FAO Podcasts

FAO

The 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.

  1. -1 J

    Update on the Global Agrifood Implications of the 2026 Conflict in the Middle East - The Work We Do

    The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since 28 February. As of 13 April, vessels are still not moving in meaningful numbers. The last ships to leave before the blockade are now reaching their destinations, meaning the real supply gap is only beginning to materialise.   Key messages:   • Before the conflict began, the strait carried 30-35% of global crude oil, 20% of natural gas, and up to 30% of internationally traded fertilizers.   • Food commodity prices have not risen yet because existing stocks are absorbing the shock. But if the strait traffic does not resume, the shocks to energy and fertilizer markets will translate into higher commodity and retail prices later in 2026 and into 2027.   • The crop calendar is the key constraint. As planting seasons begin, farmers must choose between absorbing higher input costs or reducing fertilizer and other input use. They need targeted, timebound support, as do low-income countries relying on food and fertilizer imports.   • The disruption is not contained to the Gulf or South Asia. It is moving from east to west and from south to north. Export restrictions by major producers risk compounding the supply shortfall.   • With diplomatic solutions and the right policy, there is still time to contain the current situation and prevent it from turning into a global food crisis.   This episode was recorded on 11 April 2025. Host: Katrin Park Produced by: Eduardo De La Chica Copyright: FAO

    30 min
  2. 16 MARS

    The Work We Do Special: Global Agrifood Implications of the 2026 Conflict in the Middle East

    Middle East is increasing risks for global energy, fertilizer, and agrifood systems. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical chokepoints for oil, gas, and fertilizer shipments, are already pushing up energy and agricultural input costs worldwide. Because energy and fertilizer markets are closely linked to food production, these shocks can quickly spread through global agrifood systems. At the same time, possible shifts toward biofuel production could further increase food price volatility. Import-dependent countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, are especially exposed to these risks.  In the short term, measures such as diversifying trade routes, strengthening market monitoring, supporting farmers, and providing targeted assistance to vulnerable countries can help stabilize supply chains.  Diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz also remain critical for protecting global energy markets and food security.  Timestamps: 00:34 Impacts of the conflict so far 03:48 Regional impacts 08:01 How long can the system absorb the shock? 13:19 Economic modelling scenarios 18:03 How this conflict differs from Ukraine 22:52 Policy recommendations  Follow FAO on social media!  * Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/UNFAO  * Instagram - https://instagram.com/fao * LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fao  * TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@fao * Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/fao/ * Weibo - https://www.weibo.com/unfao © FAO: http://www.fao.org  #SDGs #Agenda2030 #GlobalGoals

    28 min
  3. 24 FÉVR.

    The Work We Do - Ep2. Women and Youth in Agrifood Systems. Lauren Phillips

    In this episode of The Work We Do, we speak with Lauren Phillips, Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about why women and youth are central to the transformation of agrifood systems. The conversation draws on FAO's flagship reports to examine women's roles across agrifood systems, persistent gaps in access to land, finance, and opportunities, and why progress remains uneven despite decades of policy reform. We discuss the International Year of the Woman Farmer, youth participation in policymaking and the global challenge of youth unemployment, including why young women are disproportionately affected. The episode also explores the financing gap in agrifood systems and the economic case for investing in women and youth as drivers of inclusive growth, resilience, and food security. Key reports discussed in this episode: -              The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (2023) https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc5343en/ -              The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems (2025) https://www.fao.org/3/cd5619en/online/cd5619en.html -              The Unjust Climate (2024) https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cc9680en -              Financing Food for a Better Future (2025) https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/e279d507-3ac2-4f0b-a775-9937d97976b8

    44 min
  4. 10 FÉVR.

    The Work We Do - Ep1. How to Build Resilient Agrifood Systems. Máximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist.

    In this first episode of The Work We Do, we speak with Máximo Torero, Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Máximo served as the Director of Markets, Trade and Institutions Division at IFPRI and later as an Executive Director for the World Bank representing several South American countries. The conversation explores how agrifood systems, global markets, financing, and macroeconomic stability are deeply interconnected, and why food security is not only a humanitarian concern but a central pillar of economic and political resilience, promoting national security. Máximo explains how countries can better protect themselves against food crises through smarter investment, early action, and risk-informed policies, and why prevention is far more effective than crisis response. The episode also unpacks the links between hunger, migration, and conflict, and the role international institutions play in stabilizing agrifood systems and reducing systemic risk in an increasingly volatile global environment. Máximo also offers a glimpse into how his upbringing in Peru and his early years as a researcher have shaped his career and worldview.    Follow FAO on social media!  Facebook -   / unfao   Instagram -   / fao   LinkedIn -   / fao   TikTok -   / fao   Twitter -   / fao   Weibo - https://www.weibo.com/unfao © FAO: http://www.fao.org #SDGs #Agenda2030 #GlobalGoals

    1 h 10 min

À propos

The 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.