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The relationship between trade and food security is attracting increased attention on both the trade and development agendas, with trade recognized as one of the means for achieving the SDGs. The linkages between these concepts are highly complex and have been subject to intense debates. While on the one hand, agricultural trade is considered to balance food deficits and surpluses and broaden consumer choice, on the other, it is also implicated in exposing small-scale value chain actors to greater competition, and speeding up a nutrition transition.   This course seeks to strengthen capacities of agricultural and trade sector stakeholders to: Assess the challenges [...]

To respond to the diverse effects of climate change on food systems requires close dialogue and interaction between the research community and policy-makers. Strengthening this relationship will ensure that research findings are relevant to policy debates, and that policies are informed by up to date and rigorous analysis. This brief summarizes key findings from a multidisciplinary team of agronomists, livestock scientists, climatologists and economists for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) working in Malawi and Zambia. The findings presented here seek to spark a fruitful continued discussions on how policies can make use of these findings, [...]

GLEAM-interactive (GLEAM-i) brings the core functionalities of the FAO Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model to the public in a single Excel file. The current version of GLEAM-i allows the direct comparison between Baseline and Scenario conditions, includes feedlot systems for cattle and incorporates the 2010 background data from GLEAM. GLEAM-i is the first open, user-friendly and livestock specific tool designed to support governments, project planners, producers, industry and civil society organizations to calculate emissions using Tier 2 methods. GLEAM-i can be used in the preparation of national inventories and in ex-ante project evaluation for the assessment of intervention scenarios in [...]

The transformation of agricultural markets as a result of political and economic transition in the post-Soviet countries was accompanied by the process of globalization and deepening trade integration both within the region and with external trade partners. These countries are often engaged in multiple trade negotiation processes at the same time, each with their own challenges and benefits. Many European and Central Asian countries joined the WTO which helped enhance their participation in global agricultural trade, and the region plays an increasingly important role as a supplier of agricultural commodities to international markets. The network brings together experts who conduct research, carry [...]

The present study reviews recent trends in rural finance and investment in general, and in the agricultural sector in particular, within the Asian region. The analysis of these trends aims to offer a critical perspective on some of the main constraints to achieving more inclusive rural financial systems in developing countries in the region, and to propose areas of public and private intervention that could advance this objective, based on evidence compiled from important innovations led by local rural actors in various countries within the region. The study makes a joint analysis of recent trends in both agricultural markets and [...]

The brief contains recommendations and a framework for developing an Institutional Food Procurement Programme (IFPP) based on lessons from ten case study appraisals of WFP's purchase for progress initiative and Brazil's national food procurement programmes. 

Crop diversification is often promoted as a strategy to achieve climate resilience. However, the benefits to crop diversification may vary depending on household resource endowments. For farm households with few resources, as shown by studies of Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia, crop diversification is likely to be an important strategy for managing production and price risk. However, for larger, better capitalized farms, diversification may not be welfare enhancing, because returns to specialization may be higher for these households.

The FAO Country Profiles collects information from the entire FAO website and provides a fast and reliable way to access country-specific information with no need to search through individual databases and systems. It also includes a direct link to the Country website for in-depth information.

Food Outlook is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. Each report provides comprehensive assessments and short term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity by commodity basis and includes feature articles on topical issues. Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with another major GIEWS publication, Crop Prospects and Food Situation, especially with regard to the coverage of cereals. Food Outlook is available in English. The summary section is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and [...]

A sustainable agriculture and rural development strategy for Oman Oman’s recent economic growth still depends on hydrocarbon revenue and foreign labour. Sustainable development in the agriculture sector would increase agriculture’s contribution to the gross domestic product and employment, and enable the sector to improve Oman’s trade balance. The objective of the project was thus to support the government in analyzing the existing situation and formulating a sustainable agricultural development and rural development strategy to address the efficient and sustainable use of the scarce natural resources for the improved livelihoods of the Omani people. Duration: 01/01/2013 - 01/03/2017