This year, the 45th edition of UNSCN Nutrition , examines the complexity of the digital world for improved nutrition. Digital technology, in and of itself, cannot fix the world’s food and nutrition problems, nor mend its dysfunctional food systems. However, once improving nutrition is deemed a priority, digital technologies are important tools. The potential of digital technologies to improve nutrition is phenomenal, but so are the risks that these technologies might entail. Most of the articles we present in UNSCN Nutrition 45 consider the potential-risk duality in a range of food-system...
Background In the context of COVID-19 outbreak, FAO RNE is organizing this Zoominar on Farmer organizations’ role in promoting innovation to increase food security, and sustainable rural development. Since the early spread of COVID-19, FAO underscored the crucial role of farmer organizations in increasing resilience and rethinking priorities of food security policies to keep food supply chains alive and to achieve the SDGs. In this critical context, FAO is highlighting the merit of scaling up innovation in agriculture, including digitalization and e-commerce; producing more food, in a more...
Adapting to Climate Change and reducing the risk of disasters have never been more pertinent than today. Under these challenging times, the WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies (W-CReS) brings to you a critical analysis of policies and programmes in its new publication titled “ Scaling Ecosystem-...
Background As the world is still struggling to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptive impact on agricultural value chain, the private sector and farmers in the Arab region are facing burdens on how to continue delivering along the agricultural value chain and ensure the continuity of supplies to consumers, for sustaining their livelihoods, from farm to fork. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) leads on this Zoominar session to highlight the role of the private sector in the use of innovation and technology and the potential role of the public-...
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and Cornell University are spearheading an evidence review of how the proliferation of digital technology and data analytics in agriculture is contributing to the lives of farmers and agricultural service providers in developing country economies. The study team will map, synthesize and describe existing literature to assess how digital agricultural services, delivered individually or as a bundle, act as facilitators and barriers towards achieving outcomes including resiliency, economic growth and sustainability, nutrition, and be inclusive of...
Title : " DryArc Interface as a R4D framework for collaboration between CGIAR and FAO on Dryland Agriculture" Speaker : Dr. Chandrashekar Biradar, Head of Geoinformatics Units | International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) Date : Monday 15 June 2020, at 15:00 hrs Rome time...
The e-Agriculture Team and FAO-RNE is pleased to invite interested person to join and listen to the following webinar Title : " DryArc Interface as a R4D framework for collaboration between CGIAR and FAO on Dryland Agriculture" Speaker : Dr. Chandrashekar Biradar, Head of Geoinformatics Units | International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) Date : Monday 15 June 2020, at 15:00 hrs Rome time [ Check your timezone ] Register here to receive link Webinar Abstract The DryArc Initiative is a research partnership between eight CGIAR Research Centers that aims to strengthen...
We would like to get feedback on the available digital solutions in agriculture, which the community can re-use or upscale. Many smallholder farmers in the global south require on-farm digital solutions to support them through-out the value chains and in their agricultural practices. COVID-19 has opened opportunities for the adoption of Digital Agriculture Solutions in various functions within value chains. Preliminary requirements Send your details through this link Digital Solutions in Agriculture Submissions should be in one of these languages: French, English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic,...
The EvalForward posted a blog discussing evaluation in the age of big data and exploring opportunities in agriculture and food security. Evaluators working in the areas of food and agriculture are constantly seeking creative ways to produce credible evaluation findings and recommendations while working under one or more of these constraints. Big data and data science can make a difference. The potential of big data technologies is especially evident in the current pandemic context. The blog sets out various challenges that are facing evaluators today and further explains how big data and data...
BACKGROUND The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are providing policy recommendations, guidelines and tools to improve Extension Advisory Services (EAS) systems, in order to build resilience of smallholders to crises and disasters. As the world is currently struggling to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and the farmers in countries including NENA region are facing dual burden i.e., inadequate health services coupled with timely extension services for sustaining their livelihoods. The digital disruption in EAS may define the...