In September 2014 FAO convened a global symposium on Agroecology for Food Security and Nutrition. This has been followed in 2015 by three regional meetings in Brazil, Senegal and Thailand. In order to continue to develop this regional approach a further Symposium on Agroecology...[more]

Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems1. It focuses on the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. Agroecological practices work in harmony with these...[more]

Agroecological approaches have been given increased attention within FAO. As regional meetings are being held this year, FAO is gearing up to implement Agroecology with partners in the next biennium. [more]

In the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region of Asia, apple production is a major agricultural activity, and is one of the most important crops. Worth approximately US$500 million/year, and for some farmers, up to 80% of total family income derives from apple production....[more]

Why is it important to measure pollination deficits?The health of pollinators may impact the sustained productivity of crops, orchards and pastures. The demise of pollinator groups can affect ecosystems on all levels as it pertains to communities of plants and animals and...[more]

Crop losses to pests are a major problem in sustaining production, and often, pesticides are used as the first line of defense against pests. However, the indiscriminate use of pesticides often impacts negatively on beneficial insects – insects that provide essential ecosystem...[more]

Through support from FAO’s Global Action on Pollination Services, a group of biologists have outlined a simple and cost-effective method for enacting a monitoring system, published online Dec. 12th  in the journal Conservation Biology. A monitoring program should be simple,...[more]

Smallholder farmers will soon be better able to weigh up the cost and benefits of adopting new practices that support some of the most overlooked contributors to global food security - the insects and other animals that pollinate their crops and boost yields.  FAO’s Global...[more]

As a contribution to the International Pollinators Initiative, FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division (AGP) and its partners have collaborated with INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, a public research body of the French government) to develop a protocol...[more]

As part of its contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity, FAO has published a book celebrating the richness of biodiversity for food and agriculture in the Southern Caucasus, birthplace of many common foods found on plates all over the world. Comprising Armenia, ...[more]