Agriculture skills are in demand worldwide. You can learn them directly from the UN without paying a cent
You hit the nail on the head! The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations runs the FAO elearning Academy, and it is one of the best-kept secrets for free, high-quality, international education.
They offer 100% free, self-paced courses designed by global experts. Even better, when you pass the end-of-course assessment, you receive an official UN Digital Badge / Certificate to add directly to your CV or LinkedIn profile.
What You Can Learn
The courses cover practical, technical, and policy-level topics across 25+ thematic areas:
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Crop & Soil Science: Sustainable crop production, plant health, pesticide management, and soil health.
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Livestock & Fisheries: Animal health, aquaculture, and sustainable livestock farming.
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Agribusiness & Value Chains: Small business planning (via their RuralInvest tool), food market governance, and post-harvest loss reduction.
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Climate-Smart Agriculture: Ecosystem restoration, water management, and climate change adaptation.
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Food Safety & Nutrition: Food handling standards, supply chain safety, and nutrition security.
How to Get Started
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Go directly to the FAO elearning Academy.
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Register for a free account.
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Browse the course catalog by keyword or topic (courses range from short 30-minute modules to full multi-hour series).
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Complete the interactive lessons and take the final assessment to earn your UN certificate.
Bonus: Courses are available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian, making them accessible no matter where you are in the world.
Whether you are looking to build practical farming knowledge, jump into agricultural policy, or boost your credentials for job applications, it’s an incredible resource that doesn’t cost a cent.
These 3 platforms are internationally recognized
Completely free to access, and excellent additions to a CV or LinkedIn profile if you’re interested in agriculture, food security, climate-smart farming, or agribusiness.
1. FAO eLearning Academy (Best Overall)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations offers hundreds of free online courses with most offering free digital certificates after successfully completing the assessment. Courses are self-paced and available in multiple languages.
Popular agriculture courses include:
– Climate-Smart Agriculture
– Sustainable Crop Production
– Soil Health
– Food Safety
– Irrigation Management
– Livestock Production
– Agribusiness
– Plant Health
– Fisheries and Aquaculture
– Agroecology
Direct Website: elearning.fao.org
2. UN SDG:Learn
The UN SDG:Learn brings together free courses from UN agencies. Some agriculture courses include free certificates, while others do not, each course clearly states this before you enroll.
Examples:
– Biodiversity and Agrifood Systems (Certificate: Yes)
– Agrifood Systems Solutions for Halting Deforestation (Certificate: Yes)
– Feeding a Hungry Planet (Free, but no certificate)
Direct Website: unsdglearn.org
3. UN CC:Learn
UN CC:Learn provides free climate-related courses, many of which cover sustainable agriculture, food systems, and land management. Digital certificates are available for affiliated courses.
Direct Website: unccelearn.org
