Food is the silent language of memories, a heritage lovingly passed down through generations.To mark World Food Day 2025, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Iran has launched the campaign “Tastes of Iran / چشیدنی‌ها کم نیست”, a celebration of flavours and stories rooted in the collective memory and culture of the Iranian people.The campaign invites everyone to share their traditional recipes, from their hometowns or families, along with a real photograph of the dish or an AI-generated image inspired by it, becoming part of a national collection of tastes and memories.This initiative aims to:Celebrate Iran’s rich culinary and cultural diversity,Encourage public participation in World Food Day, andUse art and technology to revive flavours that tell stories of love, patience, and life itself.Submissions will be judged in two categories, Photography and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with three winning entries in each category, selected based on creativity, authenticity, visual quality, and thematic relevance.The jury includes Shahrzad Shokouhivand (Chef), Peyman Yazdani (Photographer), and Mohammad Seymari (AI Artist and futurist).Selected works, images, and stories will be featured in a digital book, to be shared publicly through WFP Iran’s website and social media platforms.The campaign’s media partner, Peeyade, supports the initiative as part of its corporate social responsibility, while Rood and Dastan Gallery are valued collaborators in promoting and implementing the campaign.“Tastes of Iran” is a journey, from desert to forest, plain to sea, in search of flavours that are not only tastes of food, but tastes of life. Participation GuidelinesParticipation is free, open to all, and has no age limit.Photography CategoryThis category seeks authentic and heartfelt portrayals of food, from local and traditional spreads to intimate family moments.
Each photo should tell a story, evoking flavours, gatherings, and memories behind every bite, capturing not just the appearance of food, but the culture, emotion, and life within it.Submission Requirements:Photos must be sent in .jpg format to wfp.iran@wfp.org.
(For large files, upload to a cloud platform and share the link.)Mobile photos are accepted.Minimum resolution: 10 megapixelsMaximum file size: 10 MB per photoEach participant may submit up to 10 single imagesEach photo must include a short description (max 300 words) explaining the idea, dish, or inspiration behind it.Photos must not include signatures, frames, dates, watermarks, logos, or any visual marks.If a photo is selected, the original high-quality file may be requested for publication. Failure to provide it may result in disqualification.Editing Rules:Basic edits (light, colour correction, cropping) are permitted, as long as they do not compromise authenticity.Photomontage, collage, and HDR images are not accepted.Artificial Intelligence (AI) CategoryThis category encourages imaginative and conceptual artworks that go beyond reality, creations that use new technologies to reawaken tastes, aromas, and memories, or even invent new ones.Participants may use AI tools to reimagine traditional recipes or to create visuals inspired by emotions, places, and memories, blending culture and technology, reality and imagination.Perhaps you’d like to recreate your grandmother’s dish in an enchanted courtyard, or visually narrate a forgotten flavour. This is where culinary heritage meets creative innovation.Submission Requirements:Accepted tools: all AI image-generation models (e.g. Midjourney, DALL·E, Firefly, Leonardo AI, Nano Banana, etc.)File format: JPEG or PNGAspect ratio: flexible (preferably 1:1 or 4:5 for social media)Each image must include a short description (max 300 words) about the idea, dish, or inspiration.Images must not include signatures, frames, dates, watermarks, logos, or any visual marks.If the submitted quality is insufficient for exhibition or publication, the original high-resolution file will be requested. Failure to provide it may result in disqualification.Each participant may submit up to 10 artworks.Responsibilities and CopyrightThe sender is recognized as the legal owner (copyright holder) of the submitted work and bears full responsibility for it.WFP reserves the right to use accepted works (with credit) in its publications, brochures, social media, and promotional materials related to this campaign.Participation in the campaign constitutes agreement with all the above rules.Submissions are accepted only via email: wfp.iran@wfp.orgTimelineCall for Entries: 24 Mehr 1404 (15 October 2025)Deadline for Submissions: 24 Aban 1404 (15 November 2025)Judging: Dey 1404 (December 2025 / January 2026) 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) to strengthen the methodologies of controlling quality, determining authenticity and improving market confidence of Iranian saffron, one of the country’s most valuable exports.Activities of the LoA will be conducted under the joint Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture Jahad.Iran produces more than 90 percent of the world’s saffron, making the integrity of the value chain critical for farmers and for national trade. Known as “red gold,” this spice is not only important for farmers’ livelihoods but also a symbol of Iran’s agricultural heritage.  Saffron’s global trade faces persistent risks from adulteration to inconsistent post-harvest handling that can erode value and weaken consumer trust."To address these issues, FAO is collaborating with MUMS to strengthen procedures how saffron is tested, processed, and marketed.  “The FAO–MUMS collaboration responds to the challenge by combining advanced laboratory verification with field-ready post-harvest guidance to better define saffron’s quality and protect authenticity and reputation” said Mr. Farrukh Toirov, FAO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran.At the core of the work is a scientifically validated fingerprinting approach using high-resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to characterize saffron’s three key constituents (crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal) supported by robust data analysis. This will provide a more precise chemical profile for authenticity checks than routine methods alone. Complementing the lab work, the initiative will develop practical guidance to help preserve colour, flavour, and aroma after harvest so that quality measured in the lab is maintained through to the final consumer.Equally important, in the framework of this LoA, MUMS will train farmers, traders, and laboratory experts across the main saffron-producing provinces of Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan. This training will help to develop the understanding that everyone involved in the saffron value chain should apply better practices, meet international requirements, and offer buyers around the world a product they can trust.While international trade commonly references ISO 3632 / 3632-1 for grading saffron, these basic tests do not always capture subtle quality differences or guard against sophisticated adulteration, and they provide limited guidance on post-harvest handling. By promoting higher quality and stronger safeguards, improved practices and advanced quality control protocols will help to reduce fraud, build consumer trust, and increase transparency in saffron markets. This will create better opportunities and returns for farmers and traders while enhancing Iran’s reputation as the global source of authentic saffron.This work forms part of FAO’s wider efforts to support Iran in improving food authenticity, strengthening agricultural value chains, and ensuring that local food products are competitive in international markets and adhering with international quality and safety requirements.

The second International Congress on Cooperative Economy, held under the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World”, was held in Tehran on September 02, 2025, with the support of the United Nations in Iran. It brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore the role of cooperatives in achieving sustainable development, economic resilience, and social equity. The event takes place in the context of the UN International Year of Cooperatives 2025, and aims to strengthen international cooperation in the cooperative sector, promote innovation and productivity, and elevate Iran’s position in global cooperative diplomacy. In his opening remarks, the UN Resident Coordinator in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Stefan Priesner, also emphasized that cooperatives drive global progress by creating jobs, promoting sustainability, and empowering communities. In Iran, they are the recognized “third pillar” of the economy, with over 104,000 cooperatives supporting agriculture, transport, fisheries, housing, and industry, making them key to national growth and resilience. “From the forests of Brazil to the fisheries of Iran, from the coffee plantations of Kenya to the dairy farms of India – Cooperatives are proving every day that people, when united, can create prosperity with dignity. They are proving that Cooperatives are not just a means of economic empowerment, they are also vehicles of social inclusion,” added the Resident Coordinator. The congress gathered 1,120 of participants from government ministries, UN agencies, funds and programmes, international organizations, civil society, academia, and diplomatic missions.  Other speakers from the UN system agencies included representatives from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). The conference’s key themes focused on a range of relevant issues, including cooperatives and sustainable development, cooperative justice and community empowerment, the role of women and youth, innovative financing models, and cooperative integration into public sector reform and national value chains. The congress is organized by the Iran Chamber of Cooperatives (ICC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, in coordination from the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and support from UN Iran. 

It was on a summer afternoon in 2020 when Hananeh Nejati, then 14 years-old, walked into Tehran’s Spin Club, the same club where she first learned how to play table tennis and had trained for the past two years.  But on this day, Hananeh did something that changed her life. For the first time ever, Hananeh removed the prosthetic leg she had lived with ever since she was a child, and trained with teammates with her amputated right leg visible to all. “I felt free,” says Hananeh. “I felt that I was finally being myself.”Hananeh says prior to that day, she was a shy girl who lacked confidence and didn’t talk to anyone. “Due to my physical condition, I thought I was weak,” says Hananeh. Hananeh was born with a congenital leg defect that required doctors to amputate her right leg just above the knee. During her early school years, hiding her physical disability and her prosthetic leg was a daily routine. For Hananeh, a good day was just being left alone by her classmates.  “The first day she came to the club, she hid behind her mother,” says Hoori Aghamiri, a table tennis coach and founder of the Spin Club in Iran.The Spin Club is a nonprofit table tennis club that promotes inclusion and empowerment of women and girls, including refugees and women and girls with disabilities.  As part of its mission to leave no one behind, UNFPA has proudly partnered with the Spin Club and helped fund various programmes designed to promote the rights of the most vulnerable. Hananeh’s first visit to the Spin Club was the start of a journey to win back her confidence and self-esteem.  “When I started playing and getting used to this environment, I found my inner strength,” says Hananeh. “It’s true that I’m different, but that doesn’t mean I’m worth less than others.”It was that boost in her self-confidence that led Hananeh to remove her prosthetic leg in front of her coaches and teammates. Soon after, she decided to take her prosthetics off in school too. “I felt more comfortable. My classmates and teachers felt comfortable too,” says Hananeh. “In the past, I had to cover my prosthetic to hide it. Now, I know how to take it easy. This is who I am.”Just two years after she started training at the Spin Club, at the young age of 15, Hananeh won the silver medal at the 2021 Para Table Tennis Asia Championships. Today, she coaches younger players at the Spin Club and is arguably the best para table tennis player in Iran for her age group. “She was like a diamond in the rough, hidden from view. Now she’s shining for everyone to see,” says Aghamiri, her coach. “Seeing girls like her grow makes me feel that I have fulfilled my life’s purpose.” Hananeh says she plans to push herself to be the best player she can be and maybe someday compete in the Paralympics, but her priority is to continue to grow, keep having fun, and show others that true freedom is finding your Self.“In the past, I was scared to come out in the open and show myself. Then I realized maybe there’s someone just like me, and by seeing me she’d realize that being yourself is nothing to be afraid of.”