The agriculture sector is underperforming in many developing countries, in part because men and women do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be productive.

Women comprise, on average, 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries. If they had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 percent.

This 2-minute video on the theme of 2014’s World Food Day illustrates how vitally important family farmers are, in terms of food production and the safeguarding of our natural resources.

Highlighting case studies in "climate-smart agriculture" from around the globe, a new FAO publication shows that many rural communities are already successfully making the transition to new forms of farming better suited to the rigors of a warmer world. FAO's Leslie Lipper has more details.

West African farmers have succeeded in cutting the use of toxic pesticides, increasing yields and incomes and diversifying farming systems as a result of the IPPM programme promoting sustainable farming practices.

Official World Food Day 2010 video featuring the IPPM programme in Senegal and project collaboration with Oregon State University.

The FAO Dimitra community listeners’ clubs are groups of women, men and young people – mixed or not – who decide to organize themselves so as to work together to bring about changes in their communities. They meet regularly to discuss the challenges they face in their daily lives, make decisions and take action to resolve their problems.

Set up in several sub-Saharan African countries - DR Congo, Niger, Mauritania, Senegal, Burundi and Ghana - the Dimitra listeners’ clubs have had great success wherever they have been established.

This video shows the activities of the clubs in Gasseda.

L'expérimentation paysanne permet de mettre à la disposition des agriculteurs des options pertinentes d'adaptation pouvant les aider à accroître la résilience de leurs systèmes de production.