Parliamentary action is critical to securing the right to adequate food and transforming food systems that deliver healthy diets for all. Food security and nutrition indicators tend to show significant improvement when there is strong political will informing public policies and programmes anchored in legislation. FAO, through its Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division, seeks partnership and closer collaboration with parliamentarians, considering these relationships as key to its work on meeting mutual commitments on food and nutrition security, including the right to adequate food. In line with the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, which seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the [...]

This background paper to the guidance that FAO is developing on strengthening science–policy interfaces (SPIs) for agrifood systems at the national level sets provides information about the structures and patterns common to global SPIs. It aims to: 1) provide a broad overview and comparison of how international SPIs work, 2) identify a set of categories that are relevant to the work of SPIs, 3) present a systematic, comparative analysis based on publicly available data, 4) draw preliminary conclusions based on findings, and 5) suggest further avenues for study. The conceptual framework identifies three key components of SPIs that, operating together, [...]

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 objective. Part I of this Technical Guidance Note provides an overview of the main barriers and constraints that inhibit rural women’s financial inclusion. Part II offers a step-by-step approach to analysing the state of gender equality within a specific country or context, with the purpose of diagnosing potential entry points [...]

This Manual was developed to guide how to develop and implement a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF). These processes are unique because they ensure that the voices and concerns of small-scale fisheries are heard and allow them to actively participate in decision-making processes that shape their lives and livelihoods. In doing so, implementing an NPOA-SSF is an effective way to align legal frameworks with the provisions of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. These Guidelines unite social development with responsible fisheries, addressing the marginalization and vulnerability [...]