Publications
The State of the World
FAO’s State of the World collection comprises the Organization’s flagship reports. Published annually or biennially, these are data-rich and analytically complex publications: they provide a global snapshot of topics associated with food and agriculture.
The collection is increasingly structured to gauge progress towards the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is aimed at policymakers; donors; international organizations; academia; and journalists and researchers specializing in food security, agrifood systems, the environment and international development.
The State of Food and Agriculture
Addressing land degradation across landholding scales
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition
The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture 2025
publication
The 2025 edition of The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture underscores the urgent challenges of human-induced land degradation, water scarcity, and climate change, and their impact on agricultural productivity and ecosystems.
The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets
Trade, resilience and food security: Global food markets under stress
The State of the World's Forests
Forest pathways for green recovery
The State of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Blue Transformation in action
Recent Publications
Bees Matter: The importance of bees and other pollinators for food and agriculture
05/2018
Launched on the occasion of the first observance of World Bee Day, this brochure aims to raise awareness on the role of bees and other pollinators in increasing food security and fighting hunger as well as in providing key ecosystem services for agriculture.
Improving diets in an era of food market transformation
05/2018
The policy brief recommends ways in which governments can encourage food industry partners to provide consumers with better access to healthier diets. Read press release.
The Benefits and Risks of Solar-Powered Irrigation-A Global Overview
05/2018
Solar powered irrigation systems are now an affordable and climate-friendly technology for both large and small-scale farmers in developing countries, however they need to be adequately managed and regulated to avoid the risk of unsustainable water use, stresses the report.
Making forest concessions in the tropics work to achieve the 2030 Agenda: Voluntary Guidelines
05/2018
Released during the United Nations Forum on Forests (New York, 7−11 May), the Voluntary Guidelines show how to make forest concessions an effective economic instrument capable of delivering sustainable forest management and generate socio-economic benefits to relevant stakeholders, thereby contributing to Agenda 2030.
Soil Pollution: A Hidden Reality
05/2018
Launched during the Global Symposium on Soil Pollution (Rome, 2−4 May), this report on soil pollution explains how to manage and remediate polluted soils. It includes risk assessment approaches and suggests changes to agronomic practices.
Strengthening sustainable food systems through geographical indications
04/2018
From Moroccan saffron to Cameroonian pepper, a new study called Strengthening sustainable food systems through geographical indications, produced by FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), highlights the multiple benefits of geographical indication labelling. The study analyzes the economic impact of geographic indications through nine case studies, ranging from Darjeeling tea (India) to Kona coffee (United States). Press release
Safeguarding Our Water
04/2018
Water is essential for every form of life. It is also an integral part of every aspect of FAO’s work: from agriculture to forests and fisheries; from climate change to crises caused by conflict. In a context of growing populations and food demands, increasing pressure from agricultural production and changing weather patterns, there is a widening gap in water quality and availability among regions. On the occasion of World Water Day 2018 on 22...
Understanding Agroecology
04/2018
Although not a new concept, agroecology is gaining momentum worldwide as an effective approach to tackle climate change and the interconnected challenges facing food security and nutrition. On the occasion of the 2nd International Symposium on Agroecology (3‒5 April 2018, Rome), have a look at FAO’s work in this area and a selection of publications offering guidance, tools and analysis.
The impact of disasters and crises on agriculture and food security 2017
04/2018
This second edition of FAO's report on the Impact of Disasters and Crises on Agriculture and Food Security provides the latest data on the impact of disasters and crises on agriculture sectors, combined with sound analysis of remaining gaps and challenges. It is not limited to natural disasters alone, but includes the first-ever analysis of the effect on agriculture of conflict and food chain crises. The 2017 report considers how the entire sector is...
Global Report on Food Crises
03/2018
The latest Global Report on Food Crises sounds alarm on surging levels of acute hunger. Around 124 million people in 51 countries were affected by acute food insecurity during 2017 — 11 million more people than the year before. Acute food insecurity is severe hunger that poses an immediate threat to lives and livelihoods.
Forests and Sustainable Cities
03/2018
Recognizing the importance of the services provided by forests and trees to urban dwellers, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests proposed that the theme for the 2018 International Day of Forests would be “Forests and Sustainable Cities”. To mark this occasion and promote the widespread adoption of “green” strategies for dealing with urban challenges, FAO invited the mayors of 15 different sized cities from various regions around the world to present their experiences with trees...
Protecting people and animals from disease threats
03/2018
The United States Agency for International Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations are working together to keep the world safe from infectious disease threats. Their two key programmes – Global Health Security Agenda and Emerging Pandemic Threats – are building animal health capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats in over 30 countries.
Water accounting for water governance and sustainable development
02/2018
There is growing interest in water accounting, why it is needed, what benefits it brings, and equally important, how it can be put into practice. Water accounting is about quantifying water resources and uses of water, much like financial accounts provide information on income and expenditure. Interest in water accounting is based on the premise that ‘We cannot plan and manage what we do not measure’ – a statement that few would disagree with....
City Region Food Systems and Food Waste Management
01/2018
This book describes the results of 13 case studies on city region food systems and food waste management. It provides lessons learned on the institutionalisation of city region food policies and programmes; provisioning of national and legal frameworks embedding city region food systems in broader legislation, on strengthening of coordination and collaboration across horizontal and vertical government levels, and on design of specific programmes and policies for sustainable city region food systems.
The future of food and agriculture: Trends and challenges
01/2018
After shedding light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, the study provides insights into what is at stake and what needs to be done. “Business as usual” is not an option. Major transformations in agricultural systems, rural economies and natural resources management are necessary.
Strategic Work of FAO to Increase the Resilience of Livelihoods
01/2018
Together with its partners, FAO works to increase the resilience of agricultural livelihoods at risk of disasters and crises. People with resilient livelihoods are better able to withstand damage, recover and adapt when disasters cannot be avoided. The increasing frequency and intensity of disasters caused by climate change reinforces the urgency to build the resilience of agricultural livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
Strategic work of FAO to Reduce Rural Poverty
01/2018
FAO helps countries achieve SDG1 (No poverty) and SDG2 (Zero hunger) by improving the livelihoods of poor and extreme poor rural people, including smallholders and family farmers.
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems in practice
01/2018
This publication provides a list of food system-based intervention options to improve nutrition and a set concrete entry points for maximizing the impact of each intervention. Developed through leveraging different expertise in FAO, it is a key resource to assist professionals involved in different areas to understand the linkages with nutrition, and to increase their contribution for a world free from malnutrition in all its forms.
Strategic work of FAO for inclusive and efficient food systems
01/2018
FAO helps to build safe and efficient food systems that support smallholder agriculture. In order for developing countries to benefit from globalization and commercialization, FAO assists countries in building the capacity to access international markets, meeting international standards for food safety and hygiene and improving processes along entire value chains.
Water stress and human migration: a global, georeferenced review of empirical research
01/2018
This report assesses and maps 184 peer-reviewed, empirical research articles selected for their focus on linkages between water stress and human migration. First and most importantly, this literature asserts that migration is universal. Migration is an extremely common social process and is normal in almost every society on earth. Moreover, migration is not a pathological response to environmental change. Environment- influenced migration is rarely (if ever) a resource threat to the regions to which...