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Beekeeping is a tradition for a large segment of the rural population in Azerbaijan. Prior to independence in 1991, apiculture was an intensive agricultural activity. Following independence, when agricultural reforms were carried out in the country for transition to a market economy, all beekeeping farms were privatized, and the beehives were divided among small farms. While the number of private farms and hives in each private farm increased, honey production dropped. The project aimed to increase the productivity of the local Caucasian honey bees, and to improve the capacity of beekeepers to produce more honey from each beehive.

The Government of Nepal prioritized a package of Green Climate Fund (GCF) initiatives to address both immediate and longer-term climate change risks posed to critical ecosystems and the most vulnerable communities in the country.  As part of this package, a Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) proposal and supporting documentation was to be prepared and submitted to the GCF. The development impact of the activities in rural communities in the target geographical regions of the CRA proposal was expected to enhance climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and the food and nutrition security of vulnerable farming communities, while decreasing emissions and increasing sequestration of carbon in [...]

In the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Pam in 2015, the Government of Vanuatu intensified its support to the fruit and vegetable sector. Pineapple was identified as being particularly resilient to severe weather and as having excellent production and market potential. However, the lack of knowledge among farmers and agribusinesses on how to grow sustainably and profitably and how to add value to pineapples made it necessary to strengthen capacity in the sector. The project targeted both the public and private sectors, with a view to helping farmers to produce and sell fresh and processed pineapple products on Vanuatu’s domestic market. Find [...]

With 80 percent of the population living in rural areas, agriculture remains the main source of employment in Cambodia. However, poor and very poor rural households, which include the large majority of female-headed households, generally have little land and livestock, and food insecurity remains a reality. Improving the production techniques of these households in rice and other crops, and boosting commercial linkages between smallholder farmers and buyers both require enhanced agricultural and business support services, an initial capital base, and sustainable access to financial services. Illiteracy, poor financial literacy, the lack of assets and high transaction costs impede the access [...]

This document includes eight studies showcasing good practices in support of sustainable small-scale fisheries. FAO commissioned these studies aiming to share experiences and promote the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). The case studies were also intended to promote participatory approaches – in line with the SSF Guidelines principles – and to promote increased interaction between research and fishing communities, including the use of traditional knowledge and participatory research. It is hoped that the case studies will inform policy and policy processes and, in this [...]

Widespread maize monocropping in Malawi exposes farmers to significant livelihood risk in the context of increasing climate variability. 36 percent of rural households grow maize in monocrop. These farmers are often poor and land constrained, and experience low levels of productivity and high production volatility. The effects of crop diversification on farm productivity and income volatility in Malawi varies across cropping systems. Maize in combination with legumes is the only crop system in Malawi that is significantly associated with an increase in productivity and a reduction in crop income volatility. Contrary to expectations, crop systems with 3 or more [...]

Farmers in Mozambique are diversified, but subsistence-oriented. Thirty-seven percent of farmers in Mozambique grow a three crop system based on maize, a legume, and an alternative staple, such as cassava or sorghum. This system is an effective adaption strategy, as it reduces crop income volatility compared to less diverse systems, but it is also associated with low levels of productivity, input use, and incomes. Adoption of cash cropping system improves farmers’ welfare. Farmers who adopt cash crops have higher average incomes and higher productivity levels. However, only 19 percent of farmers grow cash crops. Limited household resources and isolation from [...]

This working paper analyses the effect climate change is expected to have on agricultural productivity, caloric consumption, and vulnerability to food insecurity of household agricultural producers in Paraguay. Our results suggest that increasing temperatures and reduced precipitation will reduce agricultural productivity and caloric consumption, and increase vulnerability to food insecurity. Specifically, a 1 percent increase in average maximum temperatures is associated with a 5 percent reduction in agricultural productivity. A 5 percent reduction in agricultural productivity translates into nearly a 1 percent reduction in caloric consumption. Vulnerability to food insecurity in Paraguay is expected to increase by 28 percentage points [...]

El propósito de esta nota es apoyar el diálogo para considerar el enfoque de igualdad de género y el enfoque cultural en las políticas para la seguridad alimentaria, la productividad, y el desarrollo rural. Exploramos elementos que deben ser tomados en cuenta para la incorporación de las mujeres rurales e indígenas al desarrollo rural en una perspectiva de no dejar a nadie atrás, a partir de las condiciones particulares del campo mexicano.  Esta nota se ha producido en el marco de la alianza estratégica entre la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) y el Fondo [...]

The document is the result of a technical cooperation agreement between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the National Land Agency. It presents the results of an intermediate evaluation of the Peasant Reserve Zones legally established in Colombia, providing guidelines to strengthen and dynamize this legal figure in the context of rural development policies. Through the revision of the historical context and the legal and institutional framework, and using primary and secondary information, this evaluation examines the challenges related to governance, including institutional and organizational actors, the application of normativity and the design of sustainable productive [...]