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This paper analyses foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in food, beverages and tobacco, including primary agriculture and retail, from 2003 to 2014. It provides information on global, regional and - where possible - national trends in FDI flows in food, beverages and tobacco. When data are available, this study also provides more detailed insights into particular qualitative traits of FDI flows, such as whether FDI seems to be market- or resource-seeking, or in how far changes in sub-sector-specific investment could be linked to changes in consumer demand. Thus it contributes to the ongoing global debate on the relevance and characteristics [...]

This guidance document will be produced to assist countries in finding synergies between two important realms of international agreements: sound chemicals management and biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. We suggest that it can be used as countries are revising any of their strategies or policies related to these two realms, but in particular is oriented toward country revision, or to assist implementation, of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), to help them attain a number of relevant Aichi Targets. It is intended to indicate where important synergies can be harvested, but is not meant to be prescriptive. The [...]

This Technical Guidance Document addresses the need for mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services into agriculture, at the national level. More specifically, it is aimed to assist countries in developing and implementing their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSA Ps), to consider ecosystem services – and opportunities for their management – in agricultural production systems. Through an EU-funded project on “Capacity-building related to multilateral agreements (MEAs) in ACP countries (Phase 2)”, this document focuses on the East Africa region, and provides concrete examples and cases primarily from Kenya. The intention is that this document provides practical guidance to countries for building [...]

This publication is a collection of articles written by economists, sociologists, and gender specialists and practitioners from twelve post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. It is unique in its effort to review and analyze the issues that are at the intersection of gender equality, social protection and rural development in the region. Overall, there is a lack of research, documented knowledge and public discourse on this subject and a multi-disciplinary approach is necessary for ensuring an in-depth and rigorous understanding of these intersecting issues in the context of the region. In supporting this publication, the FAO [...]

The E-agriculture strategy guide is an attempt to provide countries with a framework to develop their national e-agriculture strategies. E-agriculture strategies will help to rationalize both financial and human resources, and address ICT opportunities for the agricultural sector in a more holistic and efficient manner. This will help improve the livelihoods of rural communities and stakeholders involved in agriculture and rural development. See the e-agriculture policy briefs

The purpose of this document is to provide a full description of FAO’s partial equilibrium modelling system known as GAPS. GAPS has been developed by FAO to study the development of global food markets in the long-term and to assess how socioeconomic fluctuations, climate change and investment pay-offs may affect future global food demand. GAPS is a simple self-contained model which specifies demand and supply for agricultural and food commodities with global coverage and great detail for low and middle income countries. It is shaped around FAOSTAT data on production and commodity balance sheets, which enables a detailed specification of agricultural and food commodities. Furthermore, GAPS allows to assess [...]

Trade and related policy measures are defined as those that affect trade flows, be they instruments of border protection or domestic market interventions. Trade-oriented measures (like import and export tariffs and quotas and non-tariff measures) are only one of the many categories of policies that can affect the flow of trade.  See the complete series: Trade Policy Briefs

Trade agreements are at the heart of the trade and food security debate as they set out the rules for national trade and agricultural policies, which play a key role in determining food security outcomes. The relationship between trade rules and food security has become an increasingly central element in this round of negotiations. The contribution that trade can make to a country’s food security is partly determined by the disciplines that apply to other countries’ policies, but also by the “policy space” that the country itself is granted under WTO rules.   This brief looks at the role of the multilateral trading system in [...]

This document will provide case studies from different regions, that set out the challenges, successes and lessons learned relating to the development of knowledge, skills and capacity for youth in agriculture. Bearing in mind the necessity of addressing various approaches for targeting youth, case studies cover the areas of peer-to-peer knowledge transfer, vocational training and skills development, and education systems and research. Specific issues concerned with how to integrate traditional or intergenerational knowledge and the use of new technologies will be interwoven throughout the various case studies. The conclusion will offer insights into how learning from these initiatives can inform the broader policy [...]

The course is designed to raise awareness and build knowledge among agricultural stakeholders about the importance of addressing child labour in agriculture, including livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. It aims to build specific skills, depending on work-related responsibilities and tasks and/or interests, by providing concrete ideas and guidance that can be applied in real life agricultural policy and programming situations. Duration: 12 hours