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Considering the detrimental environmental impact of current food systems, and the concerns raised about their sustainability, there is an urgent need to promote diets that are healthy and have low environmental impacts. These diets also need to be socio-culturally acceptable and economically accessible for all.Acknowledging the existence of diverging views on the concepts of sustainable diets and healthy diets, countries have requested guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on what constitutes sustainable healthy diets.These guiding principles take a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations; the [...]

The document presents a description of the structure of the rural environment, demography, the supply of goods and services, the main inequalities, levels of poverty, importance and role of family agriculture and other economic activities (diversification), the main features of rural society and the presence of the private sector. It will also discuss trends in migration and other social or economic processes relevant to the description of the rural situation. The text will also discuss the importance of rural development in achieving the SDGs by identifying the current situation and the extent of change required to meet the SDGs.  

A single-stop shop for good practices for sustainable banana production and trade. This portal has been provided in response to high demand from the industry stakeholders.

The way food systems have evolved over past decades means that they now face major risks, which in turn threaten the future of food systems themselves. Food systems have seriously contributed to climate change, environmental destruction, overexploitation of natural resources and pollution of air, water and soils. Despite the global average improvement in calorie production and major development of the food and agricultural product markets, huge inequalities in food access and repartition of the added value have emerged, leading to new serious nutritional and social problems. Based on a review of the most recent scientific knowledge, this report emphasizes Low-Income [...]

While all pesticides can be dangerous when used inappropriately, highly hazardous pesticides are of particular concern due to the severe adverse effects they can cause to human health and the environment. With adequate investment in scaling-up existing and new ecological alternatives for pest control, pesticides that pose unacceptable risk to humans and the environment can be phased out from agriculture and other use sectors. The brochure explains the risks pose by HHPs, the possible alternatives and what can be done to phase them out and opt for more sustainable solutions.  

Livestock provide valuable nutritional benefits as well as supporting livelihoods and the resilience of families and communities. Demand for animal products continues to grow in response to rising population and increasing wealth, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In spite of productivity gains, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are also increasing. Successful action on climate change through practical action in livestock agrifood systems is an urgent priority, but must not come at the expense of other sustainability objectives, particularly those relating hunger and poverty. Hence there is a need to balance the benefits of animal-source foods and livestock keeping for [...]

Well-performing CBF has the potential to rapidly restore forests in ecological terms and scale up sustainable forest management to the national level, while improving local livelihoods of billions of the most marginalized people around the world. The purpose of this framework is to facilitate assessment of the extent of CBF, the status with regards to the enabling conditions, and the impact of CBF on forests and local livelihoods at the country level. Thus, this assessment framework can serve to provide important insights into the successes, as well as the continued shortcomings of CBF at the country level. Also available in Spanish [...]

El sector agroalimentario nicaragüense es altamentevulnerable a los eventos climáticos extremos, y sumadoal contexto social, institucional y la poca disponibilidad deinformación climática para la toma de decisiones,constituyen un factor el alto riesgo para la EconomíaFamiliar.El proyecto se focalizó en el fortalecimiento decapacidades institucionales para dar respuesta a lasnecesidades de la población en situación devulnerabilidad, desarrollar procesos de innovación y latransferencia de conocimientos para adaptar la agriculturafamiliar al cambio climático y mejorar la resiliencia de losmedios de vida de la economía familiar. El proceso se llevóa cabo mediante el fortalecimiento de las capacidades yel acompañamiento técnico a las instituciones,particularmente en planificación, [...]

This report summarizes the state of biodiversity for food and agriculture in Near East and North Africa based on the information provided in country reports submitted to FAO as part of the reporting process for The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.  

Salinization is the most severe threat to soils in the NENA region after soil erosion. Indeed, more than 11 percent of the region’s soils are affected by various levels of soil salinization Salinity has direct effects on the growth and development of plants. Sodic conditions may cause important deterioration of the soil physical properties, indirectly affecting crop growth via increased surface crusting, poor water infiltration, and reduced root zone aeration. The Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management (VGSSM) provide recommendations on how to prevent the development of salt-affected soils. If soils are already degraded and prevention is no longer an [...]