Target Zero Hunger is a podcast that delves into the core issues of the UN Sustainable Develop Goals (SDGs). From eradicating poverty and hunger to mitigating and adapting to climate change, rethinking food and agriculture production is critical to feeding a growing population and achieving these goals.

TARGET: Zero Hunger

Water means different things to different people. Let's celebrate all the ways water benefits our lives and talk about how we can safeguard it for everyone.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.

What does water mean to you?

Tonle Sap Lake in northeast Cambodia is one of the most productive inland fishing waters in the world, due to flooding and monsoon. Fisheries are the backbone of country’s economy, with Tonle Sap contributing over half of the country’s fish production. Yet the lake’s 4.8 million residents are some of the poorest in Asia. Many depend heavily on fish and rice for their livelihoods and have to send their children to work rather than school, in order to survive. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working with the government and partners to get children back to school.

Producers: Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, Marina Sánchez Castelo, Chann Tet, Sophana Sim, Panos Pictures.
Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo ©FAO/Tang Chhin Sothy.

Fighting child labour through education

The Greater Karamoja Cluster lies at the crossroads of Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda. In this vast desert region nearly the size of the United Kingdom, crossing borders is a requisite for survival. But in recent decades, competition over natural resources has led to cattle raids and violent conflicts. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supported a series of community-led initiatives to strengthen pastoralists’ livelihoods, enhance food security and prevent conflict in the region.  

Producers: Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, Marina Sánchez Castelo, Ariel Bardi, Michael Adey, Video agency Wolfstreet. 
Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo ©FAO/ Luis Tato.

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to download, publish and distribute. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link.

TASCAM DR-05

Warriors on the path to peace

Who says children shouldn’t play in the kitchen? Cooking healthy food starts young in this Touch Smell Taste cooking class in Rome. The hands-on cooking lab, led by Naheda Slayih and supported by volunteers, invites visually impaired children to learn how to become young chefs and have a good time too. 

Producers: Megan Williams, Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, Marina Sánchez Castelo, Nina Coates.
Presenter: Megan Williams.
Photo: ©FAO/Cristiano Minichiello.

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to download, publish and distribute. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link.

Kids, it's time to cook!

In April 2021, four astronauts travelled to space for six months where they conducted a series of scientific experiments. From inside the International Space Station, astronaut and FAO Goodwill Ambassador Thomas Pesquet told us how growing food in space can help us to adapt to extreme environmental conditions and ensure future food security on earth.

Producers: Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, Marina Sánchez Castelo.
Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo credit: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet/W. Harold.
Sound effects provided by ESA and NASA.

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).

Why are astronauts growing food in space?

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

Across the globe, people are transforming agrifood systems to become more nutritious, equitable and sustainable. Listen to how one town in northern Italy sparked a global movement to bring about change to local food systems.

Producers: Megan Williams, Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, Marina Sánchez Castelo.
Presenter: Megan Williams.
Photo: ©Federica Bolla.

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to download, publish and distribute. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link.

Growing local across the globe

Have you ever wondered where your coffee beans come from? Chances are it was prepared in Guatemala, ninth largest coffee exporter in the world. In the remote region of Ixil, far off the beaten tracks of the northern part of the country, low literacy rates and poverty have long plagued the Maya Ixil Indigenous population. Employment opportunities are far and few between and many parents feel that they have no choice but to bring their children to work with them in coffee fields to make ends meet. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, and partners in the Ixil region are tackling child labour and poverty by promoting education and safe youth employment in the coffee industry.

Producers ; Anais Hotin, Charlotta Lomas.
Presenter: André Vornic, FAO
Photo credit: © FAO/Santiago Billy

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).

The coffee industry : a catalyst for change in child labour

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

According to the World Bank estimates, our planet’s population is expected to increase to 9 billion people by the year 2050 - with young people aged between 15 and 24 accounting for approximately 14 percent of this total. Employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for youth today, however, remain limited, especially in rural areas. Long associated with harsh working conditions and low wages, many youngsters see agriculture as a less than attractive prospect. But the sector is crucial in terms of maintaining food security particularly in countries affected by conflict. And the sector is promising – offering lucrative jobs and business opportunities on and off the farm. In several governorates across Syria, FAO has implemented a training programme since 2021 to help young entrepreneurs transform their ideas into successful agri-businesses. The  Nabta programme aims to enhance agricultural production in a country decimated by protracted war.

Producer: FAO Syria, Anais Hotin
Presenter: Daniel Johnson, UN Geneva
Photo credit: @ FAO/Mokthar Al Samman

A new generation of Syrian agricultural entrepreneurs

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

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is rolling out digital innovation technologies in the form of SMS text messages and smart phone applications across the African continent, starting in Senegal and Rwanda. In this pilot episode of FAO's new podcast Stories From The Field, we head to Tambacounda, 450 kilometers south-east of Dakar, Senegal, to find out how digital tools are helping to transform the country’s agriculture sector and boost farmers' livelihoods.

Report: Emmanuelle Landais, Senegal
Producer/Editor: Charlotta Lomas, Anais Hotin, FAO
Audio technician: Eric Deleu
Photo ©FAO/Alioune Ndiaye

Senegal's smart phone farmers

Lake Turkana is the largest desert salt lake in the world. Situated in Kenya’s northernmost region, the remote lake is rich in biodiversity and is a lifeline for the isolated communities whose economic opportunities there are few and far between. But a local entrepreneur, has come up with novel idea to turn fish skins that would otherwise be discarded – into profit. This Blue Growth initiative is being supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

Producers: Anais Hotin, Charlotta Lomas, Annie Ho. 
Presenters: Anais Hotin.
Photo ©FAO/Luis Tato

Is fish the new fashion?

Young people from around the world share their concerns for the future and call for greater action on climate change.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Image courtesy of the DSCOVR EPIC team.

Youth demand climate action

La Guajira, Colombia’s northernmost region, is dry with desert landscapes. It’s prone to drought and food insecurity particularly in rural areas. In recent years, the economic crisis in neighboring Venezuela has pushed over a million migrants across the border, including 165,000 people into La Guajira. The influx of migrants has put a strain on host communities, where food is limited and natural resources scarce. That’s why in 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s Early Warning Early Action team decided to act.

Producers & Presenters: Anais Hotin & Charlotta Lomas.
Photo ©FAO/Justine Texier.

This audio is free for radio broadcasters to download, publish and distribute. Contact FAO-Audio@fao.org to share the link.

Building resilience on Colombia's border

In Montenegro, smallholder farmers rely heavily on traditional agriculture practices for their livelihoods. So much so, that a poor blueberry harvest or honey season can have devastating impacts on rural households. That’s why the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)are rolling out a project there that links rural farming households with agrotourism. The project aims to diversify the incomes of farmers in small villages across the region as well as promote Montenegrin cuisine and preserve traditional food production practices. And it’s having all kinds of positive impacts, particularly on young people, as FAO’s Charlotta Lomas has been finding out.

Producer & Presenter: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo: Danka Sekularac
To read more: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca8339b

Montenegro’s mountains - where tourism meets tradition

The state of world’s ocean is in decline. From overfishing and pollution to climate change, the threats to ocean health are many and varied. That’s why the UN Secretary General created a Special Envoy for the Ocean. Listen to the full interview with Ambassador Peter Thomson.

Host/Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Sound: Eric Deleu, FAO.
Photo: ©FAO/ Kurt Arrigo.

UN Special Envoy for the Ocean: We need radical change

In 2013, FAO launched the Blue Growth Initiative, which supports the development of aquatic resources and the communities that depend on them. Today, innovators across the globe are coming up with new and exciting ways to harness the ocean’s resources sustainably, from blue fish fashion to the medical use of fish skin. These creative inventions offer potential alternative income generating opportunities for fisheries communities worldwide.

Lucy Hughes is the inventor of MarinaTex, a bioplastic made from fish waste. The graduate student's innovation won the 2019 James Dyson Award.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo: © 2020 Lucy Hughes, MarinaTex.

Blue innovators: Plastic made from fish

All around the world, people, plants and animals are dying from infections that cannot be treated – even with the best medicines available. That's because of the rise in antimicrobial resistance - the increasing failure of antibiotics and other life-saving drugs to treat diseases. It's a global problem that threatens to be the next pandemic, as FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption explains.

Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo: ©FAO/ Luis Tato

Antimicrobial resistance - the next pandemic?

This time last year, swarms of desert locusts began spreading to countries in the Horn of Africa, devastating crops and people’s livelihoods. FAO's emergency campaign appealed for urgent action to avoid a desert locust plague and a looming humanitarian crisis. One year on, we ask FAO' s senior locust forecasting officer Keith Cressman if we are winning the fight.

For more information, visit www.fao.org/locusts/en

Host/Producer: Charlotta Lomas, FAO.
Photo: ©FAO/Sven Torfinn.

Desert locusts: Are we winning the fight?

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.