Agrifood systems are central to food security and nutrition, economic growth, environmental sustainability and rural development. Yet, their immense potential and contribution are jeopardized by current major global challenges: economic slowdowns and downturns, rising inequalities, weather extreme events, depleted natural resources and stagnating agricultural productivity. Making these systems more efficient, sustainable and resilient requires aligning private incentives with societal goals, while managing both current and future scarcity of natural, economic and fiscal resources. Economics exist to address these two essential questions and provide the tools to inform public policies. FAO supports countries navigating interconnected economic, social and environmental pressures by providing the evidence, analysis and policy expertise needed to inform decisions and drive positive change through effective policies and strategic investments.

Hosted at the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) – a global centre of excellence in agrifood economic analysis – this programme of work combines state-of-the-art economic modelling, advanced econometrics, foresight and innovative approaches from macroeconomics, microeconomics, agricultural, behavioural and experimental economics. We generate evidence to anticipate risks, evaluate trade-offs, and identify opportunities in the short and long term. Our work spans the macro level of national and global economies, the meso level of sectors, markets and value chains, and the micro level of households, firms and individuals. This multi-layer approach allows us to design policies and investments that strengthen resilience, accelerate sustainable transformation, and enable countries to address challenges such as climate change, market volatility and resource constraints, while unlocking opportunities – particularly the bioeconomy.

By turning evidence into policy action, FAO supports Members in addressing today's challenges and preparing for tomorrow's opportunities, helping to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life for all.