The FAO eLearning Academy offers a wide range of free, multilingual and certified online courses designed to help students, researchers, young professionals, government officials, academics and other learners develop practical knowledge and skills in agriculture, food security, climate change, nutrition, environmental sustainability and related fields.
The courses are offered through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and cover 25 thematic areas. The Academy provides flexible learning opportunities that can be accessed online, making them useful for people looking to strengthen their CVs, gain new skills or expand their professional knowledge.
According to the FAO eLearning Academy, its courses are free, multilingual and certified.
FAO eLearning Academy Free Online Courses Overview
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
| Platform | FAO eLearning Academy |
| Cost | Free |
| Certification | Available |
| Delivery | Online |
| Languages | Multiple languages |
| Target learners | Students, researchers, professionals, academics, government officials and others |
| Course areas | 25 thematic areas |
| Learning format | Flexible online learning |
| Certificate | Digital certification/badges available |
What Is the FAO eLearning Academy?
The FAO eLearning Academy is an online learning platform that provides educational resources and courses related to agriculture, food systems, environmental sustainability, food security and other development priorities.
The Academy describes its mission as turning technical expertise into impactful, hands-on learning experiences. It also provides learning resources for researchers, university professors, young professionals, scientists, government officials, donors and representatives of NGOs and civil society organizations.
The platform also provides certification through digital badges, allowing learners to demonstrate completion of eligible courses.
FAO Free Online Courses and Latest Courses
The Academy regularly adds new courses to its catalogue.
Recent courses displayed on the platform include:
Understanding Family Farming
This course was listed as a new course in July 2026 and has a stated duration of approximately 30 minutes.
The Role of Livestock in Circular Bioeconomy Systems
This course was listed in June 2026 and has an estimated duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Food Markets and Healthy Diets in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
The Academy lists this as a new course from June 2026, with a duration of approximately 40 minutes.
Sea Container Inspections
The course Sea Container Inspections: Minimizing Visible Pest Risks was also listed among the Academy’s newer courses, with an estimated duration of one hour.
Course availability and catalogue contents can change as FAO adds new learning opportunities.
25 Thematic Areas Covered by FAO Courses
The FAO eLearning Academy organizes its free learning opportunities across 25 thematic areas. These include:
- Agricultural risk management and resilience
- Carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions
- Child labour and youth employment
- Climate change and environment
- Communication and capacity development
- Decent rural employment
- Farmer field schools
- Fisheries and aquaculture
- Food losses and waste
- Food safety
- Food security, nutrition and health
- Forests and landscape restoration
- Gender and social protection
- Livestock, animal health and production
- Mechanization
- Migration
- Plant health and protection
- Plant production, pre-breeding and crop improvement
- Responsible governance of tenure
- Responsible investment in agriculture
- Rural poverty reduction
- Soils and water management
- Sustainable Development Goal indicators
- Sustainable food systems
- Trade and markets.
This broad selection makes the Academy particularly useful for learners interested in agriculture, development, environmental studies, public policy, food systems and international development.
FAO Courses for Students and Young Professionals
The courses can be particularly useful for university students and young professionals who want to supplement their academic qualifications with specialized knowledge.
The FAO Academy highlights learners including researchers, university professors, young professionals, scientists, government officials and representatives of NGOs and civil society organizations.
Students can use relevant courses to:
- Develop additional professional skills
- Expand their knowledge beyond their university curriculum
- Learn about global development issues
- Strengthen their CV
- Demonstrate continued professional development
- Gain knowledge relevant to agriculture and sustainable development careers
FAO Courses for Agriculture and Development Careers
Learners interested in agriculture-related careers can explore courses covering livestock, fisheries, mechanization, plant health, crop improvement, farmer field schools and agricultural communication.
The Academy’s resources also cover broader issues such as rural poverty, food security, climate change, nutrition, sustainable food systems and responsible investment.
The FAO Four Betters course catalogue further groups learning resources around Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life.
Better Production
Topics include:
- Livestock, animal health and production
- Fisheries and aquaculture
- Mechanization
- Communication and capacity development
- Farmer field schools
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Plant health, pre-breeding and crop improvement
- Small-scale producers’ equitable access to resources.
Better Nutrition
The Academy’s Better Nutrition resources include:
- Food and nutrition security and health
- Food losses and waste
- Food safety
- Transparent markets and trade
- Integrated Food Security Phase Classification
- Healthy diets
- Nutrition for vulnerable populations
- Food safety.
Better Environment
Learners can explore resources covering:
- Carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions
- Climate change and environment
- Forests and landscape restoration
- Soils and water management
- Sustainable food systems
- Biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Climate change mitigation and adapted agrifood systems
- Bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture.
Better Life
The Better Life category includes:
- Agricultural risk management and resilience
- Responsible investment in agriculture
- Gender and social protection
- Migration
- Rural poverty reduction
- Decent rural employment
- Child labour and youth employment.
Are FAO eLearning Courses Free?
Yes. The FAO eLearning Academy states that it offers free multilingual and certified eLearning courses.
This means learners can access a large range of educational opportunities without paying tuition fees for the courses listed as part of the Academy’s free offering.
Are FAO Online Courses Certified?
The Academy provides certification and digital badges for eligible learning activities. Its website includes a dedicated Certification with digital badges section.
Learners should check the certification details of an individual course because certification arrangements may differ depending on the course.
Are the FAO Courses Available in Different Languages?
Yes. The Academy describes its courses as multilingual. The platform interface is available in several languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
This makes the platform accessible to learners from different linguistic backgrounds.
How to Find FAO Free Online Courses
Interested learners can browse the FAO eLearning Academy course catalogue and search for courses based on their interests.
The Academy provides a dedicated Courses section and a course catalogue for learners looking for available training opportunities.
The Academy also provides a dedicated course catalogue that allows learners to explore its course offerings.
Who Can Benefit From FAO eLearning Courses?
The courses can be useful for a wide range of learners, including:
- Undergraduate students
- Postgraduate students
- Recent graduates
- Young professionals
- Researchers
- University lecturers
- Scientists
- Government officials
- NGO professionals
- Civil society professionals
- Agriculture professionals
- Food security specialists
- Environmental professionals
- Development practitioners
Because the Academy covers subjects ranging from agriculture and food safety to climate change and sustainable development, learners can select courses that complement their education or career interests.
How FAO Courses Can Strengthen Your CV
Completing relevant professional development courses can help demonstrate initiative and continued learning.
For example, a student interested in environmental sustainability could select courses related to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable food systems or forests. Someone interested in agriculture could focus on livestock, fisheries, plant health, crop improvement or agricultural risk management.
The most useful approach is to select courses that are directly relevant to your career goals rather than collecting certificates without a clear connection to your professional development.
How to Access the FAO eLearning Academy
To explore the available courses, visit the FAO eLearning Academy and select the Courses section.
Learners can review the catalogue, identify courses relevant to their interests and follow the instructions provided by FAO for enrolment and completion.
The Academy also provides help and technical support for learners who encounter issues while using the platform.
Final Thoughts
The FAO eLearning Academy free certified online courses provide students, graduates and professionals with an opportunity to develop knowledge in agriculture, food security, climate change, nutrition, environmental sustainability and other global development fields.
With free multilingual learning opportunities, certification options and courses across 25 thematic areas, the platform can be a useful addition to a student’s or professional’s learning plan.
Rather than limiting your professional development to traditional university programmes, consider using reputable international organizations such as FAO to develop specialized knowledge and demonstrate continuous learning.
SEO Keywords: FAO free online courses, FAO eLearning Academy, FAO online courses 2026, free FAO courses with certificates, FAO certified online courses, FAO eLearning Academy courses, free UN courses online, free agriculture courses online, free food security courses, FAO courses for students, FAO courses for young professionals, free climate change courses, free sustainable development courses, FAO certificate courses, FAO digital badges, free international development courses, United Nations free online courses, free online agriculture certification, FAO training courses, FAO eLearning courses with certificates, free courses for graduates, free courses for African students, FAO online training, agriculture eLearning courses, sustainable agriculture courses, food safety online courses, climate change online courses, FAO learning opportunities.
ALSO CHECK
AI is Creating the Next Wave of Senior Technology Careers 2026
UNDRR Urban Infrastructure and Resilience Internship 2026 Opportunities for International Students
Finland Scholarships Without IELTS 2027 for Interested International Students: Hurry
Follow Us On Our Social Media Platforms
WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IUYDUNb8GCx4V2QqkBoiuq?mode=ems_copy_t
WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb60pjHL2ATw5rPOEw2l
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578302620679
