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In order to acquire an in - depth understanding of potential benefits, constraints and costs of foreign investment in agriculture and of the business models that are more conducive to development, FAO has undertaken research in developing countries.  The research aims to provide better knowledge on the trends and impacts of foreign direct investment on host communities and countries, to gather evidence on inclusive business models, to identify good practices and to develop guidance for host gov ernments.  This publication summarizes the results of this research, in particular through the presentation of the main findings of case studies in nine [...]

Guarantee funds have been used over the years in many countries, forms and contexts as a way to increase the flow of funds into targeted sectors and groups. Various types of guarantee systems and scheme are used to make lending more attractive by sharing or absorbing the risks associated with lending to the targeted sector or type of enterprise. Such systems can also increase the amount of loan funds available to an enterprise beyond its own collateral limits, because the guarantee is a form of loan collateral. The guarantee manager can assume the additional role of loan assessor and monitor, [...]

"Four case studies on credit guarantee funds for agriculture" is an in-depth analysis of different models of guarantee system. An assessment of these cases, together with a review of the global industry of agricultural guarantee systems, was published as "Credit guarantee systems for agriculture and rural enterprise development". The four case studies in this document provide the reader with a more detailed description of how these individual programmes have worked over time. Three of the programmes are among the largest and longest standing agricultural guarantee funds in the world, and have had both successful and difficult experiences as they evolve [...]

Wheat is of paramount importance in Pakistan, with 80 percent of farmers growing it on a total of about 9 million hectares (ha) - close to 40 percent of the country’s total cultivated land. The crop is grown by predominantly small (0.5 to 5.0 ha) and medium-sized (5 to 10 ha) farmers, whose livelihoods depend on it. Wheat yields in Pakistan remain low, lagging behind those in other countries with comparable agroclimatic conditions. The agro-ecological potential for irrigated wheat in Punjab, Pakistan’s primary production area, suggests that yields of about 6 tonnes/ha could be attained, compared with current yields of 2.5 to 3 tonnes/ha. Assuming that this potential [...]

Cette sourcebook globale sur l' agriculture intelligente face au climat (CSA), produit par l'Organisation pour l' alimentation et l' agriculture, se compose de dix - huit modules couvrant tous les aspects de la planification et la mise en œuvre des politiques et des projets CSA.  Destiné principalement aux pays en développement, le module d'ouverture décrit le cas pour CSA (y compris la sylviculture et de la pêche), de discuter des questions telles que la sécurité alimentaire, les systèmes résilients, et l' efficacité du système. Le sourcebook fait valoir que si nous voulons répondre à la demande croissante tout en luttant [...]

This publication is the outcome of a study carried out in 2009 documenting information service models in rural areas in China. It builds upon a previous study carried out in 2003.  The report describes four information service models and provides an update of progress made in the six years from 2003 to 2009.  The impacts of information services in improving the lives of farmers is analysed, as well as the key constraints to further development and expansion of information services to rural areas . The report concludes with key issues that need to be addressed to move forward in strengthening [...]

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 [...]

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.

Since the Global Conference on Climate Change, Food Security and Agriculture held at the Hague in 2010, the concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained increasing attention at international and national levels, with several countries initiating related activities. The objective of this paper is to highlight recent experiences with country-level implementation of CSA to identify some key lessons to incorporate in ongoing efforts to expand the use of the approach in developing countries. Examples are presented from Malawi, Zambia, and Vietnam on the issues discussed, and how to use the evidence base to inform investment options and policy actions. Section 1 describes the evolution of the concept [...]

This guide is designed for those involved in developing action plans to address the current issue of high food prices. It is divided into three parts. The first part provides background information on the context, purpose, audience and structure of the guide. The second part provides some essential remarks on processes that lead to decisions on actions to be taken as well as the analytical underpinning required to ensure that instruments used are well adapted to the specific conditions within the country. The third part looks at instruments that could be used to immediately address high food prices. They are classified by the domain of intervention (macro-economy, [...]