At Rome’s Circo Massimo, where chariots once raced, visitors can now explore 400 examples of how food is grown, made and shared around the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has opened its five-day global exhibition, “From Seeds to Foods,” at the historic site.
The free exhibition, running from 8 to 12 October 2026, is built around a simple idea: food systems involve far more than growing crops. They also depend on people’s knowledge, natural resources, science, transport, markets and culture. The event aims to help visitors see how these pieces fit together—and where their food comes from.
At the opening ceremony, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said innovation should offer practical, affordable ways to improve food security and nutrition. He described innovation as something that can happen throughout the journey from resources and knowledge to production, processing, transport and markets. Holding the event at Circo Massimo, he added, brings FAO’s work closer to people in Rome and visitors from elsewhere.
The ceremony brought together Italy’s Minister for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Francesco Lollobrigida; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Jordan’s Minister of Agriculture Saeb Khraisat; and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. FAO Deputy Director-Generals Beth Bechdol and Maurizio Martina co-moderated the event. The opening also featured performances by the Banda Musicale dell’Arma dei Carabinieri and the Pujllay Bolivian Folkloric Group.
At the exhibition’s centre, a Main Pavilion is organized around five connected areas: Crops; Livestock; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; and Land and Water. Six Regional Pavilions present products, stories, ideas and traditions from agrifood systems around the world. Chefs lead cooking shows that explore ingredients and food traditions, while talks, discussions and cultural performances add more ways to learn.
Workshops and hands-on activities are designed for children and families, too. The FAO Food and Agriculture Museum and Network, known as MuNe, is also taking its work beyond FAO headquarters and into Circo Massimo during the exhibition. Together, these experiences connect farming and food to daily life, while showing the variety of approaches people use to produce and prepare what they eat.
The exhibition is open to the public from 10:00 to 19:00 each day, free of charge. It also leads into a wider week of events at FAO headquarters: the World Food Forum 2026 runs from 12 to 16 October, followed by the World Food Day Global Ceremony on 16 October. Under the shared theme “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow,” those gatherings will bring together world leaders, experts, young people, innovators and partners. The aim is to support agrifood systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable. For visitors at Circo Massimo, the starting point is close at hand: a chance to discover the people, ideas and choices behind food on the table.