Agrobiodiversity is the subset of biodiversity found within agricultural ecosystems. It feeds us with nutrients vital to our health. It fuels and furnishes our homes. It underpins cultural traditions. It sustains farm productivity in the face of climate change. But agrobiodiversity is rapidly being lost.  Just three crops account for half...

Mechanization is regarded as a key tool in the empowerment of women in agriculture. It is often associated with an increase in farmers’ income and time available to invest in alternative economic activities. Evidence suggests a limited but positive impact of mechanization on women’s agricultural productivity. Evidence on the specic...

Life has not been the same for Flora Godson from Oldonyowas village of Oldonyowas Ward in Arusha Tanzania since embracing the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) five years ago. Not only is her expansive farm putting food on the table, but more money in her pocket as she can now sell...

Air pollution, rising temperatures, crop failures, and water shortages are increasing pressures on health and agrifood systems. During these crises, households often reduce food consumption, sell assets, migrate or adjust labor allocation between men and women. Women and children are at greater risk of food insecurity due to lower access...

Este repositorio cuenta con una serie materiales comunicacionales elaborados por la Alianza Mundial por el Suelo de la FAO, en varios idiomas para difundir información relevante y que la comunidad en general, pueda aprender más sobre este tema.  

ISAN Magazine Issue 10 brings you stories about the benefits of biodiversity in agricultural systems, stories from Zimbabwe about how to enhance agrobiodivesity for improved food security and community-based climate change adaptation approaches, as well as profiling knowledge products on enhancing soil fertility developed by farmers in the Southern African...

This study examines the role of RCS in rural transformation and family farming in Africa and provides regional insights. Through case studies and a review of communication and ICT trends and policies, it makes the case for participatory, farmer-centred communication approaches and delivery mechanisms aligned with local socioeconomic realities. It...

The FAO Innovation for Blue Transformation Series introduces relevant policy initiatives, mechanisms, and tools available to promote innovation and technical solutions that can accelerate aquatic food system transformation. The series shares brief and practical knowledge needed for sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems that can nourish the world’s growing population,...

The Global Action Plan of the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF 2019-28) recognizes the need to promote rural communication services (RCS) to advance sustainable food systems. RCS comprise demand-led communication processes, media applications and institutional arrangements to respond to the needs of family farmers and rural populations in a...

Given the ongoing environmental degradation from local to global scales, it is fundamental to develop more efficient means of gathering data on species and ecosystems. Local ecological knowledge, in which local communities can consistently provide information on the status of animal species over time, has been shown to be effective....

Climate change used to be something fishers in Alaska talked of as a concern for the future. No longer. That future is now. Alaska has witnessed, almost overnight, collapses in both fish and crab stocks. The cod of the Gulf of Alaska; the Bering Sea king crab and snow crab;...

Strengthening agricultural producer organizations (POs) and cooperatives has been recognized as a key way forward to support farmers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) and, in turn, promote food security, income generation and private sector development. Agriculture in the WBGS is characterized by smallholdings; there are just over...

This report summarizes the results and takeaways of online consultations and a virtual Regional Forum on RCS for Family Farming in Africa, organized by Yenkasa Africa, a regional communication initiative, in collaboration with FAO, farmers’ organizations, rural institutions and communication networks. 

This publication is a practical manual that will guide the reader through the main principles of producing fish silage by fermentation and explain each step of the fermentation process needed to successfully become a fish silage producer. Fish, including shellfish, are highly nutritious and in much demand all over the...

Gender Transformative Approaches address root causes of gender inequality by fostering lasting changes in decision-making and resource control, offering a strategic framework to enhance women’s empowerment in accessing and managing land and production means, as well as natural resources.

This study examines RCS trends in family farming and rural transformation in Asia and the Pacific through case studies emphasizing the need for participatory, farmercentered communication. The study concludes with recommendations for embedding RCS into family farming policies and programmes, fostering development opportunities for family farmers and rural communities in...

Food systems transformation must be sustainable and inclusive, so nobody is left behind. With the right support, every farmer can rise above challenges and drive development, while empowering others to do the same. From Malawi to Brazil, hear from farmers with disabilities who are rewriting the agricultural narrative. We also explore...

The world is not on the precipice of a global water crisis: it is decades into an escalating catastrophe.   Today, global water demand already outstrips availability, with at least half of the global population experiencing highly water-stressed conditions. That is, they live in a region of the world that is highly water stressed for at...

This year's World Water Day theme, "Water for Peace," is particularly relevant given the global water, food, and humanitarian crises. These crises, exacerbated by conflicts, disproportionately affect women and girls, highlighting the urgent need to empower women in water management and crisis response. Investing in women not only enhances peace...

Rangelands and pastoralism must be valued and supported for their contribution to achieve local and global goals – particularly towards reaching Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) More than half of the world’s land mass is rangeland – and yet these landscapes and the people who inhabit and manage them have been...