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This policy brief emphasizes the critical importance of leveraging domestic resources and effectively reallocating subsidies to amplify their efficacy in addressing food crises and fostering the transformation of agricultural food systems. By strategically directing resources within national economies and optimizing existing subsidy frameworks, governments can significantly enhance their capacity to prevent and mitigate food crises while simultaneously advancing sustainable agricultural practices. This approach not only ensures the efficient utilization of available funds but also promotes greater resilience and long-term viability within the agricultural sector.

The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) was launched during the UNFCCC’s COP22 in Marrakech Morocco in November 2016. WASAG has since steadily received recognition and mandate to support countries in finding solutions to cope with water scarcity in agriculture in the face of climate change. In April 2017, a meeting of partners agreed to establish the WASAG partnership to be hosted by FAO to advance the mandate of the framework.Emerging from its foundational years, WASAG held its first International Forum with the theme “Leaving no one behind”, from 19 to 22 March 2019 in Praia, Cabo Verde, [...]

In 2014, the first internationally negotiated instrument dealing specifically with artisanal and small-scale fisheries known as the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) was endorsed. The scope of the SSF Guidelines is to promote globally a human rights-based approach, covering every social and economic aspect of fisheries governance relevant to all activities undertaken by men and women, in marine and inland waters fisheries value chains. To support and promote the implementation of this important instrument, systematic monitoring is needed in accordance with the provisions in paragraph 13.4, calling [...]

Amid a worsening climate crisis and slow progress in cutting greenhouse gases, sustainable agrifood systems practices can help countries and communities to adapt, build resilience and mitigate emissions, ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing global population. FAO is working with countries and partners from government to community level to simultaneously address the challenges of food security, climate change and biodiversity loss. But none of this will ultimately succeed unless the world commits to a significant increase in the quality and quantity of climate finance.

El objetivo del Marco de Gestión Ambiental y Social (MGAS) consiste en reforzar la aplicación del enfoque basado en los derechos humanos y otros principios rectores del Marco de Cooperación en la programación de la FAO. La finalidad es garantizar que las personas y el medio ambiente estén protegidos de cualquier posible efecto adverso de los programas y proyectos de la FAO. También se pretende garantizar que todas las partes interesadas tengan numerosas oportunidades de participar activamente en las actividades de estos programas y proyectos, y puedan acceder a canales eficaces para expresar sus preocupaciones al respecto. El MGAS introduce [...]

The dominance of insular, supply-side technocratic thinking has posed a major challenge to improving water governance in the face of mounting resource scarcity, which has itself been accentuated by climate change. During the 1990s, global discourse moved from supply-driven sectoral interventions to more holistic approaches to water governance as part of larger socioeconomic and environmental processes. Integrated water resources management (IWRM) emphasized demand-side water management and used prices, participation, entitlements, laws and regulations to strengthen water governance at hydrological rather than territorial units. More recently, there have been pleas for more integrative approaches that link land, water, energy, food, livelihoods, [...]

Legislating for an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) is complex, due to the holistic nature of EAF involving multiple factors that underpin the social, economic, environmental, and institutional aspects of fisheries sustainability. These factors include ecosystems integration, risks, intersectoral collaboration, research, participatory processes, monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement, among others. To assess how an EAF is being implemented through national policy and legal frameworks, FAO developed a diagnostic tool for implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries through national policy and legal frameworks. The present legal report on the EAF used the diagnostic tool to assess the alignment of selected policy and [...]

While the aquaculture sector has seen extraordinary global growth over recent years, it also faces a number of important challenges. Although aquaculture may reduce pressure on wild fish stocks, the fact remains that the sector can also have a range of negative environmental impacts. At the same time, a degraded environment, in particular poor water quality, can adversely affect the health of aquatic animals and plants used in aquaculture and therefore the economic sustainability of the sector. Moreover, if appropriate bio-security measures, in the sense of measures to protect aquatic animal health, aquatic plant health and human health, are not [...]

The Issue Brief includes an overview of global trends on forests, energy, and livelihoods, and related policy and research. It analyses the nexus and interlinkages of forests, energy, and livelihoods, including the contribution of forests and forest products to wood-based bioenergy. It considers measures to: i) address the negative impacts of bioenergy; ii) promote and ensure access to efficient and clean bioenergy; iii) reverse deforestation, forest degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change, and; iv) improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and promote decent employment and health through a just transition. The Issue Brief also offers recommendations for integrated policies on forests, energy, [...]

Young people are key agents of change, with enormous innovation potential. FAO recognizes that youth are already at the frontline to build more sustainable agrifood systems and are best placed to rejuvenate the sector, acquire the knowledge and skills needed to innovate, uptake new technologies, and spearhead the digital transformation. The Organization provides support to countries to develop more youth-inclusive policies, strategies, investments and programmes, in order to enhance the overall well-being of young women and men. This compendium of good practices brings together snapshots of selected FAO’s youth-specific projects, activities and products in support of the Rural Youth Action [...]