The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2020

23/09/2020

The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2020 (SOCO 2020) aims to discuss policies and mechanisms that promote sustainable outcomes – economic, social and environmental – in agricultural and food markets, both global and domestic. The analysis is organized along the trends and challenges that lie at the heart of global discussions on trade and development. These include the evolution of trade and markets; the emergence of global value chains in food and agriculture; the extent to which smallholder farmers in developing countries participate in value chains and markets; and the transformative impacts of digital technology on markets.

FAO + Belgium: Innovative Solutions for Zero Hunger

04/09/2020

Belgium is a key strategic partner for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), supporting the Organization’s mandate for both humanitarian and development activities. The country is generously funding innovative and critical areas in support of food security, economic growth, employment and income generation to foster resilient and sustainable development, in addition to hosting the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels. The strategic alignment between Belgium’s and FAO’s priorities is strong, and is the foundation of the partnership.

The European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition

27/08/2020

The European Parliamentary Alliance against Hunger and Malnutrition, established in 2016, has been and will continue to be instrumental in connecting Members of the European Parliament and in enabling them to engage actively in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. The Alliance provides a platform for policy dialogue and awareness-raising on the right to adequate food for all; on the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition; and on making agriculture more sustainable and resilient. FAO, which acts as Secretariat of the Alliance, will support its future activities and will work tirelessly with the European Parliamentarians and other partners on making sure the world has enough good and nutritious food.

This brochure describes the activities of the Alliance in Brussels and beyond and is being used to engage, inform and attract more Parliamentarians to join the Alliance.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

13/07/2020

Five years after the world committed to end hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition, we are still off track to achieve this objective by 2030. Data tell us that the world is progressing neither towards SDG target 2.1, of ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people all year round, nor towards target 2.2, of eradicating all forms of malnutrition.

There are many threats to progress. The 2017 and 2018 editions of this report showed that conflict and climate variability and extremes undermine efforts to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. In 2019, the report showed that economic slowdowns and downturns also undercut these efforts. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as unprecedented desert locust outbreaks in Eastern Africa, are obscuring economic prospects in ways no one could have anticipated, and the situation may only get worse if we do not act urgently and take unprecedented action.

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020

08/06/2020

The 2020 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture has a particular focus on sustainability. This reflects a number of specific considerations. First, 2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (the Code). Second, several Sustainable Development Goal indicators mature in 2020. Third, FAO hosted the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability in late 2019, and fourth, 2020 sees the finalization of specific FAO guidelines on sustainable aquaculture growth, and on social sustainability along value chains.

The world’s appetite for fish and fish products shows no sign of slowing. This report demonstrates the significant and growing role of fisheries and aquaculture in providing food, nutrition and employment. The fisheries and aquaculture sector significantly expanded in the past decades and total production, trade and consumption reached an all-time record in 2018. However since early 1990s, most growth in production from the sector as a whole has been from aquaculture, while capture fisheries production has been relatively stable, with some growth essentially concerning inland capture.

The State of the World's Forests 2020

22/05/2020

As the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011–2020 comes to a close and countries prepare to adopt a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, this edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Forests cover just over 30 percent of the global land area, yet they provide habitat for the vast majority of the terrestrial plant and animal species known to science. Unfortunately, forests and the biodiversity they contain continue to be under threat from actions to convert the land to agriculture or unsustainable levels of exploitation, much of it illegal.

The State of the World’s Forests 2020 assesses progress to date in meeting global targets and goals related to forest biodiversity and examines the effectiveness of policies, actions and approaches, in terms of both conservation and sustainable development outcomes. A series of case studies provide examples of innovative practices that combine conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity to create balanced solutions for both people and the planet.