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In Kyrgyzstan鈥檚 rugged Batken Province, 70-year-old farmer Urinisa Tillabaeva is proving that tough land can still grow bright futures. With a new greenhouse, drip irrigation, and hands-on training, she no longer waits out the long winter months鈥攕he harvests beyond the traditional season, boosting yields and turning tomatoes into steady income for her family. As a leader in a local women鈥檚 farming group, Urinisa Tillabaevais helping her community trade uncertainty for resilience鈥攇rowing more and wasting less. She is among 4,500 farmers participating in a new World Food Programme () project aimed at boosting incomes and diets and adapting to deepening weather extremes in one of Central Asia鈥檚 most climate-vulnerable countries.
In eastern Cameroon, the Baka people have traditionally relied on hunting and gathering, but recent climate shocks, economic instability, and conflicts have strained their resources. In Mayos, a village in Dimako district, many have faced food scarcity, forcing children to miss school to search for food. To address this crisis, from April 2024 to June 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization (), with the Cameroonian government and World Bank support, launched the . This initiative provided training in modern agricultural techniques and distributed production kits, blending traditional knowledge with new practices to enhance food security for the Baka community.
Communities in Tajikistan are reviving ancestral seeds and protecting agrobiodiversity, with FAO support helping farmers and women鈥檚 groups restore traditional crops, boost livelihoods, and strengthen resilience.
In southern Brazil, a drink symbolizes connection; the cuia, a traditional vessel for chimarr茫o (erva-mate), fosters conversation and community. This drink carries not just warmth but also cultural memory and environmental wisdom. In Parana State, erva-mate is sustainably cultivated within native forests, supporting local livelihoods over generations. This approach allows agriculture to coexist with the forest rather than clear it. Brazil, alongside Argentina and Paraguay, stands as a major global producer and exporter of erva-mate, linking cultural heritage with international markets.
How much do you know about food loss and waste? Let鈥檚 find out! These will put your knowledge to the test.
This video features submissions to the 鈥淕lobal Call for Stories: Family farmers at the heart of climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood systems,鈥 organized by FAO鈥檚 and Engagement Units, in collaboration with allies including Access Agriculture, Access Agriculture, Agricultural Extension in South Asia (AESA), (AFSA), (AFA), CIRAD, EncontrAR, (CLACSO), Platform of Latin America and the Caribbean for Climate Action on Agriculture (PLACA), Schola Campesina, and the .
Land, soil, and water are essential for agriculture and food security, but they face severe pressure due to human activities. Over 60% of human-induced land degradation occurs on agricultural lands, while agriculture utilizes over 70% of global freshwater withdrawal. The new edition of highlights the urgent issues of land degradation, water scarcity, and climate change, and their effects on agricultural productivity and ecosystems. It explores sustainable solutions and integrated approaches for sustainable land, soil and water use and management emphasizing the importance of our current choices to ensure resource protection and meet future demands.
For the Seychelles, a small island developing state in the middle of the ocean, land is limited, and 200 years of human settlement has already seen significant impacts on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. On the main island of Mah茅, where 86% of the population live, land is being actively developed for tourism, agriculture, housing, and other human needs. The impacts of these demands can be seen and felt where today less than 5% of the original native forest remains intact. To reverse this damage and restore degraded land, the project 鈥楻idge to Reef鈥, is working to improve tree cover and restore soil. Funded by the and implemented by the Seychelles Government in partnership with , the 'Ridge to Reef' approach focuses on the connection between land and sea to address environmental degradation. Nelson Renaud, chairman of the Local Food Producers Association, says "By taking care of the land, we can grow food that will take care of our community."
In Peru, the Awajun community, supported by the Avanzar Rural project, adapts cacao farming to climate change, improving yields, incomes, and market access for smallholders.
Adaptation can seem daunting for rural businesses, but it鈥檚 a win-win. By adopting sustainable farming techniques like agroforestry, small-scale farmers can drive economic growth while protecting their land.
In the third episode in 's 鈥淟ife stories鈥 mini-series, we head to the Peruvian Amazon to see adaptation in action. Join us as IFAD Recipes for Change chef meets with Ruth, whose farmers鈥 association has become a key player in the local cacao value chain with IFAD鈥檚 support.
As dawn breaks over the Ororub谩 Mountains in Pernambuco, Brazil, Indigenous youth from the Xukuru do Ororub谩 people work in a nursery, reviving native plant species, especially those with medicinal value. Led by 脗ngela Neves Pereira (鈥淏ella鈥), they aim to restore not just the land but their cosmogony, identity, culture and balance. Since 2023, the Xukuru people and the Food and Agriculture Organization () have collaborated on Indigenous Peoples' biocentric restoration, a method that prioritizes the well-being of all living things within an ecosystem. Supported by Brazil鈥檚 government and FAO鈥檚 programme, this initiative enhances Indigenous knowledge and aims to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
A small-scale farming initiative, launched in May 2025 by and funded through the , has provided urgently needed cash assistance to farmers in Gaza to restart vegetable production. One beneficiary, 60-year-old Susan Allaham, returned to cultivation on her land in Khan Younis after the war halted her farming for years. Respite extreme challenges 鈥 lack of inputs (fertilizer, seeds, pesticides), damaged land, high prices, and a broader food-security collapse after two years of conflict 鈥 about 200 farmers are now growing vegetables again, offering a small 鈥渟eed of hope.鈥 Vegetables are seen as vital sources of vitamins and nourishment, especially for children and pregnant women. However, as of mid-October 2025, only about 4 % of Gaza鈥檚 agricultural land remained accessible and intact, underscoring how limited this recovery is. For farmers like Susan, this cultivation is their only means of livelihood, and if conditions 鈥 including the ceasefire 鈥 hold, they plan to expand production farther, reclaiming their land and supporting their families.
Family farms, when backed by smart public and blended financing, can become powerful drivers of food security, rural prosperity and climate resilience.
Agriculture and food security face severe threats from increasing disasters, which have caused an estimated $3.26 trillion in losses over the past 33 years, about $99 billion annually. A new by the Food and Agriculture Organization () highlights how digital technologies are enhancing risk monitoring and response. It provides a comprehensive assessment of how various disasters disrupt food production and nutrition. Digital innovations are facilitating a shift from reactive crisis management to proactive resilience-building, with tools such as parametric insurance and early warning systems enabling communities to mitigate risks effectively.