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Strategic investments in the agriculture sector are a catalyst for sustainable, economic growth and poverty reduction. Through their partnership, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have produced this comprehensive study on the State of Agriculture in the Caribbean, drawing upon decades of research on the many drivers of change affecting the CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs), including international trade, institutional policies, and climate change. This report follows forty years of structural change in the agriculture sector of BMCs, and can support the development of an updated Agriculture Sector Strategy, by identifying [...]

The vast majority of the world’s food crops are annuals that are grown from seed sown at the start of each production season. The quality of that seed is a key determinant of production. Farmers cannot easily observe the quality or identity of seed at the point of sale, which creates a risk on the part of the farmer. With the development of the commercial seed trade and the increasing number of varieties during the 20th century it became important to reduce this risk. This led to the formulation of laws and regulations intended to protect farmers and increase agricultural [...]

FAO is uniquely positioned to contribute to global efforts to reduce the prevalence of overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through the support it provides to countries in reforming their food systems and its work with line ministries responsible for agriculture, trade, environment and rural development, as well as with other UN agencies and development partners. This brief, prepared by FAO as part of a set of United Nations system agency briefs under the UN Interagency Task Force on NCDs, presents FAO key areas of engagement and partnerships to address the challenge of NCDs.

The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state of financial inclusion of the rural youth in Uganda, with a specific focus on their engagement in the agricultural sector and the financial services that are available to them to pursue their business ventures in this area. The study seeks to illustrate and bring to light the core constraints and opportunities associated with the provision of tailored financial services to young agricultural entrepreneurs in the country, while showcasing the essential role that key support actors (such as the Government, Central Bank, international development institutions, NGOs, foundations [...]

El Marco de la FAO para la Alimentación y Nutrición Escolar tiene como objetivo apoyar a los gobiernos y las instituciones para que desarrollen, transformen o fortalezcan sus políticas, programas y otras iniciativas a fin de lograr un mejor impacto en la alimentación, la nutrición escolar y adolescente, el desarrollo socioeconómico comunitario y los sistemas alimentarios locales. El Marco representa una respuesta directa al llamado internacional para mejorar la nutrición a lo largo del ciclo de vida y para transformar los sistemas alimentarios, en el contexto de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), la Segunda Conferencia Internacional sobre Nutrición (CIN2) y el [...]

Although migratory flows from rural areas are a common phenomenon in most developing countries, we possess little information on their dynamics and determinants. In this context, in September 2017, in the framework of the project “Fostering productive investments to create decent farm and non-farm jobs for rural youth in migration-prone areas in Senegal”, FAO and the Senegalese National Agency of Statistics and Demography (ANSD) conducted a household survey with the aim of generating information on migration phenomena in rural areas. The survey results described in this study contribute to broadening the available knowledge base on the causes and dynamics of [...]

The main objective of this report is to provide a regional synthesis of the climate change mitigation and adaptation commitments in the agriculture and land use sectors set forth in the Nationally Determined Contributions of countries in the Caribbean and to identify opportunities for enhancing mitigation and adaptation ambitions, capturing their synergies and leveraging climate finance and international support options in the region. It aims to guide FAO – and policy makers and practitioners in the region – committed to providing the country support required for accelerating progress on and scaling up NDCs in the agriculture and land use sectors, [...]

Trade in most agricultural commodities is expected to expand, trade rules are becoming more complex and some countries are using trade instruments in times of food crises to guarantee food supplies for their own people. Trade policy can have significant implications for food security, nutrition and employment. Given this, FAO will continue to support its Members in capacity development. This will be aimed at enhancing market transparency, exports and agricultural and food systems, via better aligned trade and agricultural policies. FAO also promotes sustainable production and trade by facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships in agricultural value chains. It supports the World Banana [...]

The FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) is an inclusive, neutral platform for people and institutions to share knowledge and support policy-making. Over the years, the FSN Forum online discussions have played an important role in strengthening and democratizing policy dialogue in line with the UN’s move towards more inclusive decision-making processes within the development community. The FSN Forum engages a broad spectrum of citizens, experts, governments, non-governmental and private entities at the global, regional and national levels, fostering awareness, debate and mutual learning on the broad range of issues that affect food securityand nutrition. This publication presents the [...]

Structural transformation involves the reallocation of resources from less to more productive uses. It involves growth in agricultural productivity and generation of higher productivity jobs in other sectors. In addition, in the longer-term, it can support poverty reduction. However, the transition process and its outcomes are frequently challenging – especially among the poor and vulnerable people and households, given the economic and social forces that pressure them to adapt to realities faster than they are able to. The objective of the paper is to show how social protection policies and programmes can contribute to structural transformation, smoothen the transition for the [...]