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FAO recognizes that those living in rural areas whose livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources, are disproportionately affected by climate risks because of their great likelihood of living in high-risk geographical locations as well as their high vulnerability to, and limited capacity to cope with, climate hazards due to low incomes, lack of savings, weaker social networks, low asset bases and heavy reliance on agriculture and natural resources. Protecting poor and vulnerable small scale producers from the negative impacts of climate risks is an imperative in order to reach FAO’s strategic objectives and achieve Sustainable development goal one and two. Managing [...]

El sector agroalimentario nicaragüense es altamentevulnerable a los eventos climáticos extremos, y sumadoal contexto social, institucional y la poca disponibilidad deinformación climática para la toma de decisiones,constituyen un factor el alto riesgo para la EconomíaFamiliar.El proyecto se focalizó en el fortalecimiento decapacidades institucionales para dar respuesta a lasnecesidades de la población en situación devulnerabilidad, desarrollar procesos de innovación y latransferencia de conocimientos para adaptar la agriculturafamiliar al cambio climático y mejorar la resiliencia de losmedios de vida de la economía familiar. El proceso se llevóa cabo mediante el fortalecimiento de las capacidades yel acompañamiento técnico a las instituciones,particularmente en planificación, [...]

This publication brings together FAO’s current data on climate change and proposes actions to promote sustainable agriculture and food security, including tools and methodologies to support countries’ climate commitments and action plans. Also available in Spanish and Mandarin.

The sustainable management of forest and tree resources requires adequate and reliable information about the extent and state of the existing resources and their changes over time. The last countrywide forest inventory in Uzbekistan was conducted in 1978. The lack of data on forest and tree resources hampered the development of the forestry sector and international reporting obligations. Thus, the project addressed capacity building to establish a forest-monitoring system to supply the lacking data. Once established, the forest monitoring system will contribute to sustainable rural development with improved livelihoods of local communities and mitigate climate change. 

The Arab region needs a new generation of policies and investments in agricultural water. Agricultural water management has always posed challenges and opportunities in the Arab world. However, unprecedented and accelerating drivers such as climate change, population growth, and land degradation make agricultural water management a more urgent priority than ever before. In addition, as part of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, Arab countries have committed to work towards an ambitious set of development targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unless the right policies and investments are put in place, it will be difficult to achieve the SDGs, [...]

Strategic investments in the agriculture sector are a catalyst for sustainable, economic growth and poverty reduction.  Through their partnership, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have produced this comprehensive study on the State of Agriculture in the Caribbean, drawing upon decades of research on the many drivers of change affecting the CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs), including international trade, institutional policies, and climate change. This report follows forty years of structural change in the agriculture sector of BMCs, and can support the development of an updated Agriculture Sector Strategy, by identifying [...]

This discussion paper aims to help practitioners work in a more informed and politically sensitive way to integrate actions on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in agriculture. It illustrates some typical governance and political economy-related barriers that may hamper convergence or integration of DRR and CCA actions. It also provides guidance for in-depth governance analysis, putting the analytical focus at national and subnational levels, while considering the international context as an important factor for convergence. The FAO Governance and Policy Support series provides perspectives and concepts on critical governance and policy issues that are relevant to FAO [...]

The roots and tubers industry in sub-Saharan Africa has been growing steadily in recent years. Nevertheless, a series of challenges, including lack of access to finance and climate change related events, has prevented the majority of actors in these value chains, who are mainly small farmers and small processors, from taking advantage of such growth. In order to properly assess such challenges, the project “Strengthening linkages between small actors and buyers in the roots and tubers sector in Africa” conducted a series of studies to identify relevant gaps, constraints and opportunities to develop tailored financial products and risk management strategies [...]

For the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), achieving the commitments following the ratification of the Paris Agreement will require a great effort, as the availability of financial, social, and technical resources are often limited or directly dependent upon the higher income nations. The 47 LDCs account for 13 percent of the global population, 1 percent of global GDP and 5.75 percent of global GHG emissions. These countries not only face more challenging tasks than other countries, as overall conditions within each nation may not facilitate the accomplishment of the stated goals, but they are more vulnerable to climate change and therefore [...]

This paper identifies potential “climate action-sustainable development pathways” spanning 17 major agricultural climate action categories and the 17 SDG targets. The aim of this mapping exercise is to explore the extent to which the two agendas are aligned for the prioritization of those climate actions that have the potential to co-deliver on the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda. As the window of opportunity is closing to bridge the emission gap and adapt to climate change before it is too late, the inter-linked and mutually reinforcing climate and sustainable development agendas present a natural framework for designing policies that leverage synergies [...]