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Value chain development is an important paradigm in development practice and thinking, including within FAO. However, gender equality dimensions remain often overlooked in value chain development interventions, with the risk of perpetuating existing gender inequalities and, in turn, undermining the efficiency of targeted value chains. The publications intends to provide practitioners with a conceptual framework on how to develop agri-food value chains which provide women and men with equal opportunities to participate and benefit from value chain development. The purpose of the publication is to contribute to the publication on Developing sustainable food value chains - Guiding principles (FAO, 2014) from a [...]

The purpose of this publication is to showcase the importance of Geographical Indications (GIs) and their positive impact on food quality and safety, as well as the economy. Reaffirming the right of every person to have access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right to be free from hunger, the Second International Conference on Nutrition (19–21 November 2014) adopted a Framework for Action that provides a set of recommendations for governments. In particular, recommended actions for sustainable food systems promoting healthy diets include: strengthening local food production and processing, especially [...]

The purpose of this case study is to present a range of bioenergy supply chains and look at how to assess the potential within the chains based on the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach and BEFS Rapid Appraisal tools. The case study has been developed for training purposes, to illustrate the BEFS approach and tools and how they are applied and to present a number of examples of bioenergy supply chains found in countries where BEFS has supported national stakeholders. Find out more: The Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach

In many developing and least-developed countries (LDCs), the transformation of the agriculture sector is key for improving domestic food security and nutrition and for promoting economic development. However, efforts to raise agricultural productivity and develop inclusive and competitive agricultural value chains are often hampered by market- and trade-related bottlenecks, while initiatives promoting agricultural commercialisation, diversification and trade are often curbed by bottlenecks at farm or post-harvest levels. In this context, FAO, in collaboration with the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), carried out a Multi-partner Programme Support Mechanism (FMM) Project on Trade related capacity development [...]

A technical brief on the sustainable food systems concept and framework, this document reflects the three first-day modules of the FAO food systems/value chains training program. Colleagues and trainees using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings wish to refer to the training materials (e.g., the food system wheel), but as these have yet no published documents related to them, they cannot do so. Also, various trainees are using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings of a similar format in their countries/projects, and are looking for some publication to share with partners. Finally, the course [...]

Many different policies affect rural migration through their impacts on agriculture, rural development, food insecurity and poverty. As countries at different levels of development face different challenges and policy priorities (as shown in the typology based on rural migration drivers), the migration context matters for related policy formulation and implementation. The challenge for policy-makers is to maximize the benefits of rural migration while minimizing the negative effects and, as much as possible, to create conditions so that migration is a voluntary decision based on real and informed choices. For this purpose policies must aim at: creating attractive rural livelihood opportunities, [...]

Since its introduction to Libya in December 2015, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has spread to a number of farms in the country, causing serious economic losses to poultry farmers and affecting public health. Between 2014 and 2015, the losses to farmers caused by the disease were estimated at over USD10 million. The lack of qualified human resources and appropriate equipment meant that the outbreaks were not deeply investigated, while the absence of biosecurity measures and awareness enabled the evolution of the disease in the country, reaching over 60 percent in backyard farms and leading to an increase in the number [...]

The Understanding Codex will be at its 4th Edition and it is a very useful tool to introduce the Codex Alimentarius and its collection of international food standards to the public. The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Such standards cover all the main foods and also  material used in the further processing of food. Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional; quality of food, including microbiological norms, food additives, pesticides and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, and methods of sampling and risk analysis. The Codex Alimentarius [...]

At its 42nd session in October 2015, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to prepare a report on Nutrition and Food Systems, to be presented at CFS 44 in October 2017. This topic is highly relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the implementation of the 2014 Rome Declaration on Nutrition, the subsequent Decade of Action for Nutrition, and the fulfilment of the right to adequate food. The purpose of this report is two-fold: (i) to analyse how food systems influence people’s dietary patterns and nutritional [...]

This paper calls for modernization of the rice production sector in Rwanda and analyses the challenges to expanding production, including protective trade measures and a lack of investment in land, infrastructure, and irrigation. (36 pp.)