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The aim of this paper is to provide policy-makers with a helpful overview of the technical and economic aspects of water use in agriculture, with particular emphasis on crop and livestock production. Through 2050, in many countries, agriculture will remain an important determinant of economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security, even as, over time, the proportion of agricultural revenue in national gross income declines. Water use in agriculture will remain substantial, irrigated areas will expand and competition for water will increase in all sectors. Most likely, overall supplies of land and water will be sufficient to achieve global food [...]

This paper uses scenario analyses to investigate how reductions in food loss and waste (FLW) in the European Union (EU) could influence prices in sub-Saharan Africa – as a source and destination of traded agricultural and food products. In addition to a baseline “business as usual” (BaU) scenario, four scenarios with 50-percent reductions are enacted using the Modular Applied GeNeral Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET). The analysis provides insights on potential impacts in terms of medium- to long-term global and local price changes in sub- Saharan Africa and the mechanisms behind them – changes in production, consumption and trade patterns. It also provides [...]

Agriculture is a source of livelihood for over 35 percent of the world’s population. Natural hazards and disasters – such as floods, drought, storms, earthquakes, landsides, tsunamis or wildfire – disproportionately affect the small-scale farmers, herders, fishers and forest dependent communities who generate over half of the world’s agricultural production. Between 2004 and 2013, agriculture absorbed more than 22 percent of total damage and losses caused by natural disasters in developing countries. Vulnerability increases with each event, reversing improvements to food security, poverty reduction and agricultural development. As a result of climate change, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, intense [...]

Inclusive business models promote the integration of smallholders into markets, with the underlying principle that there are mutual benefits for poor farmers and the business community. A business model describes how any given enterprise – large or small, informal or formal – creates and markets its products or services, obtains finance, and sources inputs. Each enterprise has its own unique business model. The range of business models that make up an agricultural value chain include farm enterprises, traders, agroprocessors, wholesalers, transporters, warehouses and retailers, among others. An inclusive business model approach reinforces the value chain by focusing exclusively on strengthening business models that link small farmers to value chains. Smallholder business models [...]

La sostenibilidad es un factor medular del nuevo Marco Estratégico de la FAO, y es el foco específico del Objetivo Estratégico 2, consistente en un aumento sostenible del suministro de bienes y servicios de la agricultura, la actividad forestal y la pesca. El presente informe es el fruto de un proceso intensivo de consultas y debates encaminados a elaborar un enfoque común para la labor realizada por la FAO en materia de sostenibilidad. Ese proceso se llevó a cabo en un entorno de colaboración intersectorial basado en las contribuciones de destacados especialistas de la FAO y externos en cultivos, ganadería, [...]

Consistent with its mandate to pursue a world free from hunger and malnutrition, the following “FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples” has been formulated so as to ensure that FAO will make all due efforts to respect, include and promote indigenous issues in relevant work. In so doing, it joins the international community’s increasing mobilization in favour of the rights and concerns of indigenous peoples, most of whom suffer disproportionately from multiple adversities such as discrimination, poverty, ill health, political under-representation, and environmental and cultural degradation. Although much attention is focused on the challenges that indigenous peoples face, it [...]

Negative and positive drivers affecting forests in the GMS co-exist. Negative drivers result in deforestation and forest degradation, and positive drivers promote sustainable forest management (SFM), forest conservation, afforestation and reforestation. Negative drivers are still more dominant than positive ones. Nevertheless, growing signs of positive drivers are starting to emerge in the GMS countries. Policy makers, forest managers and practitioners need to be aware of these drivers and find ways to enhance the positive ones, while reducing the negative ones. In order to promote SFM and address deforestation and forest degradation, the GMS countries need to foster integrated land-use planning [...]

Esta brochure presenta los mensajes clave de la FAO sobre el cambio climático y la seguridad alimentaria. Se incluye un resumen de la ayuda más reciente de la FAO a los países para hacer frente a los impactos del cambio climático. También se reúne los conocimientos más relevantes en materia de cambio climático, incluyendo las herramientas y metodologías de la FAO que puede proporcionar a los países para informar sobre sus emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero procedentes de la agricultura, la ganadería y la silvicultura.

Esta brochure presenta los mensajes clave de la FAO sobre el cambio climático y la seguridad alimentaria. Se incluye un resumen de la ayuda más reciente de la FAO a los países para hacer frente a los impactos del cambio climático. También se reúne los conocimientos más relevantes en materia de cambio climático, incluyendo las herramientas y metodologías de la FAO que puede proporcionar a los países para informar sobre sus emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero procedentes de la agricultura, la ganadería y la silvicultura.

En esta edición de El estado de la inseguridad alimentaria en el mundo se hace balance de los progresos realizados hacia la consecución del primer Objetivo de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM 1) y el objetivo de la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Alimentación establecidos por la comunidad internacional en relación con el hambre y se reflexiona sobre lo que debe hacerse todavía, mientras se prepara la transición a la nueva agenda para el desarrollo sostenible después de 2015. En el informe se examinan los progresos hechos desde 1990 en todos los países y regiones, así como en el mundo en su conjunto. [...]