Win $10,000 for Country-Level Agriculture, Forestry or Fisheries Work: UN FAO Award for Achievement 2026

If you or your organization have delivered practical, measurable results in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, food safety, climate resilience, or related fields at the country level, the United Nations FAO Award for Achievement is worth your attention. This is not a theoretical prize for elegant proposals; it recognizes concrete on-the-ground accomplishments that produced sustainable outcomes, filled critical technical gaps, or sparked wider change. Winners receive a formal scroll celebrating the achievement and USD 10,000 — a tidy sum and a public stamp of credibility from one of the world’s most influential food and agriculture institutions.

Think of this award as a spotlight for work that others can copy. FAO wants examples that do more than succeed once; they want models that can be adapted, scaled, and repeated elsewhere. If your project changed policies, attracted investment, closed a technical gap during a humanitarian response, or introduced a low-cost technology that raised yields or protected ecosystems, that’s the kind of story that belongs in this competition.

Below you’ll find a practical, honest guide to whether you should apply, what to include in a winning nomination, how to tell the story in a way that reviewers understand and care about, and the exact logistics for submission. Read this before you start writing; it will save you hours and improve your chance of standing out.

At a Glance

Why This Award Matters (Introduction)

Winning an FAO Award for Achievement is more than a cheque and a plaque. It’s a public endorsement from an institution that sets standards and influences policy across governments, donors, and technical partners. If you want your approach to be noticed by ministries, multilateral agencies, or philanthropies, this award opens doors. It signals that your work is documented, effective, and worth copying.

Ten thousand dollars is not going to fund a national program, but it’s useful. Winners often reinvest the prize into sustaining successful activities, documenting results more formally, or organizing a workshop to share lessons with national stakeholders. Far more valuable in the medium term is the credibility and visibility that accompany the award — invitations to speak, requests for technical advice, or new partnerships that can bring much larger funding.

The award is explicitly designed to reward “model” initiatives. That means the committee is looking for work that others could reproduce with available resources and clear methods. If your achievement produced measurable change, opened pathways for more investment, or introduced a simple technical fix that solved a persistent problem — you may have exactly what the jury is after.

Finally, this award recognizes both technical cooperation and humanitarian work. Whether you drove an institutional reform, piloted a watershed restoration that reversed erosion and boosted production, or led a rapid livestock vaccination campaign that prevented an outbreak, the common thread is demonstrable impact at country level.

What This Opportunity Offers

This prize offers three practical benefits. First, it provides USD 10,000 in unrestricted funds and a formal scroll describing the achievement. The money can be put toward maintaining momentum — for example, documenting the methodology, translating guidance into local languages, training additional communities, or convening a dissemination event. Second, it confers reputational value: your work becomes part of FAO’s gallery of good practice. That credibility helps when you seek government endorsement, donor funding, or technical partners. Third, prize publicity can be catalytic: FAO often highlights awardees in reports, events, and networks, which increases the chance of replication or scale-up.

Beyond the immediate perks, the award acts as a stamp that helps convert local success into national policy influence. Donors and ministries are more likely to back an approach that has been externally validated by FAO. In practice, that means you could see increased technical partnerships, invitations to pilot similar projects in neighboring countries, or faster uptake of your methods by extension services.

The award also values evidence. A successful nomination showcases measurable outcomes (hectares restored, tons of fish sustainably harvested, percent reduction in post-harvest losses, number of households with improved food security, etc.), shows how the intervention is financially and institutionally sustained, and documents the potential for replication. If your work delivered policy change or mobilized private investment, make those effects front and center — they carry weight.

Who Should Apply

You should consider applying if you or your team delivered work that had clear, positive, and lasting effects on food security, natural resource management, resilience, or related public goods at the country level. The FAO specifically calls out fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, biodiversity, climate, land and water, animal and plant health, Codex food safety work, and work linked to FAO’s collaborating centres. But the categories are broad — what matters is the nature of the achievement.

Examples of strong candidates:

• A government–community reforestation program that reduced erosion, increased groundwater recharge, and achieved self-managed maintenance plans that continue after donor funding ended.
• A fisheries co-management model that raised incomes for small-scale fishers while reducing overfishing through a community-enforced seasonal closure.
• A rapid animal vaccination and surveillance campaign that halted an outbreak and led to strengthened veterinary services.
• A smallholder post-harvest drying and storage intervention that cut losses by a significant percentage and was adopted by multiple districts.
• An institutional reform where a ministry adopted a new, cost-effective extension model that improved reach to marginalized farmers.

This award suits both individuals and organizations: community leaders, researchers, extension teams, NGOs, private-sector actors with a development focus, and FAO staff teams. Importantly, the achievement must be demonstrably country-level and practically relevant; conceptual frameworks without implementation evidence will struggle.

If you’re an FAO staff member or team, you’re explicitly eligible — just take care to document both the technical achievement and the country-level impact with impartial supporting evidence.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

1. Tell a crisp story with numbers. Reviewers are swamped. Begin with a one-paragraph summary that answers: What problem did you solve? Who benefited and how many? What enduring change occurred? Then back up that statement with specific metrics — baseline vs endline figures, percentages, and timeframes. If you can show before/after data, do it. Concrete numbers make claims believable.

2. Demonstrate model character and replicability. Don’t just say “this worked.” Show the step-by-step method that another ministry, NGO, or community could follow. Include a short checklist of resources required (human skills, budget range, key partners) so reviewers can see the pathway to replication.

3. Prove sustainability. Explain how the activity survives beyond the initial intervention. Did you secure local budget lines? Is there a community maintenance mechanism? Did you train trainers? Evidence of continued operation 6–12 months after project closeout is persuasive.

4. Document catalytic effects. Concrete examples of follow-on financing, policy uptake, or scale-up matter a lot. If your project led to new government funding, a national policy reference, or private investment, include copies of related documents or letters.

5. Use third-party validation. Independent evaluations, academic studies, or ministry endorsements are gold. If an external evaluation rated outcomes positively, summarize its findings and attach key pages. If donors or ministries provided grants because of your results, include that as evidence.

6. Flesh out challenges and lessons. A nomination that admits trade-offs and shows problem-solving looks realistic. Briefly describe what went wrong, how you adapted, and what you would do differently next time. That signals maturity.

7. Make the nomination self-contained and reader-friendly. The committee expects a self-contained text. Use subheadings in the nomination (context, objectives, activities, outcomes, sustainability, replicability, lessons), and keep sentences clear. Avoid dense technical jargon; write for smart generalists.

These tips are not cosmetic. The jury is looking for work that can inform FAO’s guidance and inspire replication. Provide the evidence they need to recommend your work as an example others can trust.

Application Timeline (Work Backwards from February 15, 2026)

Start two months before the deadline if possible. Real-world process:

• Week 0 (February 15) — Final submission deadline. Submit at least 48 hours early to avoid technical problems.
• Weeks 1–2 before deadline — Final proofing, gather signatures or endorsements, convert supporting documents to PDFs, compress photos, prepare annexes.
• Weeks 3–4 before deadline — Circulate full draft to key reviewers: one subject-matter expert, one national stakeholder (e.g., ministry contact), and one non-specialist reader for clarity.
• Weeks 5–6 before deadline — Draft the nomination text, assemble data tables, and request letters of support from partners.
• Weeks 7–8 before deadline — Collect supporting evidence: evaluation excerpts, government memos, photos, maps, and short testimonials.
• Weeks 9–10 before deadline — Project team meeting to decide who will be primary contact, who will sign off, and who uploads the nomination.

If your institution requires internal approval for external award nominations (many ministries and universities do), add an extra 2–3 weeks for institutional clearance. Starting early saves last-minute panic.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them

The nomination must be self-contained and provide concrete elements. FAO requests a detailed nomination text; you should also prepare supporting documents. At a minimum, assemble:

• A detailed nomination narrative (structured with headings: context, objective, activities, results, sustainability, replicability, challenges and lessons).
• Evidence of impact: baseline/endline data, evaluation excerpts, monitoring tables or charts.
• Letters of support or endorsement (government official, partner organization, or beneficiary statement).
• Photographs, maps, or short multimedia if relevant (clear captions and dates).
• Documentation of catalytic effects (signed letters confirming follow-on funding, policy citations, or investment commitments).
• Contact details for the principal applicant and any institutional signatories.

Suggested structure and lengths (for committee readability):

• Executive summary (200–300 words)
• Context and problem statement (300–400 words)
• Activities and methods (400–600 words; include timeline)
• Measurable results and evidence (400–600 words; include data)
• Sustainability and replicability (300–400 words)
• Challenges and lessons learned (200–300 words)
• Annexes: photos, letters, evaluation excerpts (clearly labeled)

Make sure supporting documents don’t overwhelm the reviewers; include concise, relevant annexes and reference them in the main text.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

A standout application does three things: it proves impact with credible evidence, it shows the approach is repeatable and low-friction, and it documents ripple effects beyond immediate beneficiaries. Specific elements that catch reviewers’ eyes:

• Clear, comparative metrics (before vs after) with robust measurement methods.
• Endorsement from a national authority indicating uptake or influence on policy.
• Evidence that the activity continues without external subsidies or has a clear plan for continued operation.
• Demonstrated replication in at least one other community or district, or an explicit, funded plan to scale.
• Third-party evaluation or peer-reviewed documentation that validates claims.

In short: show that your achievement was not a one-off miracle but a tested method that can be taught, adapted, and scaled.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (and Fixes)

1. Vague claims without numbers. Fix: add concrete indicators — hectares, people reached, percentage change, income increase, disease incidence reduction. If you lack rigorous baseline data, use robust proxy measures and explain methodology.

2. No proof of sustainability. Fix: attach memoranda of understanding, government budget lines, or community management agreements that show long-term commitment.

3. Overloading annexes with irrelevant material. Fix: only include documents that directly support your claims and reference them in the main text.

4. Submitting too late or missing institutional approvals. Fix: plan time for sign-offs and submit early (48 hours recommended).

5. Heavy technical jargon. Fix: write for a smart generalist. Define any specialized terms the first time you use them.

6. Forgetting consent and data protection for photos/testimonials. Fix: get written permission from individuals appearing in photos or quoted.

Address these issues before submission and your nomination will feel professional and credible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can be nominated? A: Individuals or entities, including FAO teams and staff, can be nominated. The key is a specific professional achievement relevant to FAO’s areas.

Q: Can international NGOs nominate projects implemented in a country where they operate? A: Yes. The award recognizes country-level achievements regardless of the implementing organization’s origin, provided the work produced clear, documented impact at the country level.

Q: Are there restrictions on previously awarded projects? A: FAO’s guidance does not explicitly prohibit previously recognized work, but you should check the most current rules on the FAO site or contact the awards team to confirm eligibility details.

Q: How long should the nomination be? A: FAO asks for a self-contained, detailed nomination. Use the suggested structure above; clarity and evidence are more important than length.

Q: Will shortlist feedback be provided? A: The FAO normally communicates the outcome to applicants. Specific timelines for announcements may vary; contact FAO through the official page for details.

Q: Can the $10,000 be split among partners? A: Award disbursement details (whether a prize can be shared or must go to one legal entity) should be clarified with FAO during the submission or award acceptance stage. Make sure to have an agreement among partners beforehand.

Q: Is there a preferred language for submission? A: The FAO processes multilingual submissions but check the application form for language requirements; English is commonly accepted. Use clear language for reviewers.

Next Steps — How to Apply

Ready to prepare your nomination? Do these five things in the next two weeks:

1. Draft the executive summary and core evidence table (baseline, outcomes, timeframe).
2. Identify and request at least two letters of support (one governmental or institutional if possible).
3. Pull together supporting docs: evaluation excerpts, photos with captions, and any policy citations.
4. Run the draft by one technical reviewer and one non-specialist to check clarity.
5. Submit via the FAO online form well before midnight on February 15, 2026.

How to Apply / Get Started

Ready to apply? Visit the official FAO Award for Achievement page and complete the online nomination form. For full details, submission instructions, and the application form, go to:

https://www.fao.org/fao-awards/achievement/apply-now/en

If you have questions about eligibility or the nomination format, the FAO Awards contact details and guidance are available on that page. Don’t leave submission to the last minute — prepare your evidence, secure endorsements, and submit early.

Good luck. If your work meets the criteria, this prize is a powerful way to secure recognition, amplify impact, and position your approach for wider adoption.