In a world where more than 700 million people still face hunger every day, the issue of food security stands as one of humanity’s greatest challenges.

Climate change, conflict, and inequality continue to disrupt access to nutritious and affordable food, while population growth and environmental pressures heighten the urgency to act. At the same time, advances in science, technology and collaboration are opening new pathways toward more resilient and inclusive agrifood systems. It is within this context that global dialogue becomes essential — not only to share knowledge, but to inspire joint action.

The World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event is a week-long global platform driving the transformation of agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment.

In 2025, the flagship event will be held from 10 to 17 October at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy, and online. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations leading international efforts to overcome world hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

As a dynamic space for making ideas reality through action, the WFF brings together stakeholders, enables the scaling of solutions and the forging of synergistic partnerships. By uniting different voices and fostering multidisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration, the aim is to accelerate progress for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and drive action at global, regional and local levels.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action towards a global partnership and were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These shared goals underline that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth while tackling climate change and working to preserve the environment.

This year’s World Food Forum marks FAO’s 80th anniversary. This event will be commemorated through a week of global dialogue, knowledge exchange and solution-driven collaboration, all guided by the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future” and FAO’s four betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

People sitting in a conference audience taking notes in notebooks during a presentation or seminar.

Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future

 

This theme was chosen by the FAO Director-General to mark FAO’s 80th anniversary and underpins the week-long efforts of the event with a clear and united purpose. This theme is in line with FAO’s Four Betters which will guide every initiative and commitment made during World Food Week.

Organised around three pillars, Global Youth Action, Science and Innovation Forum, and the Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum, the 2025 WFF flagship event serves as a vibrant platform for bold ideas and inclusive partnerships. The programme spans high-level dialogues, consultations, innovation labs, interactive pitching events, hackathons, matchmaking meetings, exhibitions and cultural showcases that spotlight the many ways people everywhere are shaping a better food future.

Events Within the Event

 

The week will also feature other high-profile events on the topic, including the annual World Food Day on Thursday 16 October 2025. World Food Day calls for global collaboration to create a peaceful, sustainable, prosperous, and food-secure future. The goal is for everyone to have access to a healthy diet while living in a way that is respectful to the planet. This can be achieved by working together, across governments, organisations, sectors, and communities in order to transform agrifood systems.

WFF 2025 will also see the official inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network (MuNe) in Rome. This vibrant, interactive space is designed to be a unique place where creativity inspires change by showcasing the traditions and innovations that shape agrifood systems.

These events will be complemented by the First FAO Global Exhibition: From Seeds to Foods, at Parco di Porta Capena in Rome, Italy. The exhibition, with free entry to the public, will serve as a platform for hundreds of exhibitors from around the world to take visitors on an informative and entertaining journey of discovery along the value chains of crops, horticulture, livestock, forestry and fisheries.

There will also be special sessions as part of the annual edition of the Rome Water Dialogue, a nomadic Indigenous Peoples' territory at FAO's 80th anniversary, the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Ministerial Dialogue and the High-level event on One Country One Priority Product initiative.

Towards a Food-Secure Tomorrow

 

The World Food Forum reminds the international community that ensuring access to nutritious food for all is not only a moral imperative, but also a cornerstone of peace and prosperity. Each conversation, partnership and innovation emerging from this event brings the world one step closer to a future where no one is left behind.

Image credit: FAO

Image credit: The Climate Reality Project - Unsplash

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