Success stories

The pressures on global land and water resources are greater than at any other time in human history. Rapidly increasing populations and rising levels of consumption are placing ever-larger demands on our natural capital. Current land use patterns are leading to degradation, desertification, deforestation, flooding, silting up of reservoirs and waterways, and falling levels of agricultural production, while biodiversity loss and climate change further jeopardize the health and productivity of land.   ABOUT THE PROJECT

Smallholder agriculture remains the main economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa and employs the majority of the people. It accounts for approximately 80 percent of all farms and directly employs about 175 million people (OECD/FAO, 2016). Smallholder farmers also play a key role in increasing food supplies.   ABOUT THE PROJECT In collaboration with: Rabobank Foundation, a corporate foundation that supports cooperatives and member-based organizations through microfinance mechanisms. The foundation assists smallholder farmers and their cooperatives in rural areas. Timeframe: 2013–2019 Benefitting: Smallscale producers and producers’ associations Geographic coverage: Ethiopia and

Soil is a vital and finite resource that is integral to our ecosystems and human well-being and critical for guaranteeing food security and nutrition. Soil is the basis for plant growth and contributes to the maintenance of natural and planted vegetation, and helps to produce 95 percent of our food (FAO, 2015). Through plant growth, soil also plays an important role in supporting animal biodiversity above ground, including wildlife and livestock. Finally, soils improve resilience to floods, droughts and impacts of climate change.   ABOUT THE PROJECT In collaboration with: 

Smallholder farming is the predominant sector in the rural economy of Latin America, producing more than 60 percent of the basic food supply in many countries (CEPAL, FAO and IICA, 2014). Besides playing a central role in national food security and nutrition, smallholder farming also represents an important source of rural employment.   ABOUT THE PROJECT In collaboration with: Telefónica, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world by market capitalization and number...

With Sweden’s contribution through the FMM, FAO was able to provide technical assistance and policy support to seven countries in Africa, boosting their efforts to make agribusinesses and food value chains more inclusive and improve rural women’s access to local and national markets. Running from 2013 through 2018, the project has directly supported female actors in rural small-scale value chains, mainly through women’s associations, cooperatives, unions and farmers’ groups. More specifically, the initiative assisted horticultural producers and processors in Ethiopia, dairy producers in Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, fish smokers in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and clam collectors in...