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This document offers a methodological introduction to Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs) for analysing socio-economic impact of agricultural and rural development policies. Firstly, the concept and the structure of an SAM are presented. Next, the concept of policy "instrument" and "objective" variables are introduced and applied for SAM-based policy impact analysis. The module concludes by discussing the multipliers matrix as an instrument for analysing policy impact and presenting some examples. This paper is part of the FAO Policy series: EASYPol-Resources for policy making (in agriculture, rural development and food security). You can find other EASYPol series' resources in the Resources section of [...]

These guidelines provide users with the key notions required to carry out analyses of policy impacts by means of a value chain approach and show how to do it in a practical way by making use of relevant tools. In particular, the reader will find this material useful to: Identify the basic units operating in a given value chain (=agents) and the activities they undertake; Quantify the gross revenues, value added creation and profits of every agent; Build different scenarios and measure changes in revenues, value added creation and profits for the different scenarios; Build a Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) and compute protection and [...]

The AFOLU sector (Agriculture, Forestry, Land Use) is directly linked with climate change issues, on an environmental aspect as well as on an economical and social aspect (food security).  On the one hand, the sector directly contributes to climate change. Indeed, agriculture represents 14% of the total worldwide GHG emissions, and deforestation accounts for 17% (UNFCCC, 2008). The AFOLU sector is thus responsible for one third of the GHG emissions in the world. Moreover, this sector is increasingly vulnerable to climate changes and hence requires adaptation measures. On the other hand, it is estimated that the mitigation potential of the AFOLU [...]

This book presents the current state of thought on the common path of sustainable diets and biodiversity and addresses the linkages among agriculture, health, the environment and food industries. The alarming pace of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and their negative impact on poverty and health makes a compelling case for re-examining food systems and diets. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop and promote strategies for sustainable diets, emphasizing the positive role of food biodiversity in human nutrition and poverty alleviation. Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to [...]

Building on FAO’s work on good practices in agriculture and forestry, the Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) project has compiled a set of good environmental practices that can be implemented by bioenergy feedstock producers in order to minimize the risk of negative environmental impacts from their operations, and to ensure that modern bioenergy contributes to climate change mitigation while safeguarding and possibly fostering food security.  BEFSCI has also compiled a set of good socio-economic practices that can help minimize the risks and increase the opportunities for food security associated with bioenergy operations.  BEFSCI has identified a range of policy instruments that [...]

The Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) addresses prevention and early warning across the entire food chain. It promotes the effective containment and management of the most serious epidemic pests and diseases and food safety threats through international cooperation involving early detection, early warning, preparedness and timely reaction, coordination and communication, and capacity development.

This best practices guidance document is intended to help development professionals  and government officials who are involved in agricultural and rural development investment operations to mainstream climate change considerations in programme identification, design and supervision. The link between food security, rural livelihoods and climate change is well recognized, and the idea of mainstreaming climate change into agricultural and rural development investment programmes has become increasingly important. This publication provides practitioners with pertinent information from FAO and external sources, as well as options and good practices on rapid assessments, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction.

Dans le secteur de la pêche artisanale, les coopératives permettent d’optimiser les avantages à long terme qu’en tirent les communautés pour faire face aux menaces résultant de la mauvaise gestion de la pêche, de l’insécurité des moyens d’existence et de la pauvreté, une dure réalité pour de nombreux petits pêcheurs du monde entier. Les communautés qui ont déjà leurs propres organisations s’en sortent mieux que les autres (Ostrom, 1990). Il est possible, tout à fait faisable et souhaitable de créer des coopératives performantes qui jouent un rôle important dans le développement local. Les coopératives ont la capacité d’autonomiser les petits [...]

Pour être pleinement productifs les petits agriculteurs, pêcheurs, éleveurs et forestiers sont extrêmement dépendant de services qui font grandement défaut en milieu rural dans les pays en développement. C'est le résultat de plusieurs décennies de désintérêt pour le secteur agricole qui s'est traduit par la baisse régulière jusqu'en 2007 du niveau de l'aide internationale au développement agricole et des investissements publics nationaux en faveur de l'agriculture. Différentes formes d'innovations institutionnelles ont vu le jour ces dernières années pour surmonter les nombreuses contraintes qui pèsent sur les petits producteurs en milieu rural. Cette publication présente une série de 35 études de [...]

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