The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the Villages Recognition Initiative, a global effort celebrating the essential contribution of rural villages in advancing sustainable agrifood systems, conserving biodiversity, and preserving food traditions and local knowledge. Developed under FAO MuNe as part of the Organization’s 80th Anniversary, the initiative highlights how rural communities strengthen inclusive rural transformation through their resilience, innovation, and cultural heritage.
This initiative aims to showcase villages that successfully blend traditional knowledge with modern solutions, helping sustain local agrifood systems while protecting agricultural and food traditions. It also promotes learning and exchange among communities by giving global visibility to local, community-driven approaches and integrating them into the FAO MuNe Network.
Aligned with FAO’s vision of Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life, the program honors rural women, men, and youth—particularly small-scale producers, fishers, foresters, pastoralists, and Indigenous Peoples—who protect natural resources and drive innovation within their communities. Villages can be nominated by FAO Members or by the Organization itself, reflecting FAO’s inclusive and collaborative approach to recognizing rural contributions worldwide.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized that rural communities are central to transforming global agrifood systems. The initiative includes four nomination categories that reflect the diversity of rural life: villages conserving natural heritage, those preserving food traditions, communities offering agritourism experiences, and villages using science and digital solutions to enhance rural development. More than 300 nominations from 69 countries have already been submitted.
Rather than competition, the initiative focuses on showcasing each village’s distinct contributions. Recognized villages will receive a digital certificate endorsed by the FAO Director-General, official acknowledgment during dedicated sessions, inclusion in the FAO MuNe Network, and global visibility through the MuNe digital platform.
