FAO Liaison Office in Geneva and World Food Forum 2023 Photo Contest

In our current agrifood system, some methods of production, processing, and consumption contribute to climate change. Deforestation, intensive farming practices or excessive use of natural resources all play a role. However, adopting sustainable agricultural practices can make a positive impact and provide a solution to slow down climate change.

Sustainable farming methods such as promoting biodiversity, protecting natural resources, climate-smart agriculture, or reducing food waste can significantly reduce our environmental footprint. By transforming our agrifood systems to be more sustainable, we can feed the growing population while mitigating climate change and ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. 

In line with these efforts, the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva is pleased to announce the launch of its first Photo Contest. Celebrating the 2023 World Food Forum (WFF) – an independent, youth-led global network of partners facilitated and hosted by FAO to engage young people in the transformation of agrifood systems – the contest presents an exciting opportunity for youth to showcase their talent and present what sustainable agrifood systems and climate action mean for them through visual storytelling. 

Are you a young photographer who wants to raise awareness on climate change and agrifood systems issues and showcase efforts that youth undertake to create positive transformative change? Now is the time to submit your photographs! The contest is open for submission from 27 July 2023 until 25 September 2023.


We are looking for pictures which demonstrate one or more of the following: 

• Capture the theme of the WFF this year – “agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action”.
  
• Showcase how sustainable agrifood systems can contribute to climate action, or vice versa.
• Highlight the vital roles and efforts that youth play in making our agrifood systems more sustainable. 
• Exemplify the traditional and local knowledge in safeguarding the environment and the agrifood systems.  
• Display community-led efforts towards practicing sustainable actions and behaviour, such as reducing food loss and waste. 

The winners will be selected by the end of September and will be contacted by email. They will receive a certificate of recognition signed by FAO and the World Food Forum as well as a bag of FAO merchandise that will be delivered to all winners’ current locations. The winning photographs will be displayed at the Palais de Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, where thousands of multilateral meetings, conferences and events take place annually. The exhibition will be held during the World Food Day 2023 activities organized by the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva in October as well as during the Flagship Week of World Food Forum from 16 – 20 October 2023. 

Before submitting your photos, please carefully read and agree to the Terms & Conditions.

To submit your photos, please download and fill in the submission form and send your application to [email protected]

Submit your photos!

Questions and Answers 

• Who can participate in the photo contest? 
  To promote youth talent and support their passion for art and photography, the age cap for this contest will be for participants below the age of 35. Entries will be judged in three age categories: Children (Entrants aged 11 to 15 years old), Youth (Entrants aged 16 to 21 years old) and Young Adult (Entrants aged 22 to 35 years old). 
• How many photos can each Entrant submit? 
  Each Entrant can submit up to 5 photos. 
• Can I e-mail my submissions directly to FAO? 
  No, please use the online submission form at this link.  
• What are the technical requirements and format of the photos? 
  Photos should not have dates or text superimposed within the frame. All photos should be in jpeg or jpg format. Photos should be as high resolution as possible, with minimum pixel width 1754 pixels at 150 ppi and a maximum file size of 5 MB. The content of an image must not be altered (adding, moving or eliminating elements within a frame, for example, is not allowed), but basic image retouching is permitted (contrast, brightness, etc.). The photos should not have been taken before 1 January 2022, and the image data files should be created with still cameras (including medium and large-format cameras) and digital smartphones. Images that have been retouched using software or by other means will be accepted. Both colour and monochrome images will be accepted. Scans of photographs taken by film cameras are not eligible. 
• Is there an entry fee? 
  No, entering the contest is free of charge. 
• I have already used my photo to enter a different contest, but it didn’t win a prize. Can I send it to this contest? 
  Yes, as long as it has not won any prizes, it is eligible. 
• I understand that previously published works will not be accepted, but what about pictures that have appeared on the web? 
  You can submit works that have previously been uploaded to personal albums online or that have been posted to your personal website for non-commercial purposes. 
• When and how will winners be notified? 
  Winners will be notified by email after 1 October 2023. The winners will be announced on this website and through FAO and other social media channels. 
• What are the legal terms & conditions of entering the contest? 
  The legal conditions of the contest are available to download here.
• How will the winning photos be selected? 
  The contest opens at 12:00:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST) on 620 July 2023 and closes at 12:00:00 CEST 25 September 2023. Entries received after the deadline will not be considered.  
  After the deadline for submissions has expired, FAO will select, at its sole discretion, a shortlist of finalists for each age category received within the deadline and based on the following criteria: originality, relevance to the theme, artistic value and communication potential. The shortlist will be submitted to a FAO Jury which, at its sole discretion, will select one winner and two runners-up for each age category which it considers to most closely meet the above criteria. The winner of each age category will be notified by email using the contact details provided with the entry.  
  In the event that any of the selected winners is ineligible, cannot be traced or does not respond within ten (10) days to a winner notification as required by the contest rules below, or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited, and it will be up to the sole discretion of the FAO Jury to choose whether to award the prize to another eligible entry. 
  
• I am having problems submitting my photos.  
  If you are having problems submitting your photos, you can contact us at [email protected]