The world’s demand for fish is growing: over the last thirty years, there has been a 122% rise in fish consumption globally. In 2018, global capture fisheries recorded a catch of 96.4 million tonnes, the highest recorded total to date.   Small-scale fisheries play an important part in meeting this demand. They are present in all parts of the world, and the vast majority of their catch is destined for local human consumption. The sector provides an important contribution to nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation, especially in developing countries. In recognition of the important role they play, the...

Building on a history of successful collaboration, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Université Laval have renewed their partnership for another three years. The joint work together will continue to advance progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on the areas of agroforestry, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and food security and nutrition.Based in Quebec City, Université Laval is one of Canada’s largest universities and a leader in research and innovation. The university’s contribution to the field of sustainable development has also been widely recognized; it is ranked 4th in the...

The Nyagatare district (Eastern Province) is Rwanda’s breadbasket - a vast area of agricultural land providing food for the entire country. The people of this district are mainly farmers, rearing livestock and cultivating crops such as maize and rice, but they suffer a long dry season stretching from June to mid-September and, consequently, water has always been a vital, much sought-after resource - with competition for it high.In 2015, the Rwandan government, together with financial support from the World Bank, constructed a USD 10 million dam and water reservoir.Before long, however, farmers cultivating the upper hillside...

On 31 July, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), based in Uganda, brought together representatives of universities, research institutions, family farmer organizations, and government agencies for a virtual meeting to discuss and reflect on how universities and research institutions in Africa can support family farmers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Family farming, which predominantly relies on family labour, provides livelihoods to over 70 percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for 85 percent of the investments in agriculture in terms of...

With the aim to build capacities for research and development to achieve food security and nutrition, the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 15 July, 2020 to promote and disseminate best practices and innovations on sustainable agriculture, food safety and healthy diets.  Founded in 1976 by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAEU is a public institution delivering undergraduate and graduate programmes at very high levels with the objective to promote knowledge creation, dissemination and...