THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Their core work

FAO is the UN's lead agency on food, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, headquartered in Rome. In H2020 projects, FAO contributes global-scale datasets, policy expertise, and field-level knowledge on farming systems, aquaculture, food safety, and land use across developing and developed regions alike. Their role typically involves providing decision support frameworks, coordinating data from diverse geographies, and bridging the gap between European research outputs and global food system challenges. They bring unique value through their network of country offices and direct access to farmers, pastoralists, and national agricultural ministries worldwide.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), FAO's involvement centred on technical data infrastructure, pest genomics, and marine spatial planning — projects like BigDataEurope, BINGO (biocontrol genomics), BlueBRIDGE, and AquaSpace reflect a focus on building tools and integrating datasets. From 2019 onward, a pronounced shift occurred toward farmer-centred participatory approaches, citizen science, sustainability transitions, and global policy coherence — visible in BOND, GROW, INCREASE, DOWN2EARTH, and TRADE4SD. The trajectory moves from data provider and technical contributor toward a more active role in co-creation, community engagement, and translating research into development impact.

FAO is moving toward participatory, farmer-driven research with strong policy translation components — future collaborations should emphasize co-creation with end-users and global South connections.

How they like to work

FAO exclusively participates as a partner — zero coordinator roles across 30 projects, which is consistent with their nature as an intergovernmental body that contributes expertise rather than managing EU research grants. They operate in large, diverse consortia (494 unique partners across 67 countries), acting as a global knowledge node rather than a project driver. This makes them an ideal partner when a consortium needs worldwide reach, field data from multiple continents, or policy-level credibility, but they will not take the administrative lead.

FAO has collaborated with 494 unique partners across 67 countries — one of the broadest networks in H2020. Their partnerships span every major European research nation plus extensive connections in Africa, Asia, and Latin America through their country office network.

What sets them apart

FAO is the only UN specialized agency with this level of H2020 participation in the food and agriculture domain, giving consortia instant access to 194 member countries, global agricultural datasets, and direct links to national ministries and farmer communities. No university or research institute can replicate FAO's ability to ground-truth European research findings across dozens of developing countries simultaneously. For any project needing real-world validation beyond Europe or policy uptake at international level, FAO is an unmatched partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BlueBRIDGE
  Largest single EC contribution to FAO (EUR 780,000) — built data infrastructure for fisheries and aquaculture governance, reflecting FAO's core mandate.
• BOND
  EUR 358,875 for studying farmer organisations and social capital across Europe — exemplifies FAO's shift toward participatory, community-level approaches.
• TRADE4SD
  One of the latest projects (2021–2025), directly connecting trade policy with sustainable development goals — signals FAO's growing emphasis on policy coherence and global value chains.