Policy Analysis

Country Cases Studies

Environmental Services - Country Cases Studies

Agricultural activities occupy and influence almost all landscapes in developing countries. Farmers, ranchers, agro-foresters, pastoralists, and other producers manage, work and live in watersheds, grasslands, hillsides, coastal plains, forests, and river deltas. These agriculturalists and the various agro-ecosystems they manage provide a wide range of local, national and global benefits and services.

Ongoing research at FAO's Agricultural and Development Economics Division (ESA) explores how to improve market and institutional incentives, including direct payments for the provision of carbon sequestration, watershed management, landscape amenities, biodiversity and agricultural biodiversity conservation. Research and empirical work seek to improve knowledge and understanding of how best to integrate sustainable natural resources and environmental management into the development and poverty reduction processes.

Poverty Alleviation and Food Security - Country Cases Studies

The poverty alleviation and food security component of ROA aims to show the relevance and usefulness to policymakers of using a transparent, flexible and practical policy impact assessment tool to support and guide the policy design process.

The policy impact assessment tool generates information on price and quantity movements in response to a proposed policy reform. This information is needed to assess the wider impact of the reform on poverty and food security at the household level. The model therefore generates information that allows policy makers to understand the characteristics and location of those households who lose and those who benefit from proposed reforms or potential external shocks. Thus the decision makers can: target policies so as to cushion vulnerable communities and households from negative impacts; and target polices to build resilience in those communities and households over time so they are better able to take advantage of emerging opportunities.