Transitioning toward more sustainable agricultural development paths requires extensive change and not simply marginal technical adjustments, as suggested by a strong conception of agroecology. To deal with transition, we believe that agroecology can be enriched by a deep analysis of sustainability transition frameworks and, conversely, that preexisting theories can be...

In January 2018, 48 percent of the population of South Sudan (just over 5.3 million) was classified in the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Phases 3 (“Crisis”), 4 (“Emergency”) and 5 (“Catastrophe”). This represents an increase of about 40 percent relative to the same time last year. In July, at the...

A new study has found that food products linked to their place of origin are economically and socially beneficial to rural areas and promote sustainable development. Food products registered with a Geographical Indication (GI) label boast an annual trade value of over $50 billion worldwide. Such products have specific characteristics,...

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe and the ECOMERS Laboratory of the University of Cote d’Azur jointly organized an event as part of the Monaco Ocean Week on Wednesday April 11 2018 in Monaco to draw attention to the SSCF as part of the solution to the problems facing the Mediterranean.

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region with its generally arid climate, predicted population growth and increased water scarcity, needs a coordinated regional approach, among others, to increase fish production and consumption, rural employment and the sustainable use and conservation of the aquatic resources. In this respect, the “Integrated...

Migration is part and parcel of the history of humankind and accompanies the evolution of societies. Human mobility has always been part of the process of economic, social and human development. As societies undergo transformation, people inevitably move within and between countries in search of better opportunities. In fact, migration is recognized in the UN Sustainable Development Goals...

Family farmers have been innovating since the dawn of agriculture. Fostering the capacity of the millions of family farmers to innovate is especially crucial today as they face unprecedented challenges that affect their livelihoods as well as the sustainability of the world’s food and agriculture systems.

The “Train the trainer event” was an important milestone of the CSact! Project team, as one of the main activity of the project is the adaptation of the Be part of CSA! Training programme to local contexts. 18 international participants from 7 European countries met in Vác (a small city...

A system as vastly complex as food requires a systems approach. To understand and influence the interrelated economic, ecological, and social drivers of our current food systems we are initially focused on the following three impact areas: agroecology; climate, health, and well-being; and true cost accounting. We aim to accelerate the...

There will be a full schedule of presentations, discussions and activities. Some of the highlights of the Conference include a Ministerial Roundtable on Zero Hunger, a Roundtable on "Imagining future healthy and inclusive food systems in Asia and the Pacific,” an Exhibition honoring the achievements and progress of the 10 Regional...

In the framework of its three years project “Mainstreaming small-scale low impact fisheries in the Mediterranean” funded by the MAVA Foundation, LIFE plans to reinforce its presence on the ground in order to provide increased support to the small-scale fishing communities in the region. Following a comprehensive interview process Prof. Iuri Peri was selected...

FAO and Iraq have had a significant history of cooperation since the country joined the Organization in 1945. Assistance has targeted a wide range of areas, including emergency and rehabilitation, and has proved to be very successful in establishing agricultural research and extension institutes. Support has also included the provision...

This report explores three different scenarios for the future of food and agriculture, based on alternative trends for key drivers, including income growth and distribution, population growth, technical progress and climate change. Building on the report The future of food and agriculture – Trends and challenges, this publication forms part of...

One of the main issues of the commercialization of agriculture is the lack of storage capacity for the farmers’ organizations (FOs) especially those that produce fresh vegetables. Without effective storage system, farmers cannot consolidate their produce and manage demand-supply opportunities properly. That is why oftentimes, there is too much supply...

As part of FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative (BGI) the FAO Member Countries of the Eastern Africa Sub-Region met to agree on a strategy for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture within the Blue Growth Initiative in Eastern Africa (BGI Strategy). The BGI is an FAO flagship initiative that aims at...

At the National Seed Dialogue and Celebration, hosted by the African Centre for Biodiversity, smallholder farmers, activists and government officials gathered at the Women’s Jail at Constitution Hill to discuss issues of farmer-seed systems and seed policies and laws. Claire Rousell's bog gives an overview of this event and ots...

The Support to Farmers’ Organizations in Africa Programme (SFOAP): Main phase (2013 - 2018) is a continental programme which strengthens the institutional capacities, policy engagement and engagement of value chains of African farmers’ organizations (FOs). The programme supports the 5 regional networks of African FOs (EAFF, PROPAC, ROPPA, SACAU and UMNAGRI),...

LIFE members from Ireland – the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation launch a campaign to ask decision-makers to support a groundbreaking Heritage License Bill that would allow to allocate a small percentage of the Irish national quota to the islands’ fishers, thus preventing island populations from dwindling.

The opening editorial Comment in the current issue argues that as the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) gets under way, it is imperative to lobby for policies and processes that will empower small-scale fishing...

In the wake of tropical cyclone Ockhi, the focus now should be on improving at-sea cyclone preparedness and search-and-rescue co-ordination to save precious lives.