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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 [...]

Drought is one of the main causes of food insecurity. In 2011, the horn of Africa has faced the worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 12.4 million people suffered from a massive food shortage. To mitigate the impact of agricultural drought, it is of high importance to dispose of timely and reliable information of the condition of food crops and grassland areas in all regions and countries in the world. The case study would characterize the agricultural drought prone areas of Horn of Africa overlapping socioeconomic variables such smaller or large farmers, irrigation, population, production, etc. The final results [...]

This note focuses on the topic of access to fuel and energy in protracted crises, and the possible solutions using the SAFE approach, illustrated by case studies from FAO's interventions in protracted crisis situations. Access to fuel and energy – vital for food security – is often highly constrained in protracted crises. The risks posed by limited access to fuel and energy are multiple and diverse depending on the context, including malnutrition, environmental degradation, a high work burden for women, gender-based violence (GBV) and unsustainable livelihood activities. The inter-agency Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) initiative and FAO’s work on [...]

This note focuses on the topic of social protection in protracted crises, presenting some possible approaches and its contribution to food security and nutrition, illustrated by case studies from FAO interventions in such contexts. The humanitarian system is currently at a critical turning point. No longer an exception, crises have become the norm across regions and are characterized by increasing complexity and recurrence. Moreover, despite the increase in the volume of humanitarian funding, there continue to be important shortfalls in meeting humanitarian appeals. The World Humanitarian Summit highlighted the urgent need to change the approach to addressing increasing humanitarian needs and [...]

This note focuses on the topic of nutrition in protracted crises. While malnutrition is one of the biggest challenges to development and human well-being in many countries, rates of malnutrition, especially stunting, are significantly higher in countries in the throes of protracted crises. Malnutrition and crises go hand in hand: malnutrition both impacts on and is affected by crises. Protracted Crises impact negatively on people’s lives and livelihoods and the factors responsible for malnutrition: food insecurity, inappropriate care and feeding practices, poor health environment. Nutrition needs to be integrated in resilience-building programmes to support a people-centred approach and build a bridge [...]

These Proceedings provide accounts of the expert presentations made by each Roundtable speaker and panellist, synopses of plenary discussion, and summaries from each Roundtable Chair. Taken together, the report comprises a compendium of analyses and illustrations of some of the most pressing challenges facing today’s nutrition advocates. These Proceedings are an important complement to the official ICN2 outcome documents; they provide background information, country examples, and rationale for many of the Rome Declaration and Framework for Action recommendations.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Republic of Korea was one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Deforestation had stripped the country of half its forest cover, contributing to severe erosion, repetitive flood and drought damage and a decrease in agricultural production which threatened national food security. Recognizing the importance of forests’ watershed and soil protection functions in restoring agricultural productivity, the government undertook an intensive forest rehabilitation effort. The implementation of two Ten-Year Forest Rehabilitation Plans in the 1970s and 1980s not only fully restored the country’s forest cover, but also delivered food security benefits [...]

The Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) continuously monitors food supply and demand and other key indicators for assessing the overall food security situation in all countries of the world. It issues regular analytical and objective reports on prevailing conditions and provides early warnings of impending food crises at country or regional level. At the request of national authorities, GIEWS supports countries in gathering evidence for policy decisions, or planning by development partners, through its Crop and Food Security Assessment Missions (CFSAMs), fielded jointly with WFP. In country-level application of tools for earth observation and [...]

Food Outlook is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. Each report provides comprehensive assessments and short term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity by commodity basis and includes feature articles on topical issues. Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with another major GIEWS publication, Crop Prospects and Food Situation, especially with regard to the coverage of cereals. Food Outlook is available in English. The summary section is also available in [...]

Enough food is produced to feed everyone, but almost 800 million people currently suffer from chronic hunger. The right to adequate food is a human right. It is also a legal obligation under international law. Juan Carlos García y Cebolla, Right to Food Team Leader of the FAO Social Policies and Rural Institutions Division, together with Serena Pepino, Project Officer explain the importance of a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to food security and nutrition in tackling the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. They describe the FAO policy work, including key policy messages, to achieve this. See all videos in the Policy [...]