The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO’s) cash and voucher programmes benefit smallholder farmers who are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards, market volatility, conflicts and protracted crises. Cash and vouchers play a critical role in response to crises or shocks when farmers and pastoralists no longer have...

Climate change programming and natural resource management are of crucial importance for increasing the productivity and general well-being of the broader agriculture sector in Lesotho. FAO has been developing a number of complementary projects with a focus on the environment, natural resource management and climate change adaptation. One of these...

The present report summarizes findings of the first PtoP case study on rural women’s economic empowerment and focuses on the public works component of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP) – the Government of Rwanda’s flagship programme for poverty reduction providing countrywide social protection. The research was based on a...

In Africa, small-scale agriculture – including post-production activities such as handling, processing and marketing – is a major source of income in rural areas. In recent years, women have increased their role in the rural sector significantly, and their contribution to household and commercial agriculture is fundamental. Empowering and investing...

With only a few weeks before land preparation begins for the next main cropping season, some 23 million people in Southern Africa urgently need support to produce enough food to feed themselves and thus avoid being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid 2018, FAO said today. A FAO-prepared response plan aims to...

A promising start has been made: the two new community seedbanks of Gumbu and Sterkspruit and complementary technical support provided by the government will allow farmers to improve seed conservation technologies, increase access to crop diversity, apply crop improvement practices and explore seed production and marketing opportunities. The Gumbu community...

This policy brief is based on the proceedings of the Regional workshop on the use of the cold chain in the development of agriculture and agroindustries in sub-Saharan Africa, organized in Yaoundé (Cameroon) in June 2012. The workshop brought together speakers from diverse backgrounds to analyse findings from case studies...

Food crops represent one third of Rwanda’s GDP, but the supply remains fragile due to soil pests such as white grubs, cut worm and bean fly which damage vegetable and root crops. Options for control are limited. A team from China, Africa, the UK and Switzerland is working with the...

This brief describes the broad array of impacts arising from a cash transfer programme that was piloted in the Tigray region of Ethiopia from 2011 to 2014. About 80 percent of Tigray’s population of 4.3 million live in rural areas and depend on rain-fed subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Farm...

This report evaluates the productive impact of the Malawi Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP). The report uses data collected from a randomized experimental design impact evaluation to analyse the impact of the SCTP on household decision-making over agricultural production, labour supply, the accumulation of private assets and other income generating...

Since 2012, national teams in eight countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have been identifying options for policy, legal and administrative mechanisms for the implementation of the multilateral system of access and benefit sharing (MLS) for plant genetic resources. This article summarises if and how access and benefit sharing...

  Over the past decade, the Sahel region has witnessed recurrent and multiple shocks. Droughts, floods, conflicts and insecurity have led to the reduction of the most vulnerable populations’ meager assets and capacity to withstand future crises. In a context of extreme poverty and increased exposure to multiple hazards, their food security is at stake. Chad is the second...

In Kenya, WRUAs first began forming in the 1990’s. They are established by communities along rivers and guarantee the participation of their members in all management decisions taken on the use of the river water.

Small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, play a significant role in the global livestock sector, particularly within developing countries where they are critical for livelihoods and food security. Sheep and goats have a direct impact on the economy and well-being of the population. However, the presence of infectious diseases...

The Government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development and livestock industry stakeholders developed a National Livestock Policy (NLP) of 2006 that availed opportunities and challenges for accelerating the growth and contribution of the livestock industry to poverty reduction and the national economy by making more optimal...

Ethiopia is facing a massive drought and food insecurity crisis. The impact of failed rains and droughts have been worsened by the 2015 El Niño, which itself has been supercharged by climate change. Urgent humanitarian action is needed to support millions of people who have lost food, water and livelihoods....

Feeding a rapidly increasing global population means that food production must be achieved in a more efficient and sustainable manner. It is therefore essential to use fewer inputs to achieve greater yields. The real challenge not only lies in increased production, but also in reaching this aim against a backdrop...

The great lakes region of Central Africa is beautiful and abundant in hills, people and conflicts. Its high altitude and cooler climate make it ideal for crops. But soils have been exhausted, spare land is rarely available, and competition and struggle for resources has marked much of the region’s history...

In Tanzania, most smallholder dairy farmers rely on on-farm resources for feeding their livestock. These on-farm feed resources include grasses, legumes, crop residues, cereals and oilseed byproducts. These feed resources, in particular pasture and crop residues, do often fluctuate seasonally both in terms of quantity and quality. For example, pasture...

Drought is one of the main causes of food insecurity. In 2011, the horn of Africa has faced the worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 12.4 million people suffered from a massive food shortage. To mitigate the impact of agricultural drought, it is of high importance to dispose of...