FAO Podcasts

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

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.

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Was ist Essen? Essen ist Leben. Essen ist Erinnerung, Wurzeln, Land und das Wissen unserer Vorfahren. Essen ist ein Recht, kein Privileg. Am diesjährigen Welternährungstag, dem 16. Oktober, lasst uns alle gemeinsam Hand in Hand gehen, um zu ehren, zu kultivieren und eine bessere Zukunft zu ernten – damit niemand zurückgelassen wird. Besuchen Sie www.fao.org, um mehr zu erfahren.

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خواړه ژوند دی، خواړه یادونه دي، ریښې، ځمکه، او زموږ د نیکونو پوهه ده. خواړه یو حق دی، نه امتیاز. د اکتوبر پر ۱۶مه، د خوړو په دې نړیواله ورځ راځئ چې لاسونه سره ورکړو، وویاړو، کرنه وکړو، او د ښه راتلونکې حاصل تر لاسه کړو تر څو هیڅوک شاته پاتې نه شي. نور معلومات له www.fao.org څخه تر لاسه کړی.

©د خوړو او کرنې سازمان

غذا چیست؟ غذا یعنی زندگی، یعنی خاطره، ریشه، سرزمین و دانش نیاکان ما. غذا یک حق است، نه یک امتیاز. هشتاد سال پیش، جهان وعده داد که برویاند، به اشتراک بگذارد، جوامع را سیر کند و زندگی بهتری بسازد. امسال، در روز جهانی غذا، ۱۶ اکتبر، بیایید همه باهم دست به دست قدم برداریم. افتخار کنیم، بکاریم، آینده بهتری را برداشت کنیم، تا هیچ‌کسی را پشت سر نگذاریم. برای کسب اطلاعات بیشتر به ویب‌سایت [www.fao.org](http://www.fao.org) مراجعه کنید.

Gıda nedir? Gıda hayattır, hafızadır, köklerdir, topraktır ve atalarımızın bilgeliğidir. Gıda bir haktır, ayrıcalık değildir. Seksen yıl önce dünya bir söz verdi: büyütmeye, paylaşmaya, toplumları beslemeye ve daha iyi yaşamaya. 16 Ekim'de, bu Dünya Gıda Günü'nde, haydi birlikte el ele yürüyelim. Daha fazlası için www.fao.org'u ziyaret et.

©FAO

La alimentación es vida, es memoria, raíces, tierra, y el saber de nuestros ancestros. La alimentación es un derecho, no un privilegio. Hace ochenta años, el mundo prometió cultivar, compartir, alimentar a las personas y lograr una vida mejor gracias a la alimentación. Este 16 de octubre, Día Mundial de la Alimentación, caminemos todos juntos mano de la mano. Para no dejar a nadie atrás. Visita www.fao.org para conocer más.

© FAO

Apa itu pangan? Pangan adalah kehidupan, kenangan, akar, lahan, dan pengetahuan leluhur kita; pangan merupakan hak, bukan hak istimewa. Delapan puluh tahun yang lalu dunia berjanji untuk menumbuhkan, membagikan, memberi makan komunitas, dan hidup lebih baik. Di Hari Pangan Sedunia, 16 Oktober, mari semua bergandengan tangan: menghormati, menumbuhkan, dan memanen masa depan yang lebih baik tanpa meninggalkan seorang pun. Kunjungi www.fao.org untuk informasi lebih lanjut.

©FAO

La alimentación es vida, es memoria, raíces, tierra, y el saber de nuestros ancestros. La alimentación es un derecho, no un privilegio. Hace ochenta años, el mundo prometió cultivar, compartir, alimentar a las personas y lograr una vida mejor gracias a la alimentación. Este 16 de octubre, Día Mundial de la Alimentación, caminemos todos juntos mano de la mano. Para no dejar a nadie atrás. Visita www.fao.org para conocer más.

© FAO

粮食是什么？ 粮食是生命 粮食是记忆 是根脉 是土地 是祖辈的知识传承 粮食是权利 不是特权 80年前 世界许下承诺 耕耘大地 分享收获 滋养社区 10月16日，共庆"世界粮食日" 让我们手拉手、并肩走 不让任何人掉队 更多详情，敬请访问www.fao.org

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