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This Technical Note seeks to address two central questions relating to negotiations towards further disciplines on domestic support measures: (i) what are the characteristics of domestic support measures that cause such measures to have a potentially trade distortionary effect? and (ii) will further WTO disciplines on domestic support measures be effective in reducing levels of trade distorting support? To provide context, the Note begins by summarizing how domestic support measures are currently disciplined within the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (UR AoA) and discusses the effectiveness of these disciplines. It then highlights the most significant aspects of the August 2004 Framework [...]

This framework helps practitioners and researchers to use political economy analysis to understand and respond to practical problems. The framework has three dedicated, but related, phases: problem identification, problem diagnosis and consideration of plausible change processes. In this introductory note we describe the key components of the framework, the relationships between them and how to use the framework to undertake analysis. Annex 1 contains a diagram of the overall framework. Annex 2 provides a glossary of key terms.

Organization development (OD) is an important area of capacity development practice to improve food and nutrition security, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. OD is a powerful instrument that helps to analyse and engage in complex situations or contexts and discover effective ways to promote processes of organizational change. Learning Module 4 is the fourth in the FAO capacity development series. It aims to create a basic understanding of OD and system thinking approaches, as even a basic understanding can cultivate a new way of working. It reflects the learning experience, constructive inputs and wealth of exchanges from the OD seminar series which was held in FAO [...]

Gender equality is central to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ (FAO’s) mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works towards gender equality and supports women’s diverse roles in agriculture and rural development. Gender equality is not only an essential means by which FAO can achieve its mandate, it is also a basic human right. Available in French and Spanish.

Agricultural policies should redress gender inequalities to ensure that development interventions in the sector are effective and can achieve enduring positive impacts on the lives and economic potential of rural women, men, girls and boys. One powerful instrument for promoting realization of the rights and potential of rural women and girls is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on how FAO and national ministries of agriculture (MoAs) can support and use CEDAW at the country level as a tool for policy development and programming [...]

This framework explains the Disaster Risk Reduction for Food and Nutrition Security Framework Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which has been undertaken with the goal of enhancing the resilience of livelihoods against threats and emergencies to ensure the food and nutrition security of vulnerable farmers, fishers, herders, foresters and other at risk groups. The framework presents four thematic pillars which mirror the priorities outlined in the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA): (i) enable the environment, emphasizing good governance and effective policy making; (ii) watch to safeguard, emphasizing early warning systems; (iii) apply prevention and [...]

Voluntary standards are rules, guidelines or characteristics about a product or a process. They are not mandatory regulations, but are used voluntarily by producers, processors, retailers and consumers. These voluntary standards are usually developed by private sector actors (e.g. firms or consortiums), representatives of civil society, or public sector agencies. Voluntary standards are part of a growing trend in global markets. As a result, FAO and member countries are being asked to respond adequately to the opportunities and challenges presented by business models that could foster both increased food security and better market access for small-scale producers. FAO reviewed the current evidence of the impact of voluntary [...]

This comprehensive sourcebook on climate-smart agriculture (CSA), produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, consists of eighteen modules covering every aspect of planning and implementing CSA policies and projects.  Aimed primarily at developing countries, the opening module outlines the case for CSA (including forestry and fisheries), discussing issues such as food security, resilient systems, and systemic efficiency. The sourcebook argues that if we are to match growing demand whilst simultaneously combating climate change, it is crucial that greater efficiency and resilience is achieved in our food systems to aid climate mitigation and adaptation respectively. This has to happen globally, and in [...]

Conservation Agriculture is actually applied on about 10% of the world’s cropland and adoption is growing fast. However, it is not growing fast enough to face the challenges ahead, such as the need to eradicate hunger and food insecurity for a growing population and to address the threats of climate change, land and environmental degradation, resource scarcity and increasing cost of food, production inputs and energy. For “sustainable intensification” strategy as being implemented through Conservation Agriculture to spread faster, it needs not only the accurate application of the concept and principles, but also supportive policies that can facilitate adoption of [...]

This Guidance Note is a practical tool for practitioners who want to integrate the right to food into food and nutrition security programmes. It builds a bridge between the normative dimensions of the right to food and practical work on programme design, implementation and monitoring at country level. This tool does so by briefly explaining the conceptual, legal and operational dimensions of the right to food. Then it looks at four key entry points for integrating the right to food into food and nutrition security programmes: roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, legal aspects, monitoring, and recourse and claim mechanisms. Then [...]