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The Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR), the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition initiative (GODAN), the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft (KTBL) organised an e-consultation on ethical, legal and policy aspects of open data affecting smallholder farmers.  Forum dates: 4 till 8 June 2018. The objectives of this e-consultation are to: Clearly identify the ethical, legal and policy gaps that currently prevent data from benefiting smallholder farmers. Using practical examples, give a clear picture of what the desired scenarios would be by 2030 for a policy, legal [...]

Ce Profil national genre des secteurs de l’agriculture et du développement rural a été préparé dans le cadre du projet de coopération technique de la FAO et de la Commission de la CEDEAO portant sur : « la Réponse Genre aux Plans Régionaux et Nationaux d’Investissement Agricole pour relever le défi Faim Zéro dans la région de la CEDEAO ». Le projet couvre les quinze pays membres de la CEDEAO sous le leadership de Bukar Tijani, Directeur General Adjoint et Représentant Régional pour l’Afrique de la FAO et Siga Fatima Jagne, Commissaire de la CEDEAO pour les Affaires Sociales et [...]

The purpose of this compendium is to offer, in a single document, an overview of salient policy changes and related private sector measures concerning global and national markets for oilseed, oils/fats and meals in a particular year – in this case 2017. The compendium reproduces, in tabular form, all the policy and industry news items published throughout 2017 in the FAO Oilcrops Monthly Price and Policy Update (MPPU). The main purpose is to facilitate the work of policy makers, market experts, analysts and other stakeholders by providing a short, concise overview of policy developments relevant to the oilcrops industry at the global, regional and national level. Although [...]

FAO’s previous contribution to the development of contract farming saw the publication in 2015 of the UNIDROIT/FAO/IFAD Legal Guide on Contract Farming, which focused on the bilateral relationship between an agricultural producer and a contractor. This Legislative Study develops that research and focuses on the regulatory frameworks for contract farming, aiming to highlight different possible approaches for different contexts. Responsible contract farming can be a powerful tool for small scale farmers in developing countries to move towards larger scale commercial production. It can create economic wealth, contribute to supply chain efficiency through the production of higher quantities of better quality products, and contribute to achieving domestic [...]

HELPING SMALLHOLDER PRODUCERS TO ACCESS MARKETS IN MARGINALIZED AREAS OF KENYA AND SOUTH SUDAN Low agricultural production and low household incomes mean that food security in the northwest of Kenya and the southeastern part of South Sudan continues to be a challenge. With smallholder producers and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs often marginalized and excluded from access to markets at national and regional levels, there was an urgent need to devise innovative approaches to developing and reinforcing efficient business linkages between value chain actors. Project duration: July 2013 –June 2017 Download Project Highlight pdf  

REDUCING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY RISKS IN SIERRA LEONE The production and productivity of most staple crops in Sierra Leone is affected by several factors, including floods, pest and disease infestation, rainfall fluctuations and post-harvest losses, resulting in lower food availability. Against this background, it was necessary to establish a well structured food security and nutrition National Early Warning System (NEWS) to ensure the timely prediction of food availability and access by the population, and facilitate a concerted response when access to food fell below the recommended levels, with high risk of acute and chronic malnutrition. It was also necessary to [...]

This brochure presents FAO’s work on mainstreaming biodiversity as a cross-cutting theme in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors. It provides examples of on-the-ground activities and highlights relevant international mechanisms. It shows how biodiversity and ecosystems benefit people in countless ways by providing food, clean water, shelter and raw materials for our basic needs. Agriculture is a major user of biodiversity but also has the potential to contribute to the protection of biodiversity. Occupying more than one-third of land in most countries of the world, if managed sustainably, agriculture can contribute to important ecosystem functions. These include maintenance of water quality, erosion control, biological pest control [...]

The main objective of the Forum is to reach a better understanding of the drivers and impacts of migrations for forward-looking policies and programmes. Speakers Kostas Stamoulis, Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Development Department, FAO Gianni Bonini, Vice-President, CIHEAM Anna Triandafyllidou, Global Governance Programme, EUI Saïd Bhira, Special Counsellor to the Secretary General, UfM Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit at EC - DG DEVCO, European Commission Luca Maestripieri, Deputy Director General, General Directorate for Development Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Leonardo Carmenati, Director, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation At the crossroads of three continents, all Mediterranean countries are areas of origin, destination and [...]

Together with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), FAO is hosting the Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors, to be held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 29 to 31 May 2018.  This meeting is one of the first activities of the Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform launched last year. The Dialogue will be an open-ended informal meeting bringing together experts and stakeholders from agriculture, forestry, fisheries and the environment sectors aiming at identifying areas of joint action in developing integrated approaches for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in support of the SDGs, while increasing production to meet the [...]

Agriculture remains the single most important employer in many developing country, as there are about 200 million unemployed nowadays and many more underemployed. Opportunities arise in agriculture and food systems thanks to a growing middle class, who demands processed, packaged and convenience food and agricultural goods. A significant share of the labor-aged population earns their income and livelihoods by engaging in the sector, why the future lies with the components of the food system and the food value chain that extends beyond primary agricultural production. See the complete series here.