FAO.org

Capture fisheries support the livelihoods of over 120 million people. Small-scale fisheries produce two-thirds of all catches destined for direct human consumption and provide 90% of the employment in the sector. Nicole Franz, Fisheries Planning Analyst and Yvette Diei Ouadi, Fishery Industry Officer of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department explain the importance of supporting small-scale fishers, fish workers and their communities to ensure food security for all. They describe the FAO policy work, including key policy messages. See all videos in the Policy and Governance series:  AR  CH  EN   FR  RU  SP

Pollution, illegal fishing, over-exploitation and climate change have become major threats to aquatic eco-systems. We need to change how the planet's marine and freshwater resources are managed. Lahsen Ababouch, Director of the FAO Fisheries and Agriculture Department together with Rebecca Metzner, Senior Fishery Officer explain how the Blue Growth Initiative contributes to balancing food security, economic growth, social development and the sustainable use of aquatic living resources. They describe the FAO policy work, including key policy messages, to integrating all three. See all videos in the Policy and Governance series :  AR  CH  EN   FR  RU  SP

End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition are at the heart of the sustainable development goals. The World has committed to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2030. But climate change is undermining the livelihoods and food security of the rural poor, who constitute almost 80% of the world’s poor. The effects of climate change on our ecosystems are already severe and widespread. Climate change brings a cascade of impacts from agroecosystems to livelihoods. Climate change impacts directly agroecosystems, which in turn has a potential impact on agricultural production, which drives economic and social impacts, which impact livelihoods. In other [...]

This report provides an overview of how the agriculture sectors have been considered in the INDCs, taking into account the interdependencies characterizing these sectors. It aims to identify the priorities and related needs of countries to inform international cooperation and support. The FAO analysis report aims to complement existing reports (see Annex C) including the UNFCCC synthesis report (2016) by providing a closer look at the agriculture sectors. Building on the results of this analysis, FAO has developed the paper The agricultural sectors in nationally determined contributions (NDCs): Priority areas for international support.  This paper outlines key types of support developing countries will require to effectively implement and [...]

The twelfth joint edition of the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook provides market projections to 2025 for major agricultural commodities, biofuels and fish. The 2016 report contains a special feature on the prospects for, and challenges facing, Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the ten year Outlook period slowing demand growth will be matched by efficiency gains in production, implying relatively flat real agricultural prices. However, market and policy uncertainties imply a risk of resurgent volatility. The outlook for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is for rising food availability, which will support a declining incidence of undernourishment. The sector’s prospects could be much improved by more stable [...]

A technical guide on safeguarding land tenure rights in line with the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, for government authorities involved in the promotion, approval and monitoring of agricultural investments This technical guide elaborates on specific aspects of the VGGT relating to agricultural investments by providing detailed guidance to government authorities and others on actions they can take to help them to create an enabling environment for responsible and sustainable investments. In following this guidance and applying the principles of the VGGT, governments will be more [...]

The Strategy and action plan are part of an initiative of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management in fisheries and aquaculture in the CARICOM and wider Caribbean region. The aim was to develop a strategy and action plan for integrating disaster risk management (DRM), climate change adaptation (CCA) and fisheries and aquaculture, with a focus on small-scale fisheries (SSF) and small-scale aquaculture. The strategy and action plan were reviewed and refined by65 local, national and regional stakeholders during the regional workshop on the Formulation of a strategy, action plan and [...]

The selection of the spatial area designated for aquaculture development and careful selection of farm sites are essential first steps to ensure the success and sustainability of aquaculture. They should be carried out in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, (CCRF) and the Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture (EAA) FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries, No. 5, Suppl. 4. Rome, FAO. 53 pp.

Outbreaks of transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases, including forest pests and aquatic diseases, food safety and radiation events has been increasing over the past years, impacting people’s access to quality food, and putting their livelihoods and health at risk. To address this challenge, FAO established the Food Chain Crisis Management Framework (FCC), an approach combining prevention, preparedness, and response to emergencies affecting the food chain and caused by transboundary animal and plant pests and diseases (including aquatic and forests pests and diseases), food safety and radiological threats.

This booklet presents the key messages of FAO on climate change and food security. It includes a synthesis of the most recent support provided by FAO to countries to face the impacts of climate change. It also brings together the most relevant knowledge on climate change including tools and methodologies FAO can offer to countries to report on their greenhouse gas emissions coming from the agriculture, livestock and forestry sectors.