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The Commodity Policy Developments tool is maintained by commodity analysts of the FAO Trade and Markets Division. The tool provides concise accounts of national policy changes deemed relevant to markets of basic foodstuffs. Its coverage is global, with emphasis given to policy developments – grouped by major policy domains – affecting cereal, oilcrop, meat, dairy and sugar markets since 2011. The policy records included in the tool act as a supplement to more exhaustive commodity market appraisals prepared by the Division, such as the AMIS Market Monitor, the Food Outlook, the Oilcrops Monthly Price and Policy Update, the Monthly News [...]

FAO’s best-selling 2011 publication, Save and Grow, proposed a new paradigm of agriculture, one that is both highly productive and environmentally sustainable. This new book looks at the application of “Save and Grow” practices and technologies to production of the world’s key food security crops – maize, rice and wheat. With examples drawn from developing countries worldwide, it shows how eco-friendly farming systems are helping smallholder producers to boost cereal yields, improve their  incomes and livelihoods, conserve natural resources, reduce negative impacts on the environment, and build resilience to climate change. The book will be a valuable reference for policymakers [...]

Pastoralists produce food in the world’s driest, coldest, hottest as well as mountainous environments, yet they are often misunderstood and marginalized. They not only sustain vibrant and culturally unique communities, but are also linked with many other people who depend on their activities. Pastoral production systems produce a variety of products and services from multiple sources in the ecosystem. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports pastoralists and agro-pastoralists worldwide in a wide range of areas to promote food security, resilient livelihoods, pastoral economies and healthy environments. This product is part of a broader series composed by several [...]

Between 2013 and 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) undertook a survey of innovative approaches that enable markets to act as incentives in the transition towards sustainable agriculture in developing countries. Through a competitive selection process, 15 cases from around the world provide insights into how small-scale initiatives that use sustainable production practices are supported by market demand, and create innovations in the institutions that govern sustainable practices and market exchanges. These cases respond to both local and distant consumers’ concerns about the quality of the [...]

El presente estudio revisa las tendencias en la inversión y financiamiento rural y, particularmente, en el sector agropecuario de la región latinoamericana con el fin de ofrecer una perspectiva crítica de dónde están las principales limitantes para lograr sistemas financieros rurales más inclusivos y proponer áreas de intervención pública y privada que puedan favorecer dicho objetivo, de acuerdo con la evidencia recopilada de experiencias innovadoras en varios de los países de la región. Para ello, este estudio pretende analizar conjuntamente las tendencias en los mercados agropecuarios y las tendencias en los mercados financieros rurales para luego mostrar vínculos relevantes para el [...]

During the review period (2007-2015), the government continued to support small and medium scale producers through several schemes, including distributing seeds, expanding agricultural credit, providing direct payments and marketing programmes. Since 2005, the National Pledge Programme has been targeting rice producers and financing storage in periods of low prices or oversupply.

In response to the declining production trend for maize and wheat over the period 2007-2016, the government took measures that included direct inputs assistance to farmers, provision of extension services, and liberalization and deregulation measures. However, financial constraints, together with a number of weather-related shocks, have considerably limited the impact of these measures on agricultural production and development

Rwanda has made remarkable progress since the 1994 genocide, which severely impoverished the population, particularly in delivering education and health services to the poor. The proportion of people suffering from hunger has been halved and the progress toward reducing under-nourishment has been commendable. However, 44 percent of Rwandans still live under the national poverty line.

Mozambique’s general policy frameworks like the Government’s Five-year Plan (PQG) and the Strategic Plan for Agricultural Sector Development (PEDSA) set specific objectives like establishing legal frameworks and policies that are conducive to agriculture growth and investment. So far, the agricultural policy has been focusing on transforming the sector, shifting production away from mainly subsistence activities. 

During the review period (2007 – 2016), Pakistan has undergone a considerable shift from an agrarian to a service-led economy, and the agricultural share of GDP has experienced a declining trend. Since 2007, the government has been assisting farmers with enhancing access to formal credit, strengthening disaster risk management, scaling up fertilizer subsidies and ensuring wheat price support through public procurement.  For more country policy briefs by FAPDA please see here.