This opinion paper discusses basic information regarding regional integration and parliamentary work that contribute to FAO’s Hand in Hand Initiative’s proposal through support to family farming and the fght against hunger and malnutrition. It does so through examples from cooperation in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, taking into consideration the need to develop and implement policies specifcally designed to small farmers in a moment when a pandemic with implications on the global economy, public health, and fght against hunger and malnutrition threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and leads us to concentrate on how re-build the world in a fairer way, taking all into account and leaving no-one behind.

FAO's Food Outlook report assesses output and market trends for major commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting overall resilience but hard times for fish and fruit value chains. Global trade in food products has proven remarkably resilient during the pandemic, with developing countries even managing to increase export revenues, according to a new report published today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Data available through June "suggest strong, albeit not complete, resilience of the global food markets to COVID-19 shocks", the semi-annual Food Outlook says in a special feature on recent trends in food imports bills and export earnings. 

As acute food insecurity levels appear to be reaching new highs globally, also as a result of the socio-economic fallout of measures imposed to contain the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), this joint FAO-WFP report aims to raise an early warning on 20 countries and situations - called hotspots - that, starting from already significant levels of acute food insecurity in early 2020, are facing the risk of a further rapid deterioration over the next months. Through a forward-looking analysis on potential evolutions of food insecurity drivers, this report aims to inform urgent action to safeguard the most vulnerable communities in the countries covered.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2020 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.

Agricultural markets and sustainable development: Global value chains, smallholder farmers and digital innovations.  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. Along these themes, SOCO 2020 discusses policies and institutions that can promote inclusive economic growth and also harness markets to contribute towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.