14 March 2012 The objective of this report is to catalyse thinking about the ways in which agriculture – which has a vital role in global food security, development and natural resources use – can and must be fully integrated into national strategies and a consensus-based multilateral framework to address the challenges of climate change. The report brings forth questions that will occupy the world community over the next decade or more regarding the role of agriculture in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The report offers some answers and concrete proposals – while recognizing that much more needs to be learned, more questions formulated, and more experience gained, to build an effective strategy to support global agricultural adaptation while harnessing its significant potential contribution to climate change mitigation and taking into consideration development objectives and food security concerns. [more...]

20 January 2012 A Framework Programme to support and provide strategic direction, to FAO member countries and partners, for the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction for Food and Nutrition Security at global, regional, national and local levels. [more...]

20 December 2011 This guidebook – produced by the Economics & Policy Innovations for Climate-smart Agriculture ( EPIC) Progamme in the Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA), with support from the IDWG/CC and MICCA – explores opportunities for and obstacles to potential climate mitigation finance for soil carbon sequestration, particularly for smallholders, and as part of broader climate-smart agriculture interventions. In countries that opt to apply climate-smart agricultural approaches, wherein adaptation and mitigation potential are incorporated into agricultural development strategies, mitigation financing could play a role, along with other sources of funding, in transforming agricultural systems. However, FAO recognizes that adaptation rather than mitigation may be the priority for most LDCs over the short and medium term. [more...]

25 November 2011 Business-as-usual scenarios of population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agricultural production will need to increase by 70 percent by 2050 to meet global demand for food. The impacts of climate change will reduce productivity and lead to greater instability in production in the agricultural sector (crop and livestock production, fisheries and forestry) in communities that already have high levels of food insecurity and environmental degradation and limited options for coping with adverse weather conditions. [more...]

13 October 2011 This publication provides guidelines for all FAO units (headquarters departments and offices, as well as decentralized offices) to undertake environmental impact assessments (EIA) of field projects. The use of these guidelines apply to all FAO field projects and activities, as further specified in the sections below, requiring implications to be fully considered early in the planning process (and all the more so prior to taking financial decisions) so as to avoid significant negative impacts of environmental or associated social nature. [more...]

30 July 2011 This volume, Climate Change and Food Systems Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrates the possibility of harmonizing agricultural production with the wellbeing of the biosphere and that this can be achieved in Africa, our biosphere's least developed continent, and the continent which is likely to suffer most from climate change. [more...]

10 June 2011 This publication aims to create awareness and prompt action amongst policy-makers and practitioners to address the impact of climate change (notably changes in temperature and rainfall) to the countrys food security. It serves as a good example of how the ongoing FAO and Government of Lesotho project activities Environment, are complementing identified by the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) on climate change. [more...]

10 June 2011 The main purpose of this review is to support least-developed countries (LDC), development partners and donors in planning and implementing climate change adaptation actions for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. In particular, it is aimed at the LDCs eligible for support from the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) (operated by the Global Environment Facility [GEF]), the GEF and its Agencies and the United Nations [more...]

3 May 2011 This paper analyses the current context in which carbon balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) indicators face growing interest in agriculture development. It highlights the multi-objective significance of carbon balance and multi benefits of improved carbon soil in terms of mitigation, adaptation, cropping systems and local community resilience building. It proposes that Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) be used as the Agri-Environmental indicator in agriculture policy monitoring for developing countries and carbon balance as performance indicator in policy analysis. It also presents EX-ACT as the specific tool to allow for a quick appraisal of the potential mitigation impacts of agricultural investment projects, available to donors and planning officers, project designers and decision makers within agriculture and forestry sectors in developing countries. [more...]

21 March 2011 This publication contains national briefs analysing natural disasters occurred in the past 10 to 15 years and the land tenure lessons learned in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Philippines, Ecuador and Honduras. For the analysis the briefs describe the land tenure context in the country as well as the socioeconomic conditions of the people affected by the natural disaster. Finally the briefs identify lessons learned which can be very useful to consider when dealing with natural disasters management, prevention and mitigation programmes in the concerning countries. The publication is the result of a joint initiative between FAO, UN-HABITAT, Early Recovery Cluster of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee working on emergency operations, and the Global Land Tools Network. [more...]

16 March 2011 The performance of agriculture should ensure food security and provide a strong economic base. Towards this aim, improved seeds have been widely recognized as a key ingredient for enhancing farm productivity and overall crop production and thereby attaining the goal of food security. However, medium to large private companies, so far, do not effectively produce and distribute seeds of most major non-hybrid food security crops in developing countries. Case studies undertaken in Africa, Asia and Latin America indicate that smallholder seed enterprises could provide a valid alternative if supported. This publication aims at raising the awareness of decision makers and provides guidelines of best practices and policy options for promoting and supporting the growth and development of smallholder seed enterprises. [more...]

3 February 2011 The ninth biennial issue of State of the World’s Forests, published at the outset of 2011, the International Year of Forests, considers the theme ‘Changing pathways, changing lives: forests as multiple pathways to sustainable development’. It takes a holistic view of the multiple ways in which forests support livelihoods. The chapters assembled for this year’s State of the World’s Forests highlight four key areas that warrant greater attention: regional trends on forest resources; the development of sustainable forest industries; climate change mitigation and adaptation; and the local value of forests. Considered together, these themes provide insights on the true contribution of forests to the creation of sustainable livelihoods and alleviation of poverty. [more...]

21 December 2010 This Food Security Toolkit, designed specifically for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), aims to improve Pacific Islanders ability to produce and access safe and nutritious foods that meet their dietary and cultural needs. Targeting food security in the Pacific region is a critical action in the face of climate change, which will continue to place added pressure on existing food and water resources. The ultimate aim of the toolkit is to help ensure that Pacific Island communities continue to produce and have access to a wide range of nutritious food for the dinner plate and market place. [more...]

29 November 2010 Land use projects are especially exposed to the insecurities regarding the future of international climate change regulations. Therefore, it is imperative that the long term structures of the climate change framework are settled as soon as possible, including the reconsideration of the existing crediting schemes as the appropriate remuneration approach for AFOLU projects in developing countries. This second publication in the MICCA series aims to set the global agricultural mitigation survey (as presented in the first publication) in context. The AFOLU MP database is a compilation of publicly available data on mitigation projects in agriculture and forestry, and this paper describes, first, the analysis and output of the database and, second, which implications can be derived for the development of mitigation activities in agriculture and forestry. [more...]

22 October 2010 Practices that sequester carbon in grasslands can enhance productivity, and policies designed to encourage these practices could lead to near-term dividends in greater forage production and enhanced producer incomes. This report reviews the current status of opportunities and challenges for grassland carbon sequestration and identifies components that could foster the inclusion of grasslands in future climate agreements to enhance longer term adaptation to climate variability. It includes a policy brief to assist policy-makers in their development plans. [more...]

5 October 2010 The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (FRA 2010) is the most comprehensive assessment of forests and forestry to date - not only in terms of the number of countries and people involved - but also in terms of scope. It examines the current status and recent trends for about 90 variables covering the extent, condition, uses and values of forests and other wooded land, with the aim of assessing all benefits from forest resources. Information has been collated from 233 countries and territories for four points in time: 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010. The results are presented according to the seven thematic elements of sustainable forest management. FAO worked closely with countries and specialists in the design and implementation of FRA 2010 - through regular contact, expert consultations, training for national correspondents and ten regional and subregional workshops. More than 900 contributors were involved, including 178 officially nominated national correspondents and their teams. The outcome is better data, a transparent reporting process and enhanced national capacity in developing countries for data analysis and reporting. The final report of FRA 2010 was published at the start of the latest biennial meeting of the FAO' Committee on Forestry and World Forest Week, in Rome. [more...]

8 September 2010 This global survey of agricultural mitigation projects provides a summary of the state-of-the-art of different projects currently developed in this sector. It contains data on 50 agricultural projects focusing on climate change, of which 22 were developed specifically with a greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation objective. The data on the projects were submitted to an online survey in April 2010. The inventory is by no means meant to provide a complete picture of all currently developed agricultural mitigation projects, but rather aims to provide an overview of the status of activities within this field. The analysis reflects on the focus of these projects, their objectives and main activities, the entry points for their establishment, as well as the management of the carbon benefits. More in-depth information is provided on 22 case studies. The report contributes to the current discussion on finding ways to integrate smallholder farmers into agricultural mitigation activities, and calls for developing financial mechanisms that could facilitate the transformation of current agricultural systems to climate-smart agriculture. [more...]

13 August 2010 There has been widespread concern regarding the surge in staple prices over the last few years and developments have been widely recognized, although to a varying degree, as one of the recent price surge and increased price volatility. Within the Asian context, food security conditions are mostly related to rice production and the price of rice. The analysis presented in this paper sheds light on the impacts of the increase in the prices of key food staples on different household groups and identifies the vulnerable segments of the population. The analysis shows that generally Cambodia gains from an increase in the price of rice although particular segments of the poor stand to lose. The analysis concludes that from a food security perspective, the price of rice should be monitored closely while considering the identified vulnerable household groups. [more...]

13 July 2010 Brochure on data, tools and methods for climate impact assessment in agriculture and planning of climate change adaptation practices. FAO Climate Offer. [more...]

24 June 2010 Agriculture can play an important role in climate change mitigation while contributing to increased food security and reductions in rural poverty. The EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool(EX-ACT) can estimate the mitigation potential of rural development projects generated from changes in farming systems and land use. The study presents and discusses the EX-ACT analysis performed on two World Bank-supported projects in Brazil (Santa Catarina RuralCompetitiveness and Rio de Janeiro Sustainable Rural Development). The projected estimates of the impact of project activities on green house gas emissions and Carbon sequestration demonstrate the additional environmental benefits achieved through protecting forested areas(riparian zones, ecological corridors), enhancing production systems (promotion of improved cropland and grasslands management) and expanding agro-forestry and perennial systems. The study demonstrated possible synergies between mitigation and rural development goalswhile the EX-ACT sensitivity analysis has indicated that projected results will be intermediate between “pessimistic” and “optimistic” scenarios. Cost-benefit analysis showed that both projects would generate environmental benefits associated with climate change mitigation.However, the Santa Catarina Rural Competitiveness project demonstrated higher mitigation potential, a result primarily due to the size of the project area and the nature of thedevelopment activities, thus providing a better opportunity to be eventually considered for public co-financing for low-Carbon agriculture. [more...]

19 May 2010 IPCC Guidelines provide the methodological guidance for countries to report their annual inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and removals to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The methods contained in the IPCC Guidelines differ in their complexity ranging from the simplest Tier 1 method that are based on globally or regionally applicable default parameters; through Tier 2 methods based on country specific data; to Tier 3 methods involving more detailed modelling and/or inventory based approaches. Agriculture Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) presents a unique challenge to the inventory compilers especially from developing countries due to the paucity of national data. [more...]

30 March 2010 The threat of global climate change has caused concern among scientists as crop growth could be severely affected by changes in key climatic variables (i.e., rainfall and temperature) and agricultural production and food security could be affected both globally and locally. Although the effects of changes in climate on crop yields are likely to vary greatly from region to region, anticipated changes are expected to have large and far-reaching effects predominantly in tropical zones of the developing world with precipitation regimes ranging from semiarid to humid(Cline 2007). Hazards include increased flooding in low-lyingareas, greater frequency and severity of droughts in semiarid areas, and excessive heat conditions, all of which can limit crop growth and yields. [more...]

15 March 2010 A dedicated drafting group was established within FAO to negotiate a text on “Cooperative sectoral approaches and sector-specific actions in agriculture”, under a broader chapter on mitigation. While only a limited number of Parties have made submissions in response to the Copenhagen Accord, the proportion of these that included agriculture may be an indicator that this sector is likely to become an important component of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in developing countries. [more...]

6 January 2010 Two key challenges facing humanity today stem from changes within global food and climate systems. The 2008 food price crisis and global warming have brought food security and climate change to the top of the international agenda. Agriculture plays a significant role in both, and these two challenges must be addressed together rather than in isolation from each other. Farmers will need to feed a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050. Meeting this demand together with challenges from climate change, bioenergy and land degradation puts enormous pressure on the agricultural sector to provide food, feed and fibre as well as income, employment and other essential ecosystem services. [more...]

5 January 2010 This document discusses the opportunities and constrains of carbon accounting for organic agriculture management in developed and developing countries. Recent studies have highlighted the substantial contribution of organic agriculture to climate change mitigation and adaptation (Niggli et al., 2009; Scialabba and Muller-Lindenlauf, 2010, in print). The potential of organic agriculture to mitigate climate change is mostly claimed on the basis of assumptions concerning the soil carbon sequestration potential of organic management. [more...]

3 December 2009 With this Profile for Climate Change, FAO outlines its priorities for its current and future work on climate change. FAO’s work focuses on adaptation mitigation agricultural sectors and advocates for better management synergies trade-offs among both. It also points to the areas where adaptation mitigation activities merge with ongoing development efforts to improve sustainable use of natural resources for increased production, income, food security and rural development. [more...]

25 November 2009 This brief has been prepared for the UN Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen, December 2009, to raise awareness of the imminent impacts of climate change on food security in Pacific island countries and territories and to urge participants to consider the importance of mainstreaming food security in climate-related policies, strategies and programmes. By providing a snapshot of the imminent impacts of climate change on food security in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), this report illustrates the need to combat climate-related vulnerability through the effective implementation of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs). It also advocates “climate proofing” existing food security initiatives and broadening the NAPA process to include all PICTs. [more...]

1 September 2009 An analysis of existing forest financing mechanisms in Latin America, a region that has become the leader in the development and implementation of innovative forest financing mechanisms. The analysis led to a better understanding of the range of existing resources and mechanisms available for the financing of SFM, the possibilities of finding alternative forms of financing and the steps to be taken in order to maximize the effectiveness ofexisting ones. The present study provides a synthesis of the information and experience obtained, followed by a resulting series of key messages. [more...]

17 July 2009 FAO has included traditional and local knowledge and activities in policies, programmes and projects related to a wide range of issues, including farmers’ rights, poverty alleviation, nutrition and health, and gender equity, among many others. More recently, it has used traditional knowledge to tackle the emerging problems of soaring food prices and climate change. Traditional farming, fishing, pastoralism/herding, foraging and forestry are based on long established knowledge and practices that help to ensure food and agricultural diversity, valuable landscape and seascape features, livelihoods and food security. However, traditional livelihoods and indigenous plant varieties, landraces and animal breeds are now increasingly endangered by large-scale commercialization of agriculture, population dynamics, land-use/cover changes and the impacts of climate change. FAO is developing innovative projects that support the use of traditional knowledge to promote rural development, gender equity, conservation of biocultural diversity, and sustainable management of agro-ecosystems, among others. At the same time, the projects seek to manage the risks to food and agriculture that result from natural and human-induced disasters, climate change impacts, soaring food prices and other emerging issues. FAO is also promoting international and interdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen the interface between traditional knowledge and cutting-edge science and technology, to help maintain and enhance the world’s food and agricultural diversity and sustainability. [more...]

6 July 2009 State of the World’s Forests 2009 provides a global view of major developments affecting forests and examines some key questions of the forestry sector. What will be the impact on forests of future increases in global population, economic development and globalization? Is the explosion in global trade having positive or negative effects on the world’s forests? Will the forest sector continue to have a major role in providing livelihoods for rural communities? It is intended to serve as a source of information to support policy and research related to forests, and should help stimulate creative thinking and debate about the future of the world’s forests. [more...]

25 May 2009 Assistance to Improve Local Agricultural Emergency Preparedness in Caribbean Countries Highly Prone to Hurricane Related Disasters (TCP/ RLA/3101). The vulnerability of the Caribbean region to hydro- meteorological hazards such as hurricanes, floods, drought, high magnitude rainfall and related hazards such landslides is underscored. The recurrent impacts of these events have wreaked havoc on environment, economy and society throughout the region. Although the contribution of agriculture to Caribbean regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has steadily declined over the last two decades, this sector has remained a major employer of labour and as such a main player in the livelihood profile of the region. The extreme vulnerability of the agricultural sector to a variety of hazards/disaster has been a perpetual focus of hazard/disaster management and interventions in the Caribbean. Over the past decade, the FAO has regular responded to the relief/rehabilitation/reconstruction needs of the sector in the aftermath of hurricane-related disasters. [more...]

26 March 2009 The question of how forests and forest-dependent people will adapt to climate change is a growing area of research and has been at the heart of a number of recent conferences. One of these, the international conference on Adaptation of Forests and Forest Management to Changing Climate with Emphasis on Forest Health: A Review of Science, Policies and Practices (Umeå, Sweden, August 2008), spawned the contents of this special double issue of Unasylva. The conference, organized by FAO, the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, brought together over 300 researchers, managers and decision-makers from 50 countries. [more...]

30 January 2009 With increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, Pacific islands countries, especially those in warmer latitudes, are the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Their populations are expected to be among the first that will need to adapt to climate change or even abandon their traditional homeland and relocate. Unless we act now, climate change will constitute a major barrier to the achievement of sustainable development and viable food production goals for all Pacific island countries, while threatening the very existence of many of them. [more...]

29 January 2009 From a food security perspective, the most immediate risks arising because of climate change are from extreme events. Significant changes in climatic conditions have an impact on agricultural production and affect all components of global, national and local food systems, with consequent disruption of food supply chains. This framework document takes a wider view at the problem by examining the effects of global warming and climate change on food systems and food security. It also proposes climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the main areas with an importance for food security. [more...]

29 January 2009 The implications of the recent rapid growth in production of biofuels based on agricultural commodities. The boom in liquid biofuels has been largely induced by policies in developed countries [more...]

29 January 2009 The State of Food and Agriculture 2007 explores the potential for agriculture to provide enhanced levels of environmental services alongside the production of food and fibre. The report concludes that demand for environmental services from agriculture – including climate change mitigation, improved watershed management and biodiversity preservation – will increase in the future, but better incentives to farmers are needed if agriculture is to meet this demand. As one among several other possible policy tools, payments to farmers for environmental services hold promise as a flexible approach to enhancing farmer incentives to sustain and improve the ecosystems on which we all depend [more...]

16 July 2008 With increasing global temperatures, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense extreme weather events, Pacific islands countries, especially those in warmer latitudes, are the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Their populations are expected to be among the first that will need to adapt to climate change or even abandon their traditional homeland and relocate. Unless we act now, climate change will constitute a major barrier to the achievement of sustainable development and viable food production goals for all Pacific island countries, while threatening the very existence of many of them. [more...]

30 April 2008 The exposure of the Caribbean countries to weather-related disasters such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, heavy rain and landslide-related risks is underestimated. The impacts of these recurrent phenomena have caused extensive environmental, economic and social damages in the entire Caribbean region. Agriculture’s extreme vulnerability to a range of climate-related risks/disasters has always been a top priority of disaster management in the region. During the last decade, FAO has regularly responded to agriculture’s emergency and rehabilitation needs after hurricane-related disasters through its “Assistance to improve Local Agricultural Emergency Preparedness in Caribbean countries highly prone to hurricane-related disasters” (TCP/RLA/3101) by strengthening “institutional frameworks and technical options for hurricane-related disaster preparedness, emergency response and post-emergency agricultural assistance”. [more...]