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The video animation showcases the work FAO is carrying out on Nutrition and Food Systems policies and programmes. FAO provides technical assistance to Member States and relevant partners to improve the capacity of key regional and country stakeholders as well as platforms to advocate, design, implement, support, and evaluate policies, programmes and investments that shape food systems towards achieving Zero Hunger and eradicating all forms of malnutrition through sustainable and healthy diets.

This bulletin provides decision-makers in governments, the private sector and civil society with useful information and resources to support the design and implementation of actions against the effects of the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean. The resources and information contained in the bulletin come from FAO, as well as from governments and other institutions that are contributing to the common goal of containing the effects of the pandemic. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is a valuable partner in this bulletin, and we hope that other multilateral organizations will join us in future editions. Also [...]

A comparison of the Great Lockdown of 2020 underway with the Great Recession of 2009, reveals some regularities, yet many differences. Notably, the shock associated with the Great Recession arose out of economy-wide stress, particularly high-income countries, while in direct contrast, the Great Lockdown was borne outside of the global economic system, and seemingly is set to leave most countries severely affected, high and low-income countries alike. Both crises, however, have led to similar impacts to economies throughout the world, with significant contractions to economic growth, economic activity and employment. For global food and agriculture, the Great Recession unfolded as a [...]

Notwithstanding an increasing demand for their derived products, roots and tubers (R&T) value chains in Africa remain loose, fragmented and informal, and many market opportunities remain unexploited. Some encouraging new investment initiatives in R&T value chains have recently been documented, both by improving the competitiveness of small actors of the value chains, and by building the capacity of financial services providers to design products and services that fit the specific needs of the mentioned actors. This policy brief provides recommendations for policymakers, including the development of incentives for investing in the sector, through the facilitation of the use of alternative [...]

The sustainable utilization of natural resources is a major element of rural livelihoods and economic development in Brazil. From 2011 to 2019, FAO implemented the project “Strengthening the national knowledge and information framework to foster sustainable forest resources management policies". This project helped to establish and consolidate a National Forest Inventory (NFI) model approved by, and agreed with, different partners and stakeholders in the forest sector. The focus given to institutional strengthening and data collection was strategic to achieve an unprecedented level of qualified knowledge on the topic. To date, there is some evidence on the use of NFI results [...]

The background for conducting country study on the challenges, needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in the Republic of Serbia has been a wish to further strengthen the Regional Initiative on Empowering Smallholders and Family Farms and develop it towards a stronger programmatic approach at both the regional and the country level. In order to provide support to smallholders and family farms, there has been a need to develop a better understanding and knowledge platform of the main challenges, needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in the specific country context. The objective of the country study is [...]

During COP 13, the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and FAO strengthened their collaborative efforts to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to set national targets to achieve LDN. The purpose was to identify lessons learned from the LDN target setting process in SIDS in order to generate recommendations to policy makers and interested stakeholders on future actions and to consider cross-cutting issues and linkages between emerging and existing challenges and priorities. This briefing note presents an overview of these recommendations.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also affecting agricultural census activities. Currently, 62 countries are preparing (45 countries) or have conducted (17 countries) censuses of agriculture in the WCA 2020 round. A rapid appraisal and informal consultations with national agricultural census authorities reveal that some 34 countries reported delays or suspension of several census activities. Countries that have started or were about to start fieldwork and census enumeration have put these activities on hold until the crisis is over. Most countries agreed that the full impact on the preparation and implementation of national censuses will depend on the evolution of the crisis.

Measures implemented around the world to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have entailed a severe reduction not only in the transportation of goods and services that rely on transport, but also in the migration of labour domestically and internationally. Workers are less available reflecting both disruptions in transportation systems and restrictions to stop the transmission of the disease, within and across borders. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) urges countries to maintain functioning food value chains to avoid food shortages, following practices that are being proven to work. This note summarizes some practices that could be useful for [...]

Georgia has been a Member of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) since 1995. In 2004, FAO strengthened its presence there by making the FAO Subregional Representative for Central and Eastern Europe the FAO Representative in Georgia and establishing a fully-fledged representation in Tbilisi. FAO is supporting national development priorities to create and implement an institutional, legal and regulatory environment, as well as lending technical assistance on key projects at the Government’s request. It is working to strengthen Georgia’s institutional disaster-management capacity and helping to align Government policies with European structures and standards, so as to [...]