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Trade liberalization has long been advocated as a means to foster growth and welfare. In developing countries, the expansion of global value chain (GVC) participation of agriculture and food sectors could support transformation from a subsistence-oriented and farm-centered system to a commercialized, productive and off-farm centered one.While empirical evidence examining the linkages between GVC participation and economic performance in the agricultural sector has traditionally relied on case studies at the product level, the availability of new aggregate data on trade in value added, now provides an unprecedented opportunity to carry out a global empirical assessment of the linkages.The present paper [...]

Digital technologies have a high potential to enable further development of the agricultural sector, significantly reshape food value chains (FVCs), and greatly contribute towards more productive, resilient and transparent food systems. This paper provides a non-technical overview of digital technologies that have a high potential to revolutionize the agriculture and food industry, and contribute towards inclusion of small farmers into FVCs. The particular focus is on digital platforms providing e-commerce services and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), such as blockchain, as they mutually enable more efficient and more inclusive local and global agricultural markets by tackling their contribution to reducing information asymmetries, [...]

With the global population approaching 8 billion, the role of agricultural value chains (VCs) is increasingly important in ensuring sustainable and equitable food production. However, in developing countries, market failures can prevent small farmers from fully participating in domestic and global value chains, and issues related to climate change create further challenges. Moreover, greening policies and actions, as well as concerns regarding nutritional outcomes, add complexity to providing nutritious high-quality food to feed a growing population. In this context, it is critical to examine how markets can be shaped to be pro-poor and to reduce negative social and environmental externalities.The [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has more than ever shown the changing risk environment, as well as the systemic and overlaying nature of risks that affect and threaten all sectors. It has reinforced the call for multi-sectoral, multi-hazard and preventive and anticipatory approaches that consistently integrate disaster, climate and crisis risk management for strengthening the resilience of people, their agricultural livelihoods and the ecosystems they depend on in a sustainable manner. In her opinion paper, FAO Natural Resources Officer Wirya Khim discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the agriculture and food systems through a disaster risk reduction lens and offers some key [...]

The publication provides a description of the establishments that function to supply food to the population, in seven countries of the region. This analysis includes supermarkets, retail markets, wholesalers, restaurants and public companies in the food sector. It includes some general reflections, based on the cases analyzed, with a focus on measures that must be taken for their best performance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Last updated date 7/10/2020 Click here for more COVID19-related resources

The document presents the definitions and components of the food system, as well as proposing a definition and search areas for food phenomena. It also updates the empirical evidence and the opinion of experts based on how these eating phenomena are defined in the literature. Finally, it presents a reflection on the identified phenomena, how they are presented and should be addressed in the Latin American and Caribbean region, in the current COVID-19 scenario. Some of the phenomena mentioned are: food deserts and swamps, eCommerce and regulatory standards for critical ingredients in food. See more publications on COVID19 here.

COVID-19 pandemic has put local food systems at risk of disruptions along the entire agri-food value chain. Cities and local governments are currently playing a major role in limiting the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and in mitigating disruptions to their local food systems.To better understand the situation, FAO has been closely monitoring local food system status and prevailing practices during COVID-19, collecting information and insights from different cities on key challenges and specific responses through various channels.The insights, data and cases presented in this paper highlight the role of local food production and value chains in enhancing [...]

As the world population continues to rise, new ways are needed to sustainably increase agricultural production, improve supply chains, reduce food losses and waste, and ensure access to nutritious food for all at all times.This brochure includes the contribution of genetic resources for food and agriculture to food security and to the achievement of relevant sustainable development goals. Available in following languages: Arabic, French, Mandarin, Spanish and Russian.

The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2020 (SOCO 2020) aims to discuss policies and mechanisms that promote sustainable outcomes – economic, social and environmental – in agricultural and food markets, both global and domestic. The analysis is organized along the trends and challenges that lie at the heart of global discussions on trade and development. These include the evolution of trade and markets; the emergence of global value chains in food and agriculture; the extent to which smallholder farmers in developing countries participate in value chains and markets; and the transformative impacts of digital technology on markets.Along these themes, SOCO [...]

Under the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) programme, FAO has contributed to improving resilience and livelihoods for refugees and internally displaced people in 14 countries through four types of activities: clean cooking, forest management, renewable energy in agri-food chains and policy support.This publication evaluates FAO’s energy-in-emergency portfolio in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan to define innovative programming options for efficient energy access within the humanitarian settings of these three countries.