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Disasters and crises undermine development. Natural disasters have affected more than 2.7 billion people over the last decade. More people face hydrometeorological hazards (for example, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires) and geological hazards (for example, earthquakes and landslides) than ever before. The intensity and frequency of natural disasters is increasing, compromising sustainable development by affecting livelihoods and threatening food security and nutrition. Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture are among the most exposed and affected sectors. Existing risk reduction and management measures need to be improved and scaled up. Many countries are poorly equipped to prevent, prepare and mitigate the impacts of current extremes and risks, including [...]

The aim of this policy brief is to increase awareness among policy makers and the general public about the vital role of tropical forests in providing environmental services and the increasing need for beneficiaries to compensate forest owners or managers for those services. The brief builds on the insights gained at the International Forum on Payments for Environmental Services of Tropical Forests, which was held in San José, Costa Rica, in April 2014. It sets out the rationale for, and the constraints faced by, PES schemes, and key recommendations for scaling them up.

As renewed international efforts are needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the livestock sector can contribute its part. An important emitter of greenhouse gas, it also has the potential to  significantly reduce its emissions. This report provides a unique global assessment of the magnitude, the sources and pathways of emissions from different livestock production systems and supply chains.  Relying on life cycle assessment, statistical analysis and scenario building, it also prov ides estimates of the sector’s mitigation potential  and identifies concrete options to reduce emissions. The report is a useful resource for stakeholders from livestock producers to policy-makers, researchers and [...]

The aim of the Toolkit is to showcase concrete examples of good practices for food loss and waste reduction, while pointing to information sources, guidelines and pledges favoring food wastage reduction.

Gender equality is central to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations’ (FAO’s) mandate to achieve food security for all by raising levels of nutrition, improving agricultural productivity and natural resource management, and improving the lives of rural populations. FAO can achieve its goals only if it simultaneously works towards gender equality and supports women’s diverse roles in agriculture and rural development. Gender equality is not only an essential means by which FAO can achieve its mandate, it is also a basic human right. Available in French and Spanish.

This report aims to provide a conceptual framework to address food security under conditions of water scarcity in agriculture. It has been prepared by a team of FAO staff and consultants in the framework of the project `Coping with water scarcity: the role of agriculture?, and has been discussed at an Expert Consultation meeting organized in FAO, Rome in December 2009 on the same subject. It was subsequently edited and revised, taking account of discussions in the Expert Consultation and materia ls presented to the meeting. The document offers views on the conceptual framework on which FAO's water scarcity programme [...]

The EAF Toolbox is aimed at national and local fisheries management authorities, including fishery managers, scientists and stakeholders looking for practical solutions they can apply given their circumstances and resources. This document represents a subset of the web-based version.

Las Directrices son el primer instrumento exhaustivo de alcance mundial sobre la tenencia y su administración preparado mediante negociaciones intergubernamentales. En las Directrices se estipulan principios y normas internacionalmente aceptados que encauzan las prácticas responsables para el uso y control de la tierra, la pesca y los bosques. Las Directrices ofrecen orientaciones destinadas al mejoramiento de los marcos normativos, jurídicos y organizativos que regulan los derechos de tenencia; al aumento de la transparencia de los sistemas de tenencia y en los procesos relativos a su administración; y al refuerzo de las capacidades y operaciones de los organismos públicos, empresas del [...]

Strong rural organizations like producer groups and cooperatives are crucial to hunger and poverty reduction. They allow small producers toplay a greater role in meeting growing food demand on local, national and international markets, while improving their own economic, social and political opportunities. This thinking connects a series of case studies found in a new publication by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).The publication, Good practices in building innovative rural institutions to increase food security, released during the International Year of Cooperatives, presents thirty-five cases of successful institutional [...]

Increasing agricultural productivity and supporting people to make the most of natural and other resources through sustainable forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, crop and livestock practices. Given that the global population is expected to grow from 7 to 9 billion by 2050, there will be rapidly increasing demand for food, fibre, wood and other agricultural products. Doing more with less is imperative. This area of work will assist countries in identifying options and solutions to increased productivity and saving on external resources. Investing in this area of work means promoting increased sustainable production, enhanced environmental and social performance, and ensured resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change and [...]