An interview with Mario Acunzo, Head of FAO’s Communication for Development (ComDev) Team
In this interview, Mario Acunzo shares insights on the continued relevance of Communication for Development (ComDev) in today’s world. He highlights how participatory communication approaches are essential to fostering inclusion, encouraging local engagement and facilitating knowledge sharing, critical elements for achieving sustainable food systems and advancing rural development.
For those who aren’t familiar with ComDev – what is it and why is it important?
Smallholder and family farmers today face serious social, economic and environmental challenges. They need better access to information and communication to amplify their voices and identify solutions. Communication is central to this process.
At its core, ComDev is about creating spaces for people to speak, be heard and shape the development processes that affect their lives. It’s a social process based on dialogue, trust and collaboration that may involve a range of media—from community radio to digital storytelling, local theatre and social media—to foster participation and amplify rural voices, especially of small-scale farmers, women, youth, and Indigenous communities.
No matter how smart a solution is, it can’t succeed unless it’s understood and embraced by the people it’s meant to support. That’s where ComDev comes in.
The work has deep roots, how did it all start at FAO?
Since the late 1960s, FAO has been a pioneer in systematically applying ComDev to rural development programmes. The focus has always been on people’s needs, using participatory processes, enhancing local capacities and building evidence around inclusive rural communication services.
Over time, communication has emerged as an essential element in working with communities. The ComDev team has guided participatory approaches such as participatory rural communication appraisal and participatory communication strategy design. Hundreds of projects have adopted ComDev approaches. A landmark example is Mexico’s PRODERITH programme, where farmers created and managed their own rural communication systems—showing how communication can empower communities and promote sustainable development.
What kind of work does the ComDev team do today?
Our work has two main dimensions: supporting FAO projects and partners with communication strategies and promoting inclusive rural communication services through evidence-building, capacity development and partnerships.
We support institutions and farmer organizations in using media and communication to address development issues like climate change and resilience. This includes building capacities, leveraging community media and engaging with ComDev networks such as ComDev Asia, YenKasa Africa, and Onda Rural in Latin America.
ComDev seems both technical and people-centred. What are some key lessons?
ComDev is a craft, a science and an art. Key lessons emerged from fieldwork and consultations, including the 2006 World Congress on Communication for Development, which framed communication as a human right and strategic asset.
The Rome Consensus from that event promotes a rights-based approach, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities to access and benefit from communication, especially those often excluded.
Some major lessons: Focus on people, content and processes—not just media. Start early—ComDev must be part of project planning from the beginning. And above all: listening matters more than speaking. Our job is to help people articulate their needs, connect and collaborate toward solutions.
Long-term change also takes time. Projects with strong local ownership, patience and flexibility tend to succeed.
How does ComDev complement digital communication in today’s world?
The digital shift brings new opportunities, from real-time weather alerts to interactive learning platforms. But technology alone doesn’t ensure equity.
What matters is how technology is used—by whom, for whom, and with what purpose. ComDev ensures digital tools are locally grounded, inclusive and accessible. We promote digital inclusion, not just delivery, and support hybrid systems that combine community media with mobile phones and social media.
We also emphasise institutionalising rural communication services in national policies and programmes, co-managed by rural institutions and farmer organizations, to better address farmers’ challenges.
Are there milestones you’re especially proud of?
One is the 2014 Forum on Communication for Development and Community Media for Family Farming. It was the first time community media, farmer organizations and international agencies gathered to affirm rural communication as a public good.
We’re also proud of our work on rural communication services, helping governments see communication as a necessity, not a luxury.
What’s your vision for the future of ComDev at FAO?
We aim for ComDev to be fully embedded across FAO, from climate action and country strategies to youth engagement and capacity development.
We’ll continue building partnerships, strengthening the evidence base and supporting enabling environments for rural communication through policies, investments and platforms that give rural people the tools to shape their own futures.
Any final thoughts for our readers?
Development starts with dialogue. ComDev isn’t just about media, it’s about relationships, participation and trust. It’s a pathway that helps people learn, share and express themselves.
If you want to collaborate with us, reach out to comdev@fao.org or visit ComDev Asia, YenKasa Africa, Onda Rural, and FAO ComDev.
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