Climate anxiety grips fishermen in Pakistan

Muhammad Kasim, his wife, and eldest son repair fish nets damaged during the recent floods. “We come from a family of fishermen. Fishing is in our blood – it is my badge of honour. It’s also our only source of income,” said Kasim. His lifelong profession and source of income for his large family is now in jeopardy until waters recede and ecological balance is restored. Income from fishing heavily depends on the season. As the floods struck during peak fishing season, local fishermen will have to seek other options to put food on the table. In 2022, the Government of Pakistan launched the “Living Indus” initiative to restore the river’s ecosystem, so the Indus basin can become resilient to climate change.

FAO together with the competent authorities engages many other stakeholders, including researchers who study the food safety issues of cell-based food, private cell-based food developers and producers, and non-governmental organizations to collaborate in this space to advance our collective knowledge.

The World Bank has spent more than $12 billion, out of the $30 billion committed last year, on nutrition security projects and lending – with almost half for Africa, one of the hardest hit regions by the food crisis.

A visit to the doctor often begins with a stethoscope to assess the heart and lungs because before you treat someone, you need to know how they are. Similarly, to guarantee healthy soils for sustainable agriculture and food production, you first need to know their condition. Soils are the starting point of food and agriculture. Without healthy soils (to provide nutrients), water and air (for plant growth and development), we cannot grow the nutritious food we need to lead healthy lives. Yet, soil degradation is a global problem. Currently, around one third of the world’s soils is degraded. The situation will continue to worsen if we do not take action. FAO’s Global Soil Doctors Programme started to do just that.

There are almost as many smartphones on the planet as there are people. From messaging, to maps, to mobile payments, it's almost impossible to imagine a world without internet or devices. Yet, for many women in developing countries, this is their reality. Here, men are twice as likely to use the internet than women. To empower rural women, and help them contribute to economic growth, access to the internet and digital platforms is vital. IFAD trains women in digital finance and marketing, and ensures they have access to the technology they need to connect to the rest of the world. Find out more in this story about taking tomato-growing to new heights in Pakistan, and texting for tulips in Bangladesh.

FAO has made publicly available country-by-country indicators on healthy diets that show their cost - including by food group - and the number of individuals unable to afford them.

Choose a dish to prepare using a type of millet. Record a video of yourself preparing your recipe and tell us about it. Share it!  @FAO #IYM2023 #YearofMillets

Despite the colossal damages to its agriculture caused by the war, the country is still committed to contribute to world food security and to empower small scale farmers.

The celebration of World Pulses Day by FAO presents a unique opportunity to raise public awareness about pulses and the fundamental role they play in the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

An herbal industry opens horizons for mountain farmers

The unforgiving climate and mountainous terrain in Kyrgyzstan’s northern At-Bashy district make agriculture risky and employment opportunities rare. Rich in natural resources, landlocked Kyrgyzstan is nonetheless highly dependent on remittances and foreign assistance, making the country vulnerable to external shocks. WFP-led collaboration is giving women like Baktygul new income-earning opportunities by capitalizing on At-Bashy’s clean water and fresh air to grow herbs for essential oils. Batygul counted among some 1,000 smallholder farmers trained by WFP on herb-planting agro-technologies, together produce and supply upto 3000kg of the raw materials that are processed into essential oils and dried products for use in industries.  

As climate change affects the distribution and availability of food, edible insects are a potential growth area, particularly as consumer demand rises. Insects are an essential food source for at least 2 billion people and given the low input costs and space required, even the poorest people in developing countries can collect, rear, process, sell, and eat insects. IFAD and the United States have partnered to help small-scale farmers in developing countries further reduce emissions while adapting to climate change.

Cultivated for food and feed, pulses are magical. They are nutritious and delicious, but there is even more. They are powerful against climate change, providing farmers a breath of relief in water-scarce environments, as they have a low water footprint and can better tolerate drought. Besides, the global pulses industry is a positive driver in ensuring the resilience of the supply chains, enabling consumers to access nutritious foods, and contributing to the sustainable use of natural resources. This World Pulses Day (10 February), let’s celebrate their contributions.

Mongolia’s extreme climate bring with it many challenges – and Lkhagva Yondon’s family struggled to be self-sufficient until she decided to seek some help to break the cycle through an FAO programme.

Food safety regulations, drawn up with the support of FAO, aim at bringing time-hallowed gastronomy – such as ajvar a gastronomic favourite in Serbia - up to date with modern food safety knowhow.

Fish provides more than 4.5 billion people around the world with a critical share of their daily protein requirements. FAO’s Fish: Know it, cook it, eat it helps you know, cook and eat fish.