FAO From Seeds to Foods Exhibition Brings 300 Exhibitors to Rome

FAO’s From Seeds to Foods Global Exhibition will return to Rome from October 8 to 12, 2026, at Circo Massimo. Entry is free, no registration is required, and the programme is designed for both industry participants and the general public.

FAO expects 300 exhibitors from more than 140 countries to present 400 agricultural products and more than 40 innovations. Those numbers are organizer projections for the 2026 edition, not final attendance results.

The exhibition welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors in 2025 and is moving to a larger venue this year. FAO says the expanded setting will combine technical showcases with cooking demonstrations, cultural performances, talks and workshops.

The main pavilion will focus on five areas, crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, forests, and land and water. The programme is intended to show how food moves from production inputs through processing, distribution and consumption.

Six regional pavilions will present food cultures and practical solutions from different parts of the world. FAO divisions, country representatives and partner organizations are also expected to show projects linked to food security and nutrition.

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu is scheduled to open the exhibition at 16:00 on October 8. The event runs from 10:00 to 19:00 from October 8 through October 11, then from 10:00 to 13:00 on October 12.

The 2026 theme is Fostering Innovation for Food Security and Nutrition. Organizers say the displays will connect scientific and technological innovation with local knowledge, policy tools and partnerships.

From Seeds to Foods is separate from the FAO Science and Innovation Forum, which begins on October 12 under the wider World Food Forum programme. Its value is more practical and public facing, offering visitors a physical view of products, production systems and regional approaches in one location.