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Based on a joint FAO-WTO publication, this brief emphasizes the importance of applying international food safety standards, and the need for countries to invest in building their own capacity in this regard. This would allow trade to take place smoothly and without distortions. Also available in French. See the complete series: Trade Policy Briefs

This document summarizes the online consultation Promoting sustainable food systems for healthy diets in Europe and Central Asia: the key role of school food and nutrition programmes, which was held on the FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum) from 7 November to 18 December 2017. See all ongoing and past discussion on the Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition • FSN Forum   Also available in Russian.

Knowledge Tank for agriculture sectors’ adaptation to climate change This NAP-Ag Knowledge Tank: Contains tools, methods, case studies and other knowledge materials on climate change adaptation in the agriculture sectors (crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture). Targets national planners, development actors and decision makers. Supports countries in highlighting key resources for adaptation planning and budgeting, especially in formulating and implementing National Adaptation Plans (NAP).

The international community is committed to ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition worldwide by 2030. While much progress has been made, conflict and human-induced and natural disasters are causing setbacks. This year’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World warns that the long-term declining trend in undernourishment seems to have come to a halt and may have reversed, largely on account of the above-mentioned factors. Meanwhile, though progress continues to be made in reducing child malnutrition, rising overweight and obesity are a concern in most parts of the world. These and other findings are detailed in the 2017 edition of The State of [...]

This policy brief analyses the main programmes and interventions aimed at promoting youth employment in Uganda, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, as well as innovation and replication potential. The document also provides a series of recommendations towards the replication and upscaling of successful interventions that will inform the National Strategy for Youth Employment in Agriculture (NSYEA), as well as future strategic discussions on youth engagement in agriculture and food systems.  

To respond to the diverse effects of climate change on food systems requires close dialogue and interaction between the research community and policy-makers. Strengthening this relationship will ensure that research findings are relevant to policy debates, and that policies are informed by up to date and rigorous analysis. This brief summarizes key findings from a multidisciplinary team of agronomists, livestock scientists, climatologists and economists for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) working in Malawi and Zambia. The findings presented here seek to spark a fruitful continued discussions on how policies can make use of these findings, [...]

GLEAM-i is an online, Tier 2, greenhouse gas (GHG) calculator specific to the livestock sector. It brings the core functionalities of the FAO Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) to the public in a web application. The current version of GLEAM-i allows the direct comparison between Baseline and Scenario conditions and includes the 2010 background data from GLEAM 2.0 as default. GLEAM-i is designed to support governments, project planners, producers, industry and civil society organizations. It can be used in the preparation of national GHG inventories, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and in ex-ante project evaluation for estimating the climate co-benefits [...]

GLEAM-interactive (GLEAM-i) brings the core functionalities of the FAO Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model to the public in a single Excel file. The current version of GLEAM-i allows the direct comparison between Baseline and Scenario conditions, includes feedlot systems for cattle and incorporates the 2010 background data from GLEAM. GLEAM-i is the first open, user-friendly and livestock specific tool designed to support governments, project planners, producers, industry and civil society organizations to calculate emissions using Tier 2 methods. GLEAM-i can be used in the preparation of national inventories and in ex-ante project evaluation for the assessment of intervention scenarios in [...]

Preventing animal disease and plant pest outbreaks and food safety incidents before they occur is essential to protecting the food chain. Most food chain crises are preventable with timely actions and the right investments. The Food Chain Crisis - Emergency Prevention System, known as FCC-EMPRES, is FAO’s approach to pursuing just that. This publication, based on 23 FCC-EMPRES information sheets published on a monthly basis by the FCC Intelligence and Coordination Unit of the FAO Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, showcases some of the best practices currently in use. This publication promises to help experts, policy makers, national institutions, and development [...]

Since the 1990s, rural transformations have helped millions of people to rise out of poverty while remaining in rural areas. This underscores an important fact: revitalizing rural economies helps create jobs for rural people, offering an alternative to those who might turn to migration in search of a better life.  However, these rural transformations have not happened everywhere.  For the countries that lag behind, The 2017 State of Food and Agriculture argues that it is not too late. By tapping into the potential of food systems and recognizing the role of small cities and towns in integrated rural-urban planning, inclusive transformations are [...]