As the world attempts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, partnerships are fundamental to create stronger, more resilient food systems. As we move towards the 2021 Food Systems Summit, innovation, evidence-based decision making and aligning priorities around common goals are crucial components in transforming the way the world produces and consumes food. Two recent partnerships - one with the International Renewable Energy Agency, and a tripartite agreement with the Union for the Mediterranean and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies - focus on building sustainable food systems, by fostering research and innovation in...

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR) formalized their cooperation through the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding on February 26, 2021. The partnership will allow both parties to develop activities in the fields of food nutrition, climate change, land and water conservation, environmental law and policy, in recognition of their areas of expertise and with the aim of consolidating their common objectives. Founded in 1912, UFPR is...

Following the June 2020 publication on case studies of successful partnership practices and important outcomes with featured academia and research institutions, a second series of case studies showcases four key partnerships with Agrinatura (Czechia), Texas A&M AgriLife (United States of America), Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy) and Université Laval (Canada). These key partnerships contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from different perspectives. Agrinatura ...

Composed by thirteen Member States from the Mediterranean region, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) is an intergovernmental organization sharing common objectives with FAO. The long history of collaborations between the two organizations initiated in 1977 when the first joint activities started to be implemented. After years of interactions, a further step was accomplished in 2009 with the signature of a framework agreement focusing on areas such as traditional foods, forests’ protection, irrigation, plant disease management and quarantine measures. In 2015, the...

The world’s demand for fish is growing: over the last thirty years, there has been a 122% rise in fish consumption globally. In 2018, global capture fisheries recorded a catch of 96.4 million tonnes, the highest recorded total to date.   Small-scale fisheries play an important part in meeting this demand. They are present in all parts of the world, and the vast majority of their catch is destined for local human consumption. The sector provides an important contribution to nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation, especially in developing countries. In recognition of the important role they play, the...