Publications
This section features a series of publications related to ComDev and RCS: 1) technical documents; 2) reports; and 3) guidelines, among others.
Participatory video in agrifood systems and digital environments
15/11/2024
This course offers a comprehensive guide for implementing participatory video (PV) within the Communication for Development (ComDev) approach. PV serves as an interactive tool to foster inclusive and sustainable development by mirroring local realities and sharing people’s values, cultures and perceptions. In essence, PV helps organizations and practitioners in rural areas facilitate inclusive development processes and initiatives.
RCS for family farming
11/09/2024
The United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF) aims to promote integrated actions and crosssectoral policies to advance family farming. It recognizes rural communication services as key factors and assets to be developed and promoted as part of family farming and sustainable food systems. This twopage flyer offers access to recently published studies, reports and other documents related to rural communication services and other inclusive innovation approaches...
Morning session of the technical seminar on Rural Communication Services (RCS) and Inclusive Innovation Approaches for Family Farming (29 April 2024, 9am CEST)
29/04/2024
The UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF) aims to empower family farmers as key agents of agrifood systems transformation in line with the SDGs. Acknowledging the role of Rural Communication Services (RCS) in facilitating this process, a technical seminar on RCS and Inclusive Innovation Approaches for Family Farming was held on April 29, 2024 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome.
Afternoon session of the technical seminar on Rural Communication Services (RCS) and Inclusive Innovation Approaches for Family Farming (29 April 2024, 2pm CEST)
24/04/2024
The technical seminar on RCS and Inclusive Innovation Approaches for Family Farming was held on April 29, 2024 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome. It aimed to share perspectives and identify ways forward in RCS; showcase inclusive knowledge-sharing methods; and foster synergies between inclusive RCS and innovation approaches for family farming.
Rural communication services for family farming in Africa. Regional consultation and forum
10/04/2024
The Global Action Plan of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF) recognizes the need to promote Rural Communication Services (RCS) to advance sustainable food systems. This report summarizes the results and takeaways of online consultations and a virtual Regional Forum on RCS for Family Farming in Africa, organized in 2022 by Yenkasa Africa in collaboration with FAO, farmers’ organizations, rural institutions and communication networks.
Rural communication services: Trends and experiences in Asia and the Pacific
01/04/2024
This study examines RCS trends in family farming and rural transformation in Asia and the Pacific through case studies emphasizing the need for participatory, farmer-centered communication. The study concludes with recommendations for embedding RCS into family farming policies and programmes, fostering development opportunities for family farmers and rural communities in the region.
Rural communication services for family farming in Asia and the Pacific
15/03/2024
The Global Action Plan of the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF 2019-28) recognizes the need to promote rural communication services (RCS) to advance sustainable food systems. This report summarizes the results and takeaways of online consultations and a virtual Regional Forum on RCS for Family Farming in Asia and the Pacific, organized in 2022 by ComDev Asia (CDA) in collaboration with FAO, farmers’ organizations, rural institutions and communication networks.
Rural communication services for family farming. Results of a global forum
13/03/2024
The Global Action Plan of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF) recognizes the need to promote rural communication services (RCS) to advance sustainable food systems.This report presents a comprehensive summary of the virtual UNDFF Forum on Inclusive RCS for Family Farming, which took place on 11 July 2022. The report captures the key outcomes from global and regional processes, offering guidance for promoting and advancing RCS for family farmers.
Transforming rural Africa. Trends and experiences in rural communication services
01/03/2024
The UN Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028) acknowledges the importance of inclusive rural communication services (RCS) to advance economic, environmental and social dimensions of family farming. Focusing on Africa, this study examines the role of RCS in rural transformation and family farming and provides insights for the region.
Participatory video in agrifood systems and digital environments: A practitioner’s guide
11/12/2023
Participatory video is a communication approach to video production and sharing in which community members and stakeholders actively participate in the planning, creation and dissemination of video content. This practitioner’s guide provides step-by-step guidance for using participatory video to advance sustainable agrifood systems. It can be used to orient training events or as a stand-alone resource for self-learning.
Inclusive rural communication services
04/10/2017
This publication is the first scoping study aimed at compiling existing evaluation cases in the field of Communication for Development as applied to agricultural and rural development initiatives. It draws on a literature review and 19 cases across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean comparing evidence of evaluative approaches, methods and outcomes of communication programmes and rural communication services.
Communication for rural development
13/07/2016
This course is meant to enable development and communication professionals to design and implement rural communication strategies combining participatory methods with communication processes, media and tools best suited for a specific situation.
Rural Communication Services for Family Farming: Contributions, evidence and perspectives
03/02/2016
Rural communication services (RCS) can translate farmers’ right to communication into fair and transparent regulatory frameworks allowing equitable access to information and communication services in rural areas. FAO convened an international Forum on Communication for Development & Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM): the participants addressed opportunities for promoting RCS and considered how to better integrate these services into agricultural policies.
Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management: A Field Guide
16/03/2015
Planning Communication for Agricultural Disaster Risk Management is a field guide for the design and implementation of communication for development activities to increase resilience and protect the livelihoods of rural communities. It provides a complete overview of how to assess rural people’s communication needs and how to plan and implement ComDev activities in the context of disaster risk management, crisis preparedness and emergency response in agriculture, food security and nutrition.
Communication for rural development: Guidelines for planning and project formulation
27/10/2014
The Communication for Rural Development Guidelines for Planning and Project Formulation provide development planners with practical orientation on how to plan and monitor Communication for Development activities as part of the project cycle, so that overall effectiveness and sustainability may be improved.
Farming for the Future: Communication efforts to advance family farming
15/09/2014
Today family farming is the predominant form of agriculture in the world. Communication lies at the core of the process of change that involves family farming. This document has been prepared to inspire reflection on the role of communication in advancing family farming. It provides examples of ComDev approaches applied to farming and rural development with special attention to the experiences generated by farmers’ organizations.
Communication for Rural Development Sourcebook
24/06/2014
Today more than ever smallholders and rural communities require access to information and communication to make their voices heard and change their lives for the better. The Communication for Rural Development Sourcebook provides communication practitioners, development professionals and field workers with a comprehensive set of guidelines, illustrative experiences and learning tools to apply communication in agriculture and rural development initiatives.
Mainstreaming Communication for Development in Policies: Enabling social inclusion to support food and nutrition security, resilient rural livelihoods and family farming, Rome, 16-18 September 2014
10/06/2014
In September 2014, FAO hosted the XIII UN Inter-Agency Roundtable on Communication for Development to discuss its role within the UN system. The main focus was on enhancing policy processes in Food and Nutrition Security, Family Farming, and Resilient Rural Livelihoods through better access to information, increased citizen-government interaction, public-private partnerships, and knowledge sharing.
FAO Expert Consultation - Communication for Development - Meeting today's agriculture and rural development challenges
08/11/2011
FAO’s Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension (OEK) organized an Expert Consultation on Communication for Development: Meeting Today’s Agriculture and Rural Development Challenges, from 14 to 16 September, 2011. The main purpose was to identify challenges and strategic actions to maximize ComDev contribution to the agriculture and rural development sector, while positioning it in the work of the Organization.
Communication and sustainable development. Selected papers from the 9th UN Roundtable on Communication for Development
24/09/2007
The 9th UN Roundtable (Rome, September 2004) focused on “Communication and Sustainable Development” and addressed three key inter-related themes: Communication in Research, Extension and Education; Communication for Natural Resource Management; and Communication for Isolated and Marginalized Groups. The selected papers presented in this publication provided the background to the working sessions of the Roundtable offering views and perspectives that contributed greatly to its results.