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This paper looks at the main characteristics of rural transformation and the current lives of young rural women in East and Southern Africa, and identifies the key actions necessary to ensure that they have equal opportunities to participate in, and benefit from, the process of rural transformation.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 is an important measure of global progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. It gives an updated estimate of the number of hungry people in the world, including regional and national breakdowns, and the latest data on child stunting and wasting as well as on adult and child obesity. The report also offers analysis of the drivers of hunger and malnutrition, and this year includes a special focus on the impact of economic slowdowns and downturns. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019 [...]

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets presents a universally accepted and comprehensive framework addressing all aspects and dimensions of sustainability. The integration of the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approach with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda provides an opportunity to enhance the overall sustainability of CSA results and synergize CSA interventions with other sustainable development efforts.To achieve this integration, a clear understanding of how the CSA implementation process can engage with the 2030 Agenda throughout the five CSA implementation steps is required. Moreover, the interlinkages between CSA objectives and [...]

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is recognized as critically important for tracking progress, whether it serves the purpose of accountability to donors, informs future improvements to CSA practices, or contributes to the aggregate global progress toward meeting the SDGs or the global stocktake under the Paris Agreement. There has been a growing chorus acknowledging the need to align the indicators and M&E frameworks of major donors with those of the three global agreements. Monitoring and reporting has begun on the SDGs, although the development of methodologies for various indicators is an evolving process. The development of specific indicators for the agriculture [...]

With increased international climate finance for adaptation, and the emergence of national adaptation plans and adaptation projects, there is a greater focus on the economic appraisal of adaptation. Economic appraisal is standard practice in public sector investment decisions in many countries, as well as in international development finance and overseas development assistance. It provides support to decision makers to help ensure the appropriate use of public finance, and to assess alternative options available for meeting objectives, by assessing costs, benefits and performance against other decision criteria. This publication reviews available information on the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation [...]

Social protection is recognized as an effective strategy for poverty eradication. It also contributes to promoting good health and well-being, achieving decent employment, fostering economic growth and reducing inequalities – objectives that are reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG targets 1.3, 3.8, 5.4 and 10.4). When designed to reduce and prevent poverty, food insecurity, and vulnerability across the life cycle – social protection policies and programmes can effectively support vulnerable households to improve their lives. The issue lies in the fact that only 45 per cent of the global population is currently effectively covered by at least one social benefit [...]

Livestock provide valuable nutritional benefits as well as supporting livelihoods and the resilience of families and communities. Demand for animal products continues to grow in response to rising population and increasing wealth, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In spite of productivity gains, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are also increasing. Successful action on climate change through practical action in livestock agrifood systems is an urgent priority, but must not come at the expense of other sustainability objectives, particularly those relating hunger and poverty. Hence there is a need to balance the benefits of animal-source foods and livestock keeping for [...]

This study will be technically led by the ILO and its Regional Office for the Arab States, with technical and financial support of FAO, in collaboration and coordination with the League of Arab States and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) . The current study will be based on sectoral analysis of child labour in the Arab countries, drawing comparisons between countries (or groups of countries with similar child labour characteristics) according to economic sectors of children’s involvement in the labour market. It will provide quantitative and qualitative analyses concerning the main sectors where child labour is concentrated, in [...]

FAO recognizes that those living in rural areas whose livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources, are disproportionately affected by climate risks because of their great likelihood of living in high-risk geographical locations as well as their high vulnerability to, and limited capacity to cope with, climate hazards due to low incomes, lack of savings, weaker social networks, low asset bases and heavy reliance on agriculture and natural resources. Protecting poor and vulnerable small scale producers from the negative impacts of climate risks is an imperative in order to reach FAO’s strategic objectives and achieve Sustainable development goal one and two. Managing [...]

This report summarizes the state of biodiversity for food and agriculture in Near East and North Africa based on the information provided in country reports submitted to FAO as part of the reporting process for The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.