FAO’s Conference Resolution 7/2019 – Further integration of sustainable agricultural approaches, including agroecology, in the future planning activities of FAO – was adopted by the 41st Session of the FAO Conference in June 2019.

Through the resolution, the FAO Conference expressed concern over biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation. It reaffirmed the pivotal significance of agriculture in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. It also requested that FAO integrate sustainable agricultural approaches, including agroecology, into the future planning of its activities.

What did the evaluation cover?

The evaluation assessed balanced inclusion in FAO’s work from a selected set of sustainable agricultural approaches from 2016 to 2024.

It covered the extent to which FAO has implemented sustainable agricultural approaches in its strategies and portfolio of work, and the extent to which it has reported on the implementation progress of the resolution.

The evaluation concluded that:

• Sustainable agricultural approaches are embedded under the current FAO Strategic Framework (2022-31) and less visible than in the previous one (2017-2021). Some approaches, such as agroecology, receive less attention than in the past
• FAO lacks updated guidance on principles guiding sustainable agricultural approaches within agrifood system transformation.
• Sustainable agricultural approaches are being increasingly mobilized in FAO’s portfolio of projects and programmes, driven by a rise in climate finance. This expansion in the portfolio is happening with limited guidance and support from Headquarters.
• FAO partially meets the Resolution’s request for regular reporting on the integration of sustainable agricultural approaches into its work.

The Office of Evaluation presented this evaluation at the Programme Committee’s 140th Session.

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