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Entrenched food insecurity and malnutrition is a major concern in Afghanistan. It can be explained by several factors, including limited availability, fragile accessibility and instability of food supplies, among others. Food security and nutrition(FSN) is therefore a high priority on the agenda of the Government of Afghanistan. However, capacity constraints in the field of planning and management of FSN policies, programmes and projects remained a challenge for the successful implementation of FSN interventions. Against this background, the project focused on strengthening national capacities in FSN programming and implementation, and in reviewing, analysing, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the food security and [...]

Large numbers of people in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region suffer from hunger and malnutrition, with recent estimates indicating that 14.9 percent of the people in the region suffer from hunger or undernourishment. There is also a continued high incidence of malnutrition. In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, new strategies are required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) of eliminating hunger and malnutrition by 2030. It was realized that a SAARC-level regional framework and plan of action would help to enhance and complement national-level efforts in this field. A new regional [...]

Azerbaijan wishes to promote organic farming, as demand for organic products is growing every year on both the domestic and export markets. The natural soil and climatic conditions are favourable for organic farming in the country, while the existence of scientific and educational institutions in the agrarian sector and experienced farmers in the regions may provide a suitable environment for promoting organic agriculture in the country. Despite the country’s significant agricultural potential, agricultural productivity and its profitability vary widely across the regions. Although the country’s agricultural sector contributes around 6 percent to GDP, the lack of modernization means that productivity [...]

Agriculture is the most important sector for the economy of Ghana, and for its continued growth, the use and management of agricultural inputs, such as pesticides, had to be improved. Since 2009, obsolete pesticides have been stored in the temporary storage facility at the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate office, close to a water body that provides water for the surrounding communities. The poor storage of stockpiles posed a severe risk to people's health and the environment. Therefore, this project was implemented to dispose of the hazardous chemicals and build the institutional capacity to manage them in the future, [...]

Rice has been cultivated for many decades in Fiji, and is a major source of food for its population. However, the country’s rice industry has increasingly weakened over these years, as the rice area and production has declined, while rice yield growth has been stagnant or marginal. As a result, the country has had to import more than 80 percent of the total rice demanded annually. Against this background, the Government of Fiji has committed to revitalizing the rice industry and ensuring the reduction of rice imports by 2020. The project aimed to strengthen the capacity of related government departments, [...]

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston was one of the strongest tropical cyclones to make landfall in Fiji. The loss of food crops, livestock, fisheries and related infrastructures caused by the cyclone was extensive and a State of Natural Disaster was declared by the Government of Fiji on 20 February 2016. The objective of this emergency project was the rapid re-establishment of agricultural and fisheries production in the most affected households. The project aimed to provide the inputs and technical support needed to revive livelihoods and restore food security to households and communities in the most affected areas.

This document summarizes the online consultation Strengthening the linkages between agriculture and social protection: designing coherent approaches for improving food security and nutrition in vulnerable households, which was held on the FAO Forum on Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia (FSN Forum in ECA) from 6 November to 17 December 2018.  The consultation was initiated in the framework of the project “Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia”, funded by the Russian Federation and led by the FAO Agricultural Development Economics Division. Also available in Russian 

The recommendations have been elaborated building upon the main findings of the CFS High Level Panel of Expert’s report on Sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition: what roles for livestock? The sustainable development of agriculture, including livestock, is essential for poverty reduction and the achievement of food security and nutrition. The recommendations aim to strengthen the contribution of the livestock sector to sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition (FSN) and contribute to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food, in the overall context of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognizing the essential role [...]

These recommendations draw on the outcomes of the CFS High-Level Forum on Connecting Smallholders to Markets held in June 2015, are based on existing evidence and aim to encourage good policies and practices. The recommendations are intended to contribute to meeting the mandate of the Committee to strive for a world free from hunger where countries implement the Voluntary Guidelines for the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security. They complement but do not restate recommendations and relevant guidance previously provided in other CFS products.  

This policy brief highlights the recommendations on "Investing in Smallholder Agriculture for Food Security and Nutrition", endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), 40th Session 2013.