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With the COVID-19 in Jordan under control, the government of Jordan has managed the response proactively and to mitigate potential immediate impacts on the availability of food to the population. Food security among vulnerable Jordanian households has remained largely stable as yet with 15% of households showing a poor or borderline Food Consumption Score (FCS) in 2020 compared to 16% in 2018. Nevertheless the extent of the damage to key components of the food supply chain is still not completely quantified. Also, the pandemic still ongoing globally and in the region, Jordan will have to remain attentive to multiple risks that [...]

This policy brief summarizes the findings from a global survey on the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on wood value chains and recovery measures from the forest sector. The survey received responses from 237 stakeholders registered in the Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (SW4SW) network, representing all segments of wood value chains. The survey was administered for two weeks (3–15 June 2020) and the results presented here cover impacts during the reference period of February to June 2020. Based on the survey results, initial policy recommendations are formulated for current challenges and future perspectives involving wood value chains [...]

Why land rights matter: Tenure is essential to the livelihoods of billions of people where access to land and natural resources can mean the difference between having food and going hungry. People with weak, insecure tenure rights risk losing their means to self-support without access to land, fisheries and forests. When women have weaker tenure rights caused by discrimination in laws and customs, tenure rights can help promote, support and document fair and transparent processes aimed at ensuring improved access to natural resources for all concerned.

SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging virus currently causing a large epidemic of COVID-19. Countries have asked FAO to provide guidance on how to investigate the potential animal sources(s) of the virus.This summary provides a shorter version of the original paper on rapid qualitative risk assessment for SARS-CoV-2 spillover at animal-human interface, and highlights the key knowledge gaps and recommendations. Read the full document: Exposure of humans or animals to SARS-CoV-2 from wild, livestock, companion and aquatic animals. Click here for more resources related to COVID-19.

As it was projected earlier in the year, while most markets were braced for a major global economic downturn, the food sector, including markets for bananas and tropical fruits, continued to display more resilience to the Covid-19 pandemic than other sectors.This report provides supply and demand forecasts for basic foodstuffs, fish and fishery products along with price analysis, policy information and a preliminary assessment of the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on trade in bananas and tropical fruits. The report’s special feature reviews recent trends in food imports bills and export earnings.Food Outlook is published by the Markets and Trade [...]

Supporting smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change is essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No poverty) and 2 (Zero hunger). This will require policies and programs that enable farmers with few resources to adopt farm practices and technologies that reduce sensitivity to rising temperatures, the spread of new pests and diseases, and increasingly erratic rainfall. This brief consolidates evidence and stylized facts to guide policy discussions on climate adaptation in smallholder agriculture, based on work carried out by the FAO Economic and Policy Analysis of Climate Change (EPIC) team.

The United Nations estimates that $4 trillion a year are needed through 2030 to achieve the SDGs, compared to around $1.5 trillion currently being invested. Public finance does not have sufficient resources to fill this gap, while for developing nations, the private sector is responsible for around 90% of jobs, 60% of investments, most exports, 80% of government revenues and a growing share of essential services, inventions and innovations (World Bank 2019). Blended finance can be used effectively in a number of situations so as to involve in the private sector. Find more Blue Growth guidance notes here.

Land is essential for food security and for livelihoods, particularly for small food producers who generate 80 percent of the world’s food. Yet, most of the world’s small food producers do not have secure, legally recognized tenure rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions around the world, undermining the ability of small food producers to access and control their land and the natural resources they need, and thereby rendering them more vulnerable to encroachment on their tenure rights. While the impact of the COVID-19 crisis is still unfolding, experiences gained from the impact of the food crises of the [...]

This Unasylva issue aims at showcasing forest and landscape restoration (FLR) opportunities and recent developments that have the power to upscale restoration, in order to achieving the Bonn Challenge pledge and other national and international commitments (Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) Post-2020 Agenda, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Land Degradation Neutrality, Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)) and addressing the needs of the UN Decade 2021-2030 on Ecosystem Restoration.The content adresses thematics of relevance to various audiences: i) flagship restoration initiatives that differ from the so-called [...]

The purpose of this study was to analyse the position of women in the maize and bean value chains in Rwanda, as well as the current and potential role of financial service providers (FSPs) in strengthening the positioning of women in these chains. The study used the women’s economic empowerment framework for the conceptual analysis, while similarly looking at overall financial inclusion indicators. This was all done within the context of a value chain analysis. The value chain concept provided a framework for analysis and explained the different functions in the value chains for bean and for maize, including the roles [...]