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This fact sheet describes the course which introduces the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (also known as the CFS-RAI), a set of ten principles that apply to all types and sizes of agricultural investment including fisheries, forests and livestock. The principles address all stakeholders and apply to all stages of the value chain. As a soft law instrument, they are globally applicable and include actions to address a range of environmental, social and economic issues.

In the context of Agenda 2030, food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture are essential not only for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, but also for the broad set of SDGs.  The Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) - including FAO, IFAD and WFP and Bioversity International - set up a working group in 2015 on nutrition-sensitive value chains, acting also as a platform for knowledge sharing and partnership development.  This brief aims to disseminate the activities undertaken and the way forward of the RBAs working group on sustainable food value chains for nutrition. 

This brief highlights the environmental impacts of food loss and waste, the collective efforts to reduce food loss and waste and presents key considerations and recommendations.

Many countries in the region have seen positive changes in agricultural development in recent years associated with countries’ reforms during the transition period after the Soviet Union collapse, as well as due to support from international organizations. This report overviews eighteen countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The report examines agriculture sectors and food systems, relevant programmes, it reveals the status of agro-processing sector and value chain development activities, and it covers food loss and waste. In the final analysis it was concluded, that more research and data collection are needed to understand the extent of food loss and waste at regional and national levels. It [...]

The publication complements the FAO Guiding Framework on gender-sensitive value chain development by providing practical tools and examples of successful approaches to address the gender-based constraints that affect agrifood value chains. The guidelines are intended to assist practitioners in integrating gender equality dimensions more effectively in the design and implementation of value chain interventions in the agricultural sector. See also: Developing Gender-Sensitive Value Chains. A Guiding Framework

The Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR), the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition initiative (GODAN), the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der Landwirtschaft (KTBL) organised an e-consultation on ethical, legal and policy aspects of open data affecting smallholder farmers.  Forum dates: 4 till 8 June 2018. The objectives of this e-consultation are to: Clearly identify the ethical, legal and policy gaps that currently prevent data from benefiting smallholder farmers. Using practical examples, give a clear picture of what the desired scenarios would be by 2030 for a policy, legal [...]

FAO’s previous contribution to the development of contract farming saw the publication in 2015 of the UNIDROIT/FAO/IFAD Legal Guide on Contract Farming, which focused on the bilateral relationship between an agricultural producer and a contractor. This Legislative Study develops that research and focuses on the regulatory frameworks for contract farming, aiming to highlight different possible approaches for different contexts. Responsible contract farming can be a powerful tool for small scale farmers in developing countries to move towards larger scale commercial production. It can create economic wealth, contribute to supply chain efficiency through the production of higher quantities of better quality products, and contribute to achieving domestic [...]

Sustainable wood products and their value chains can play a fundamental role in achieving the objectives stated in the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, delivering a wide range of benefits to populations in remote forest areas as well as to local, regional and global society. Generation of income and employment, disaster risk reduction, and reduction of the material and carbon footprint of the planet are some of the direct contributions sustainable forest products can provide to the SDGs and the climate change commitments. Furthermore, sustainable management of natural forests reduces forest degradation and forest production can increase the opportunity cost for deforestation, while generating revenues [...]

HELPING SMALLHOLDER PRODUCERS TO ACCESS MARKETS IN MARGINALIZED AREAS OF KENYA AND SOUTH SUDAN Low agricultural production and low household incomes mean that food security in the northwest of Kenya and the southeastern part of South Sudan continues to be a challenge. With smallholder producers and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs often marginalized and excluded from access to markets at national and regional levels, there was an urgent need to devise innovative approaches to developing and reinforcing efficient business linkages between value chain actors. Project duration: July 2013 –June 2017 Download Project Highlight pdf  

ENHANCING SAFETY IN FOOD PROCESSING ENTERPRISES IN KYRGYZSTAN AND TAJIKISTAN In order to realize the considerable potential of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the production and export of processed food (milk, dairy and meat products, fruit and vegetables), it is necessary to improve the compliance with hygiene and sanitary requirements in these countries’ food processing enterprises, and enhance food safety management processes. This involves increasing government awareness on modern food safety management systems and strengthening capacity for food safety at the food enterprise level. Therefore, the project aimed to enable the target countries to comply with international requirements for hygiene and manufacturing [...]