters. Along the banks of a little river lie the ponds of nearly 600 fish farmers, organized in cooperatives as part of the Eriwe fishers’ union. These farmers produced some 2,000 tonnes of catfish in 2022. Mary Stephens and her husband also have a few ponds in Eriwe farm village. But their main business is fish processing. FISH4ACP, a global fish value chain development programme in partnership between FAO, the EU and others, is helping Nigeria to make its catfish sector stronger. Mary hopes to get a machine to replace some of their manual work.

Water issues have always been crucial for Odina’s district in Uzbekistan, and they were highly dependent on water sources coming from neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Farmers would have to wait for her or his turn to use the water to irrigate their land from the few existing canals. FAO introduced the “Smart Farming for the Future Generation” project which provides simple innovations in water management, pest control and greenhouse improvements. With these new skills and practices, Odina has grown her tomato business into a thriving small enterprise and receives two to three times her previous income. When farming becomes "smart" and incomes become sustainable, confidence in the future increases.

The waters that surround the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Pacific are home to remarkable marine ecosystems. The fish and other marine species they host are deeply intertwined with many Pacific peoples’ cultures, livelihoods and food. But while the communities of these islands continue to consume fish in significant quantities, the diversity of Islanders’ diets is declining, and their nutrition is deteriorating. So, what are some new approaches and innovations that can help reverse this trend? A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WorldFish has some suggestions. Here are five of them.

Increasing shocks from climate change, a global water crisis, loss of biodiversity, and other challenges continue to drive food insecurity and force more people into hunger. World Bank is taking a multi-faceted approach which focuses simultaneously on production, supporting vulnerable households with emergency and resiliency programs, and investing in sustainable food and nutrition.  The current approach of responding to food crises through short-term measures is making a difference, it is critical to accelerate the transformation of the global food system

Uganda is often described as Africa’s breadbasket, but it still faces a multipronged challenge in eradicating hunger. Floods earlier this year followed a prolonged drought, while global supply disruptions increased prices for imported foods. Traditional humanitarian assistance “cannot keep pace” with today’s soaring and complex hunger demands without simultaneously addressing their root causes, says WFP East Africa Senior Advisor Sibi Lawson-Marriott. She specializes in food systems and issues of climate action, resilience building and women’s empowerment. “We need a new approach”.

Smallholder farming has become increasingly unpredictable. Extreme climate-induced disasters – from floods and droughts to more powerful storms – are on the rise, with corresponding devastation. With accurate, location-specific climate and weather data, farmers can make more informed decisions about which crops to plant, or livestock to rear, or which livelihood options to pursue for a better income. ‘Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture’ is part of UNDP’s strategy to bring actionable data and affordable digital technologies to those who need them.