Administered by FAO and funded by the Government of Norway, the linKS project ran from 1998 to 2005 and was a regional effort carried out by a coalition of international partners, local governmental and non-governmental institutions in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Swaziland to explore the linkages between local knowledge systems, gender roles and relationships, food provision and the conservation and management of biodiversity. More about the LinKS Project.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Initiative was launched in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development as a five year programme to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development (as outlined in Chapter 14 of Agenda 21 of the Millennium Development Goals), and to support the ability of rural people to influence agricultural and rural development policies, processes and institutions affecting them. More about the SARD Initiative.

The Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme (IP) was funded by the governments of Norway and Finland and worked to enhance sustainable development and food security by promoting interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration for improved planning and delivery of rural and agricultural development services within FAO and in partner countries. More about the Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme (IP).

Since 1988, FAO has been responding to the impact of HIV on food security, agriculture and rural livelihoods and has been at the forefront of analytical and policy-oriented work to examine and address these linkages, highlighting the importance of the epidemic as not only a health problem but also a major issue for agriculture and rural livelihoods. While FAO continues to work on HIV/AIDS in a number of technical areas, primarily at country and regional levels, the growing body of evidence indicating that the epidemic has entered a post-peak phase, characterized by an overall decline in new infections, fewer AIDS-related deaths, and a large number of of adjustment mechanisms developed by affected communities and households. FAO is aware that at this stage of the epidemic’s evolution, prevention and mitigation work can be more effectively managed by better resourced sister agencies in the UN system. More about FAO's work on HIV and AIDS.