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This policy brief is based on the FAO (2018) report “Policy coherence for agricultural transformation in African least developed countries: Aligning agriculture and trade policymaking processes”. The report presents the results of the Multi-partner Programme Support Mechanism (FMM) Project on Trade related capacity development for food security and nutrition in Eastern and Southern Africa, implemented by FAO and focusing on four least developed countries in Africa: Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia.

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 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2019 consists of three main sections: 1) an in-depth situation analysis of Sustainable Development Goal 2 Target 2.1 (to end hunger and ensure access to food by all) and Target 2.2 (to end all forms of malnutrition), as well as the state of micronutrient deficiencies; 2) an analysis of the drivers and determinants of food security and nutrition; and 3) a special look at the structural transformations of agriculture, food systems and nutrition.   This edition introduces analysis on the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity, based on [...]

In the race to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and attain the aspirations of the Agenda 2063 and the 2025 Malabo Goals of the African Union, young men and women are the key drivers in our combined efforts to reach the finish line on time. The 2014 AU Malabo Summit reconfirmed that agricultural transformation should remain high on the development agenda of the continent, emphasizing its instrumentality for an inclusive growth. The youth play important roles in promoting economic growth and shared prosperity in their communities and countries. Their energy, resourcefulness and optimism are powerful catalysts for them to be important [...]

The document presents a description of the structure of the rural environment, demography, the supply of goods and services, the main inequalities, levels of poverty, importance and role of family agriculture and other economic activities (diversification), the main features of rural society and the presence of the private sector. It will also discuss trends in migration and other social or economic processes relevant to the description of the rural situation. The text will also discuss the importance of rural development in achieving the SDGs by identifying the current situation and the extent of change required to meet the SDGs.  

The document presents a description of the structure of the rural environment, demography, the supply of goods and services, the main inequalities, levels of poverty, importance and role of family agriculture and other economic activities (diversification), the main features of rural society and the presence of the private sector. It will also discuss trends in migration and other social or economic processes relevant to the description of the rural situation. The text also discusses the importance of rural development in achieving the SDGs by identifying the current situation and the extent of change required to meet the SDGs.

The document presents a description of the structure of the rural environment, demography, the supply of goods and services, the main inequalities, levels of poverty, importance and role of family agriculture and other economic activities (diversification), the main features of rural society and the presence of the private sector. It will also discuss trends in migration and other social or economic processes relevant to the description of the rural situation. The text also discusses the importance of rural development in achieving the SDGs by identifying the current situation and the extent of change required to meet the SDGs.  

This brochure highlights the important role that social protection has to play in addressing many of the barriers poor rural households face in building resilient and sustainable livelihoods. Despite progress in recent decades, 736 million people worldwide still live in extreme poverty. Most are in rural areas, possess few or no assets and depend on agriculture and the use of natural resources for their livelihoods. A number of programmes have demonstrated not only that social protection can have significant impacts on poverty, but also that even low-income countries can afford to provide it for their citizens, if they commit to [...]

In October 2019, the IsDB and FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa partnered to deliver the first Regional Workshop on Climate-Smart Agriculture in the NENA region. The IsDB now aims to ensure that all their offices are aware of CSA and are able to make investments that meaningfully take CSA and its principles into account. In so doing, they aim to enhance the capacity of the agricultural systems to support food security, incorporating the need for adaptation and the potential for mitigation into sustainable agriculture development strategies. FAO is proud to bring the four-day training on [...]

More than 70 million young people are unemployed worldwide and 160 million young workers are living in poverty. Rural youth and women, in particular, face significant obstacles in obtaining quality education and training. Many depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and face severe constraints without access to land, credit or markets. FAO has designed an integrated country approach to work with governments to design youth-inclusive agri-food development policies. Through capacity building, entrepreneurial support and investment promotion, countries can increase job opportunities in the agri-food system, boosting youth employment and ensuring a high-quality agricultural workforce.