There’s always time for a podcast!
Listen to stories from around the world and deepen your knowledge with these FAO podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn something new, even while you’re on the go! ©shutterstock.com/Branislav Nenin
12/02/2021
Podcasts have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the last couple of years, and it’s easy to see why. They are a fantastic way to learn something new, enhance your knowledge on a particular subject or just detach from your own life by tuning into a great story. Podcasts are easily accessible from smartphones or computers, and come in all shapes and sizes – you can listen to a 5-minute bitesize episode whilst washing the dishes or settle into something longer on that hour-long commute.
At FAO, our aim is to make our mission, research and data as accessible and engaging as possible – and our podcasts are proof of that. FAO podcasts delve into the key challenges of our day, from eradicating poverty and hunger to mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as in-depth conversations with leading experts and stories from people and projects around the world.
Here are some of the FAO podcast team’s favourites!
Montenegro’s mountains - where tourism meets tradition
In this podcast, we head to Montenegro to find out about how linking smallholder farmers with agritourism opportunities can ease some of the challenges they face in making a living from agriculture. For farmers in Montenegro, who rely heavily on traditional agricultural practices for their livelihoods, even a poor blueberry harvest or honey season can have devastating impact. That’s why this agritourism project, implemented by FAO and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), focuses on diversifying farmers’ incomes, promoting traditional Montenegrin cuisine and preserving traditional food production practices. FAO speaks with farmers involved in the project to hear their take on it! You can listen to this podcast in English, French or Montenegrin!
Left/top: Hear how FAO is helping Montenegrin farmers offer their delicious traditional cuisine to tourists! ©FAO/Charlotta Lomas Right/bottom: Lucy Hughes, interviewed in our ‘Blue Innovators’ podcast, shows off her invention of a bioplastic bag made fro
Blue innovators: Plastic made from fish
Even as you read this, innovators around the world are inventing new and exciting ways to harness the ocean’s resources more sustainably, from “blue” fish fashion to medical uses of fish skin. These creative inventions are not only good for the planet, they offer alternative income generating opportunities for fishing communities worldwide. In this podcast, we chat with Lucy Hughes, a young university graduate who won an international design award for her invention of bioplastic made from fish waste. This bioplastic is strong, see-through and flexible, making it a potential alternative for single-use packaging like shopping bags and food wrappers.
Senegal's smart phone farmers - Stories from the field
Digitalisation is the future, and FAO is rolling out digital innovation technologies in the form of smart phone applications and text messages with the latest weather information for farmers, starting in Senegal and Rwanda. In this pilot episode of FAO's podcast series Stories from the Field, we travel to Tambacounda, 450 kilometres south-east of Dakar, Senegal, to find out how digital tools are helping to transform the country’s agricultural sector and improve farmers' livelihoods. This podcast is available in French and English.
Building resilience on Colombia's border
La Guajira, Colombia’s northernmost region, is dry with desert-like landscapes. It’s prone to drought and food insecurity, particularly in rural areas. In recent years, the economic crisis in neighbouring Venezuela has pushed a million migrants across the border into Colombia, including 165 000 people into La Guajira. The influx of migrants has put a strain on host communities and villages, where food is limited and natural resources scarce. In 2018, FAO’s Early Warning Early Action team jumped in to respond to this situation. In this podcast, find out how we’ve worked on building resilience and social cohesion in the area. You can listen to this podcast in English, French or Spanish.
Rural women have been particularly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘The gendered impacts of the pandemic’ podcast looks at the situation in Pakistan, explains why women have felt the brunt of this pandemic and describes how FAO is helping them mitigate its impacts. ©FAO/Farooq Naeem
COVID-19: The gendered impacts of the pandemic
All over the world, women are major contributors to agricultural production and food security. Yet, women are often either unpaid or underpaid for their work. In Pakistan, gender relations, especially in rural areas of the country, are very conservative, placing barriers on women in various aspects of their lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated existing inequalities, especially for rural women. In this podcast, we chat with Mina Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative to Pakistan, who explains how FAO is helping women mitigate the pandemic’s impact in the country. This podcast is available in English and French.
Listening to the podcast is a breeze! You can listen from your computer, simply by going to this webpage, picking an episode and pressing play. If you’d rather listen while you’re on the move, download it free of charge onto your smartphone or other mobile device directly from iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or your podcast app of choice.
Whether you’re interested in marine sustainability, fighting hunger or simply stories from around the world, FAO has a podcast for you. Head over to our website, pick one and jump right in!
Related links
Learn more
- Website: FAO podcasts
- Website: Audio at FAO
- Website: 13 February: World Radio Day
- Podcast :FAO 75th Anniversary