FAO Plant Production and Protection Impact Portfolio
While far too many people – one out of every 11 in 2024 – suffer from hunger and malnutrition, the cropping systems of smallholder farmers, who feed much of the world, are increasingly impacted negatively by erratic and extreme weather events, new and more virulent strains and biotypes of pests and diseases, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. At the same time, remedial interventions are hampered by systemic suboptimal rates of farmers’ adoption of agricultural innovations and their limited access to essential inputs and services.
With at least 80 percent of all foods being plant-based, the five-module FAO Plant Production and Protection Impact Portfolio features scalable programmes to address these constraints by delivering context-appropriate solutions through the entry points of sustainable production systems; ecosystem services; climate resilience for drylands; plant health; and sustainable agricultural mechanization.
With its extensive experience and expertise, country presence and convening power, FAO is uniquely positioned to implement practical, evidence-based solutions, achieve sustainable impact at scale, and thereby enable farmers to produce more with less.
Highlights
Harvesting change: sustainable crop production systems – Boosting smallholder livelihoods and ecosystem health
This global programme is proposed to unlock the potential of smallholder cropping systems in 15 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America. The transition to improved productivity, resilience and overall sustainability will be catalysed through enhanced farmers’ adoption of validated scientific and technological innovations and the appropriate use of suitable inputs to spur improvements in seed systems, agronomy and plant health. It will also catalyse the adoption of digital tools and reinforce agricultural advisory services. By 2032, the programme aims to improve the food security and nutrition of five million people across two million hectares of farmland.
Ecosystem services for sustainable crop production systems – Harnessing biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices
This global programme will strengthen institutional and human capacities for the management of biodiversity, including plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, to harness ecosystem services as complements to external inputs to boost the productivity and resilience of cropping systems and generate socio-economic benefits. Operating in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East, the global programme will address key drivers of biodiversity loss and provide replicable, sustainable solutions in production systems and landscapes. The programme will safeguard local genetic diversity, optimize nutrient input use, especially through diversification of cropping systems and integration of bio-based alternatives, and enhance the adoption of integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM).
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Climate-resilient drylands – Climate adaptation for sustainable and resilient dryland harvests
This global programme is proposed to enable the transition to climate-resilient cropping systems that incorporate drought-tolerant crop varieties and climate-smart cultural practices, the impacts of both of which will be enhanced by enabling policies. The programme is envisaged to make the fragile landscapes in the target ecologies of ten countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East become climate resilient, productive systems – with yield increases of up to 40 percent, and thereby underwrite the livelihoods of a significant proportion of the world’s population. The programme will directly benefit five million smallholder farmers across the ten countries.
Plant health for One Health – Healthy plants for a healthy world
This global programme aims to reduce annual crop losses by USD 5 billion through strengthened institutional and human capacities for surveillance, monitoring and early warning for critically important plant pests and diseases, the widespread adoption of integrated pest management, and a reinforced enabling environment.Spanning 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Near East, the global programme will empower farmers with the know-how and tools to manage biotic stresses sustainably and thereby ultimately make agrifood systems more sustainable and resilient and hence boost national economies.
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Sustainable agricultural mechanization – Transforming smallholder farmers' livelihoods
This global programme is proposed to enhance the adoption of sustainable agricultural mechanization, i.e. the use of farm machinery and sundry mechanical devices, to boost farm productivity, reduce farmers’ drudgery, and create employment and boost incomes along value chains in 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This will be done especially by developing sustainable business models, building partnerships, and strengthening advisory and support services with particular emphasis on women and youth. The programme will promote digital tools, drones, precision and conservation agriculture, while engaging governments, the private sector and development partners to foster a supportive investment environment.
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