Forests harbour a large proportion of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity, which continues to be lost at an alarming rate. Deforestation is the single most important driver of forest biodiversity loss with 10 million ha of forest converted every year to other land uses, primarily for agriculture. Up to 30 percent...

Access to external finance for smallholder forest and farm producers is limited, hindering their effective action on climate, nature, livelihoods and food security. However, forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs) can mobilise internally-generated finance.  This briefing maps three stages and 11 steps that FFPOs use to establish savings groups and larger...

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) we find ourselves in a paradox. On the one hand, the region boasts 40% of the worlds biodiversity, half of the worlds tropical forests, the largest reserve of freshwater, 12% of the worlds mangroves and six of the most megadiverse countries. On the...

In 1992 the United Nations committed to promoting a gender perspective in all environmental and development programs and to establishing mechanisms for assessing the impact of environmental policies on women. However, 30 years later most countries acknowledge that they have not integrated that perspective into policy assessments. This paper provides...

The scope and complexity of international forest-related governance have expanded tremendously over the last decades. As many as 41 ‘institutional elements’ were counted by scholars (from UNFF to UNFCCC to SDGs). The questions of how these governance arrangements ‘perform’, for what purpose and for whom are widely contested between scholars...

Alternative farming systems have developed since the beginning of industrial agriculture. Organic, biodynamic, conservation farming, agroecology and permaculture, all share a grounding in ecological concepts and a belief that farmers should work with nature rather than damage it. As ecology-based agricultures rely greatly on soil organisms to perform the functions...

Ce carnet relate la démarche suivie par le Gret pour faciliter l’émergence d’une gouvernance partagée du service d’eau potable dans la région de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, dans le contexte d’une réforme nationale de délégation de service public. Dans la continuité d’un accompagnement de plus de quinze ans, l’adoption d’une approche par...

Les agriculteurs confrontés à l’étalement urbain sont diversement en phase avec les demandes des citadins en services et produits alimentaires locaux. Notre étude de la plaine Ouest de Montpellier, en France, ville côtière méditerranéenne particulièrement attractive, révèle le maintien d’une base agricole viticole coexistant avec de nouvelles formes d’agriculture. Des...

The agricultural and rural development policy seeks to facilitate the transition towards environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral agricultural practices, with a focus on human capital, knowledge, and innovation. Gender equality can play a significant role in promoting environmentally sustainable practices in the agricultural sector, particularly through the adoption and implementation of...

Soils are critical for agriculture and natural ecosystems and need protection, and adherence to nature's principles. The objective of this work is to understand how nature manages resources and describe management of the 'living soil’ and its soil productivity and use nature's laws as guidelines for the management. These guidelines provide the...

What is the future for family farming? This was the question posed in a technical discussion bringing together family farmers, representatives of governments, researchers, and experts from FAO and IFAD held at FAO headquarters in January. The “Future of Family Farming” meeting was held within the framework of the UN Decade...

The impacts of the climate and biodiversity crises on people’s livelihoods and opportunities differ greatly based on their gender and other intersecting identity factors. Populations that face systemic marginalization and discrimination are often disproportionately affected.  International actors and scientific bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental...

In this 6th factsheet in the series on ultra-processed food (UPF) in Africa, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) briefly discuss how UPF is impacting ecological health and functioning, and driving the interconnected biodiversity, climate, and pollution crises on the continent. Over the last two decades, food systems have undergone massive transformations. It...

In this series focusing on ultra-processed food (UPF) on the African continent, the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) explore the impacts of shifting dietary patterns, with increasing reliance on low-cost, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) globally, and in Africa in particular, in the context of an urgent call for a just, agroecological...

The publication offers a rich diversity of perspectives and insights from real-life experiences of 42 inspiring teams of youths in Africa and India who are blazing a trail as private extension and advisory service providers promoting agroecology through farmer-to-farmer learning videos. Each of the deeply compelling stories presented in this...

Small-scale fisheries (SSF), including fishers and fishworkers together with their communities and organizations, are among the world’s most effective contributors to safeguarding aquatic resources and environments. Living near to, and relying on, freshwater and marine aquatic species and environments, small-scale fisheries are at the heart of environmental conservation and stewardship...

Seed embodies life, power, and culture. From Africa’s deserts and drylands to its mighty river systems and tropical forests, from those growing a multiplicity of grains, legumes, and vegetables, to others struggling to produce enough to feed their families, seed provides the mainstay for the continent’s 500 million small-scale farmers...

Improving the gender-responsiveness of design and delivery of rural finance interventions through innovative approaches and mechanisms is important for promoting rural women’s economic empowerment. This document highlights practical and actionable approaches from the sector in order to guide the work of practitioners engaging at country level to pursue the above...

The purpose of this manual is to give the reader a foundation of practical knowledge regarding all aspects of Pacific oyster cultivation. It is targeted at new entrants to the market wishing to establish a farm, and existing operators who wish to develop their farms and explore new cultivation techniques....

Motivation Communities across the global south use their rich indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) to predict weather events and climate hazards. ILK may assist efforts to address climate change challenges in Africa and make subsequent decisions regarding climate adaptation. Purpose The article documents evidence of the ILK's potential in reducing vulnerability to climate...