FAO and the GEF

Partnering for sustainable agri-food systems and the environment

Latest news and updates from the partnership

02/05/2025

As wildfires escalate in Namibia’s Kavango East Region, one woman’s dedication is helping to protect forests, livelihoods and future generations.

“When I was younger, forest fires were rare,” says Benita Makena Kaghuvi, seated under a tall false mopane tree in Cakuma village. “...

22/04/2025

Today is Earth Day, a time to reflect on and to take local actions to safeguard the land and the environments that sustain all life. We each play a part and all efforts for sustainability are worthwhile.

In Adaköy, a village in the Yeniçağa district of Bolu, Kamil Yıldız farms in the qu...

02/04/2025
Community Seed Banks supported by the Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme in Zimbabwe serve as "centers of excellence" for sustainable land and forest management. It's a unique four-in-one model that integrates forestry restoration, soil and land conservation, farmer field schools, tree nurseries, orchards, and solar-powered boreholes.
27/03/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the “National Forest Inventory (NFI) Learning Journey” at a regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand. This innovative, self-paced learning initiative aims to help Member Nations plan, implement, and analyze their national forest inventories. It provides ongoing access to valuable resources to improve forest data management systems and strengthen national capacities.
08/03/2025
Traditional sun drying of fish in Bangladesh is climate-dependent and done at open spaces where insect infestations by beetle and fly are a real problem. Hazardous pesticides or chemicals are often used as a cheaper solution to eliminate insects during drying and storage of dried fish that pose serious public health risks. Innovative fish drying systems are part of a larger initiative that seeks to promote sustainable fishing practices, enhance the quality and marketability of dry fish products, and reduce post-harvest losses.
Maize, wheat, and rice contribute to 50% of the world's dietary energy
03/03/2025

Wheat, maize, and rice are key food crops supporting global food security, providing 50% of the world’s dietary energy. While maize is a well-kno...

28/02/2025
Seagrass meadows are one of the planet's most valuable ecosystems, providing refuge, food, and breeding grounds for thousands of marine species while also storing up to 18% of the world's ocean carbon. A FAO-GEF project in Venezuela aims to reduce the threats of invasive species in seagrass ecosystems.
24/02/2025

Small-scale fisheries account for 40 percent of the world's fish catches. At the same time, almost 500 million people depend on them at least in part for their livelihoods. However, they are threatened by overfishing, pollution and climate change. The Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) is a gl...

17/02/2025
“Onboard observers enable you to know what’s happening in a fishery and what the impact on the ecosystem is going to be.” Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project promotes responsible deep-sea fisheries management and biodiversity conservation in the high seas.
10/02/2025
Through a conversation with the FAO-CBIT Global Forest project team, this webinar will provide an overview of the Project’s objectives and activities with a focus on improving forest data collection and analyzing. It will also offer an in-depth exploration of the Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) and Food and Agriculture Microdata (FAM) platforms
30/01/2025

In the quiet village of Tean Kam Thbong in Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province, a small group of farmers is rewriting their future. Together, they form the Rumduol Tean Kam Agricultural Cooperative (AC), a close-knit community of 97 members (38 women). What began as a small initiative in 2009...

20/01/2025
The ZAEC Project is a transformative initiative that has made significant strides in reversing land degradation across southwestern Angola. The project has delivered impactful results, advancing Angola’s environmental sustainability goals and benefiting thousands of people in the target regions.
07/01/2025
The Global Soil Doctors Programme launches in Turkmenistan to address the risks and challenges of salinity and erosion on agricultural lands.
24/12/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has helped 22 countries unlock $68 million in financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address biodiversity loss, groundwater management,  climate change, land degradation, and pollution.

The projects wer...
20/12/2024
In the town of Poñen, Florida commune, initial actions were carried out as part of the strategic alliance between the GEF Landscape Restoration Project and the CONAF Communities Prepared for Forest Fires Program, focused on preventing fires through landscape restoration and integrated land manage...
17/12/2024

The GEF Small Grants Program is a flagship initiative that over the past three decades has enabled civil society organizations to access funding and technical assistance for community action related to the environment and sustainable livelihoods. It specifically supports Indigenous Peoples and...

06/12/2024
The GEF-8 Food Systems Integrated Program launches to support 32 countries in transforming their food systems
FSIP banner
03/12/2024
The GEF-8 Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP), co-led by FAO and IFAD, will be officially launched during the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16 on 5 December 2024, as part of the AgriFood Systems Day. This key event will highlight the vision and strategies of th...
03/12/2024
FAO’s Forest Monitoring for Climate Action e-learning series has become a pioneer for inclusive capacity development, offering accessible and flexible learning opportunities
02/12/2024
Effective communication is a cornerstone of successful project implementation, especially when addressing complex challenges like climate change and sustainable development. Visual storytelling, in particular, has become a powerful tool for engaging audiences, conveying key messages, and inspirin...