FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP) promotes Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production. This approach requires the integration and harmonization of all appropriate crop production policies and practices aimed at increasing crop productivity in a sustainable manner, thereby meeting key millennium development goals aimed at reducing hunger and preserving the natural resources and environment for future use. The focus of our activities are to develop and strengthen
effective and strategic decisions that increase crop production using an ecosystem approach
national capacities to monitor and to respond effectively to transboundary and other important outbreak pests
policies and technologies appropriate to needs of a country and/or region to reduce negative impact of pesticides
conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources with strong linkages between conservation, plant breeding and seed sector development.
What is happening in and around Plant Production and Protection?
Crop losses to pests are a major problem in sustaining production, and often, pesticides are used as the first line of defense against pests. However, the indiscriminate use of pesticides often impacts negatively on beneficial insects – insects that provide essential ecosystem...[more]
Small seed businesses are contributing to increase the supply of high quality maize and beans seed to family farmers, which is improving national food security in Honduras. These improvements are being made possible, in part, through the efforts of the “Seed for Development”...[more]
The FAO/OECD Workshop on Building Resilience for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Agriculture Sector will consider the various types risks to which agriculture is prone, the incidence climate change is expected to have on them, and various risk management strategies,...[more]
FAO is calling for countries in the global ‘wheat belt’ to step up monitoring and prevention for wheat rusts – fungal diseases that do especially well in particularly wet seasons. Yields could be affected across North Africa, the Middle East into West and South Asia, which...[more]
The Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has made strides during the past year to design a globally relevant capacity development work plan for the Secretariat and its Capacity Development Committee. This culminated last week in the second meeting...[more]
The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), FAO---ICARDA Cactusnet and the Department of Agricultural and forestry Science of the University of Palermo (IT), jointly with the Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources / University of Sassari...[more]
A Regional Consultation on Sustainable Crop Production Intensification, including Save and Grow, was organized by FAO’s Sub-Regional Office of the Caribbean from 4-5 October 2012, at the UN House Conference Room, Christchurch, Barbados. Participants reviewed the findings of a...[more]
