Imataca is a vast tropical forest in southeast Venezuela spanning 38,000 square kilometers. Rich in biodiversity, the forest is home to thousands of plant and animal species. Decades of illegal logging and mining have led to deforestation and loss of wildlife. The Karina indigenous people living in the forest are working hard to change this. Through a women-led initiative, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), they’re ensuring the forests of Imataca are now protected for generations to come.

Producers: Marina Sánchez Castelo, Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin.
Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo credit: ©Jesús Contreras/FAO.

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to air. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link. Credit must be given to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Venezuela's forest guardians leading the way

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado de dónde vienen los granos del café que acabas de beber? Lo más probable es que vengan desde Guatemala, el noveno exportador de café más grande del mundo. En la remota región de Ixil, lejos de los destinos más conocidos de la parte norte del país, donde las bajas tasas de alfabetización y la pobreza han afectado durante mucho tiempo a la población indígena maya ixil. Las oportunidades de empleo están en lugares distantes y son escasas. Muchos padres sienten que no tienen otra opción que llevar a sus hijos a trabajar con ellos en los cafetales para llegar a fin de mes. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) y sus aliados en la región de Ixil están abordando el trabajo infantil y la pobreza mediante la promoción de la educación y el empleo seguro para jóvenes en la industria del café.

Productoras: Anais Hotin, Charlotta Lomas.
​Presentadora: Lis Sanchez Castillo, FAO.
Autor de la foto:  ©FAO/Santiago Billy

La industria del café: un catalizador para el cambio en el trabajo infantil

In this episode we are joined by Herman Brouwer, Senior Advisor on multi-stakeholder collaboration at the Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI).
Herman explains the pillars of agrifood systems sustainability, discusses the concept of agrifood systems transformation and the importance of multi-stakeholders' processes, and shares some of the key learning from the publication ‘National processes shaping food systems transformations –Lessons from Costa Rica, Ireland and Rwanda’ (accessible here: doi.org/10.4060/cb6149en).
Producers: Pablo García Campos and Emma Crampton
Presenter: Siobhan Kelly
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the official position of FAO.
Photo credit: ©African Food Fellowship/Guyo Adhi

In conversation with Herman Brouwer, Advisor at WCDI

Globally, over three million people migrate to cities each week looking for work opportunities or to join their families. By 2050, over two-thirds of the global population is expected to live in urban areas. The city of Dakar in Senegal has also faced this unprecedented population increase in the last few decades. Over 3.8 million people currently live in the Senegalese capital. Population growth and rapid urbanization have led to losses of agricultural land. This has caused food shortages and a general increase in the price of food products, further threatening the food security of the most vulnerable people. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been working withthe Municipality of Dakar and some NGOs on a micro-gardening project to reduce food insecurity in the city.

Producers: Yacine Cisse(FAO Senegal), Anais Hotin, Ruki Inoshita
Presenter: Daniel Johnson, UN TV & Radio Geneva.
Photo credit: ©FAO/Yacine Cisse

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to air. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link. Credit must be given to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Feeding and regreening: The micro-gardens of Dakar

In Colombia, the coastal town of Buenaventura boasts one of the country’s busiest ports. Local communities rely to a great extent on fisheries and aquaculture to make a living, and women make up a large part of the workforce. These women fish sellers – known as the Platoneras - work informally and earn low wages.  Like more than half of the world’s population, they are not covered under any social protection scheme, making them particularly vulnerable to adverse shocks such as illness, injury, and the eventual onset of old age. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, and its partners including the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, NORAD, are supporting the Platoneras to strengthen their livelihoods and improve their access to social protection schemes - all the while boosting the community's food security.

Producers: Lis Sánchez, Heysel Calderón (FAO Colombia).
Presenter: Laura Quiñones 
Sound: Eric Deleu
Photo: @ FAO/Heysel Calderón
Music: Conectados

Colombia’s sea women net a better social deal

Most people affected by disasters are rural farmers and fisherfolk but only 4% of emergency assistance targets their needs. Director of FAO's Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, explains how to improve emergency responses globally - at a time of unprecedented need

Link to Rein Paulson's Q & A story here: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/attention-to-livelihoods-in-emergencies-is-the-most-effective-and-dignified-response-that-we-can-possibly-mount-fao-emergencies-chief/en

Photo credit: © FAO

Rein Paulsen: Focus emergency responses on rural livelihoods

Women play a vital role in our agrifood systems: as farmers, retailers, wage workers, entrepreneurs, and beyond. But their working conditions and economic opportunities are influenced by gender inequalities within the household, the community, the institutions, and the broader society.
Interactive story reading. Voice: Ruki Inoshita. https://www.fao.org/interactive/women-in-agrifood-systems/en/

The Status Of Women In Agrifood Systems

Tune in to the FAO talks podcast with Corinna Hawkes, Director of FAO’s Division of Food Systems and Food Safety, to look at how agrifood systems play vital roles in our lives, ensuring our health and wellbeing, and make a major impact on the environment.

Producer: Ruki Inoshita
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Interview by: Michele Zaccheo
Sound: Eric Deleu
©FAO

The power of agrifood systems

Water is life, water is food. 
Leave no one behind. 
Water is essential to life on Earth. It covers the majority of the Earth's surface, makes up over 50% of our bodies, produces our food, and supports livelihoods.  

But this precious resource is not infinite and we need to stop taking it for granted. What we eat, and how that food is produced all affect water. 

Together, we can take water action for food and be the change.

https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/home/en

World Food Day 2023 - Public Service Announcement

Cassandra Quave in conversation with Geoff Hawtin, a world-renowned expert in the field of plant genetic resources and agricultural research. In a panorama view, Hawtin reflects on a shift in agricultural and food security challenges since the Green Revolution in the 1970s. Looking forward, the conversation highlights the pressing challenges of feeding a growing global population amidst climate change and discusses the potential of restorative and regenerative agriculture approaches and crop wild relatives.

Producer: Hedwig de Coo 
Presenter: Cassandra Quave 
Sound: Gijs de Bakker  
Episode cover image: ©FAO/Zinyange Auntony

From green revolution to regenerative agriculture

Cassandra Quave in conversation with Álvaro Toledo (Deputy Secretary of the International Plant Treaty) and Luigi Guarino (Director of Science at the Global Crop Diversity Trust) on global trends regarding plants that feed the world. Host and guests discuss a recently published study that shows how countries are interdependent for their food supply and how the type of crops that are important to our diet are shifting over time and geographically. Which plants will become more important in the future? How can such trends inform our national and global planning for the research and safeguarding of the plants that feed us?

Producer: Hedwig de Coo 
Presenter: Cassandra Quave 
Sound: Gijs de Bakker, Eric Deleu 
Episode cover image: ©FAO/Zinyange Auntony

Drawing lessons from crop diversity data for future food security

In this episode, the spotlight is on FAO’s Food Price Index showing a moderate decline; a first-ever global assessment in crop and livestock losses due to disasters; and a deepening partnership with the Green Climate Fund support countries’ access to climate action resources.

Producer: Lis Sanchez, Ruki Inoshita
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
©FAO/Fahad Kaizer

FAO Brief - 3 November 2023

Climate change is here, it's real - and it's already having a significant impact. To most of the world, this is now clear -- and what's clear, too, is that we urgently need to act.  
Ahead of the UN Climate Conference, COP28, our colleague Laura Quiñones spoke with Kaveh Zahedi, the director of the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Environment – about the particular role of agrifood systems – as part of the problem, and as a driving force for solutions.  What is FAO doing to drive climate action? And what will COP28 mean for the world’s agrifood systems? Listen in...   
Discover the crucial role of agrifood systems in the fight against climate change and learn more about FAO's comprehensive approach to supporting global initiatives and solutions for the most vulnerable. Explore innovative solutions with multiple benefits that address climate change, sustainable biodiversity, and food security.

Producer: Lis Sanchez, Ruki Inoshita
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Interview by: Laura Quiñones
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
© FAO

COP28 preview: How agrifood system solutions shape the climate change agenda

In this episode, part of the Codex 60th anniversary celebrations, the Codex Chairperson and the Codex Secretariat look back to what happened at CAC46, 60 years of Codex and look forward to the new work and meetings in 2024.

Guests: Steve Wearne, Chairperson, Codex Alimentarius Commission; Sarah Cahill, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat.

Producer: Giuseppe Di Chiera, FAO.

The Codex podcast (Ep 17) - Looking back, looking forward

In this episode: FAO calls for urgent action on food insecurity in the Gaza Strip; the FAO Food Price Index follows a food commodity price drop in 2023; and a conference to address the high number of fatalities in fisheries.  

Producer: Ruki Inoshita, Heriberto Araujo
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
©UNICEF/UNI457951/El Baba

FAO Brief - 12 January 2024

In this episode, is agriculture a driver of climate change, or the solution? Also, a tool to stabilize food prices and commodity markets in an era of volatility, and a new entity to help
manage the world’s crucial aquatic resources.

Producer: Ruki Inoshita, Heriberto Araujo
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
©FAO/Akuot Mayak © FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

FAO Brief - 26 January 2024

En este episodio, ¿cómo puede la agricultura aportar soluciones al cambio climático?, el rol de la plataforma SIMA en la transparencia y estabilidad de los mercados de productos alimentarios, y, por último, los esfuerzos de un nuevo organismo de ordenación pesquera para mejorar el manejo sostenible de los ecosistemas acuáticos mundiales.

Productoras: Heriberto Araujo, Ruki Inoshita
Presentador: Heriberto Araujo
Sonido: Eric Deleu
Supervisión editorial: Michelle Hoffman
©FAO/Akuot Mayak © FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto

La FAO en minutos -  26 de enero de 2024

In this episode, the Food Price Index shows a continued decline in food commodity prices; how FAO is working towards a future for female statisticians in West Africa, and a new interactive portal in FAOSTAT. 

Producer: Ruki Inoshita, Flora Trouilloud, Heriberto Araujo
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
© FAO / Luis Tato

FAO Brief - 12 February 2024

En este episodio, el Índice de Precios de los Alimentos de la FAO refleja un descenso continuado de los precios de los productos alimenticios; cómo la FAO trabaja por el futuro de las mujeres estadísticas en África occidental, y un nuevo portal interactivo de datos sobre alimentación.

Productoras: Heriberto Araujo, Ruki Inoshita, Flora Trouilloud
Presentador: Heriberto Araujo
Sonido: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
© FAO / Luis Tato

La FAO en minutos - 12 de febrero de 2024

Conflict and hunger are inextricably linked to one another. Conflict often leads to severe humanitarian crises, resulting in heightened levels of hunger in specific regions. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges, explains Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General, in this interview.

Producer: Heriberto Araujo
Presenter and interviewer: Laura Quiñones
Sound: Eric Deleu
© UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Conflict and climate change require collective action to address food insecurity

En este episodio: las últimas noticias sobre la inseguridad alimentaria aguda en Somalia; el Fondo para el Medio Ambiente Mundial aprueba nuevos proyectos liderados por la FAO; y una mirada a los futuros desafíos alimentarios y climáticos en la región de Asia y el Pacífico. 

Productores: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presentador: Heriberto Araujo
Sonido: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
© FAO / Than Rathany

La FAO en minutos - 23 de febrero de 2024

In this episode: the latest on acute food insecurity in Somalia; the Global Environment Facility approves a series of new FAO-led environmental projects; and looking ahead to food and climate challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Producer: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presenter: Simona Vani
Sound: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Editorial supervision: Michelle Hoffman
© FAO / Than Rathany

FAO Brief - 23 February 2024

In this episode, the FAO Food Price Index eased in February, driven mostly by lower cereal prices; FAO calls for restoration of humanitarian space to eliminate the risk of famine in Gaza; and the FAO Director-General expresses “deep concern” about the rise of hunger in the Near East and North Africa.

Producer: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presenter: Andre Vornic
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Tszmei Ho
© FAO / Daniel Hayduk

FAO Brief - 8 March 2024

Dans cet épisode, l’Indice FAO des prix des produits alimentaires a baissé en février, principalement sous l’effet du recul du prix des céréales ; la FAO appelle à la restauration de l'espace humanitaire pour éliminer le risque de famine à Gaza ; et le Directeur général de la FAO exprime sa "profonde inquiétude" face à la montée de la faim au Proche-Orient et en Afrique du Nord. 

Producteurs : Flora Trouilloud, Heriberto Araujo
Présentatrice : Flora Trouilloud
Son : Eric Deleu
Supervision éditoriale : Tszmei Ho
© FAO / Daniel Hayduk

La FAO en Bref - 8 mars 2024

In this episode we are joined by Edward Walugembe, Commissioner Strategic Coordination and Implementation, Office of the Prime Minister and chairperson of the National Food Systems Coordination Committee in Uganda; and Agnes Kirabo, Executive Director of the Food Rights Alliance in Uganda. Tune in and learn about Uganda’s efforts to promote sustainability across its agrifood sector. 

The conversation reveals recent developments within the agrifood institutional and policy infrastructure in Uganda and how they relate to addressing challenges across the agrifood system. Our guests also discuss the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration to improve governance and accountability, with the National Food Systems Coordination Committee as an example of a recent positive development. 

Technical Producers: Susannah Gold, Anni Savikurki and Pablo García Campos
Audio Producer: Marina Sánchez Castelo 
Presenter: Siobhan Kelly 

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the official position of FAO. 
Photo credit: ©FAO

Uganda’s journey towards sustainable food systems

Climate change disproportionately impacts women farmers in low- and middle-income countries, causing billions of dollars of losses among female-headed farming households. This is the main finding of FAO's  "The Unjust Climate" report, explains in this interview Lauren Phillips, Deputy Director of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Producer: Laura Quiñones 
Sound: Laura Quiñones and Eric Deleu
© FAO

Why rural women pay the highest price of the climate crisis

In this episode, the Chairperson and Co-chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, or CCFH, talk about the importance of food hygiene for the health of the consumer, co-hosting CCFH in Kenya and discuss the role the Committee can play in the future.

Guests: Evelyne Mbandi, Chairperson, Codex Committee on Food Hygiene; George Ooko Abong, Co-chairperson, Codex Committee on Food Hygiene.
Producer: Giuseppe Di Chiera, FAO.

The Codex podcast (Ep 18) – Setting international food hygiene standards

In this episode, FAO urges immediate humanitarian access amid projected famine in Gaza, FAO launches a new tool in partnership with Google to monitor and protect forests, and looking ahead to the role of Latin America and the Caribbean in global food security despite challenges.

Producer: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presenter: André Vornic
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Tszmei Ho
© FAO / Thomas Nicolon

FAO Brief - 22 March 2024

Dans cet épisode, la FAO distribue du fourrage aux familles vulnérables de Gaza afin d'améliorer la production alimentaire et y atténuer la situation catastrophique de la sécurité alimentaire ; la FAO appelle à une action urgente pour éviter que la crise de la faim ne s'aggrave davantage au Soudan, et l'Indice des prix des produits alimentaires est remonté au mois de mars, après sept mois consécutifs de baisse.  

Producteurs: Flora Trouilloud, Heriberto Araujo, Ruki Inoshita
Présentatrice: Flora Trouilloud
Son: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Supervision éditoriale: Tszmei Ho
©FAO

La FAO en Bref - 8 avril 2024

En este episodio, la FAO distribuye forraje en Gaza para aumentar la producción de alimentos y aliviar la catastrófica situación de la inseguridad alimentaria; la FAO pide una acción urgente para evitar que el hambre siga agravándose en Sudán, y el aumento en marzo del Índice de precios de los alimentos tras siete meses de descenso.     

Productores: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud, Ruki Inoshita
Presentador: Heriberto Araujo
Sonido: Eric Deleu
Supervisión editorial: Tszmei Ho
©FAO

La FAO en minutos - 8 de abril de 2024

In this episode, FAO is distributing fodder to vulnerable families in Gaza to enhance food production to alleviate the catastrophic food security situation; FAO calls for urgent action to prevent the hunger crisis in Sudan from further escalating, and the Food Price Index, after seven months of decline, ticks up in March. 

Producer: Ruki Inoshita, Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Tszmei Ho
©FAO

FAO Brief - 8 April 2024

In this episode, FAO calls for more funding and resources for farmers in Sudan to prevent the escalation of the hunger crisis; FAO’s Director-General emphasized Africa’s potential for development at the FAO’s Regional Conference that took place in Morocco; and the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention met to define strategies to curb pests and diseases amid climate crisis. 

Producer: Ruki Inoshita, Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud
Presenter: Ruki Inoshita
Sound: Eric Deleu
Editorial supervision: Tszmei Ho
©FAO/Mahmoud Shamrouk

FAO Brief - 22 April 2024

En este episodio, la FAO pide más recursos para los agricultores de Sudán con el fin de evitar el agravamiento de la crisis del hambre; el Director General de la FAO destaca el potencial de desarrollo de África en la Conferencia Regional celebrada en Marruecos, y el órgano rector de la Convención Internacional de Protección Fitosanitaria se reúne para definir estrategias destinada a frenar plagas y enfermedades en plena crisis climática. 

Productores: Heriberto Araujo, Flora Trouilloud, Ruki Inoshita
Presentador: Heriberto Araujo
Sonido: Eric Deleu
Supervisión editorial: Tszmei Ho
© FAO/Mahmoud Shamrouk

La FAO en minutos - 22 de abril de 2024

Dans cet épisode, la FAO appelle à un financement accru pour les agriculteurs du Soudan afin de prévenir l’aggravation de la crise alimentaire, le Directeur général de la FAO a souligné le potentiel de développement de l'Afrique lors de la Conférence régionale au Maroc, et la Commission de la Convention internationale pour la protection des végétaux s'est réunie pour définir des stratégies de lutte contre les ravageurs.

Producteurs: Flora Trouilloud, Heriberto Araujo, Ruki Inoshita
Présentatrice: Flora Trouilloud
Son: Eric Deleu
Supervision éditoriale: Tszmei Ho
©FAO/ Mahmoud Shamrouk

La FAO en Bref - 22 avril 2024

The number of hungry people worldwide continues to rise, according to the latest report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. The joint report by UN agencies gauges whether the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger remains achievable. To learn more we’re joined by FAO’s  Chief Economist Maximo Torero via Zoom.

Producer/Interviewer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
SOFI Report: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9692en

Contact: FAO-Audio@fao.org
Photo: ©FAO/Pier Paolo Cito

UN report: As hunger rises, does Zero Hunger remain achievable?

FAO Podcasts, a multilingual audio series produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, addresses pressing global issues including hunger, poverty, agriculture, and sustainability. With content available in English, Spanish, and French, our dedicated audio team ensures these vital conversations are accessible to a global audience. Our three distinct formats - the concise FAO Brief, insightful FAO Talks, and the deeply human documentary pieces - serve as your gateway to understanding and participating in these critical global discussions. Tune in, enrich your perspective, and join us in shaping a more sustainable future for all.

The FAO of the UN leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. FAO's activities comprise four main areas:

1. Putting information within reach.
2. Sharing policy expertise.
3. Providing a meeting place for nations.
4. Bringing knowledge to the field.

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