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With the disintegration of the Soviet Union 15 new countries entered the world stage. The CIS countries are very different in size, economic structure and agricultural profile. The same is true even for the smaller group of seven CIS countries that are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). By late 2013 seven of the twelve non-Baltic ex-Soviet countries had acceded to the WTO: Armenia, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Tajikistan. Four others were in the process of WTO accession: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan had started to prepare for an eventual accession process.  This publication examines the experience and main issues of twelve [...]

Fish plays a key role for food security. It is a primary source of protein and essential nutrients. Fisheries, aquaculture and related activities provide income and livelihoods for numerous communities across the world, including small-scale fisheries. The growing demand for fish questions the sustainability of marine fisheries and aquaculture, now a fundamental supplier of fish. The report considers the environmental, social and economic challenges faced by all actors towards a sustainable supply of fish, sustainable livelihoods of fish-dependent communities and an equitable access to fish for the good nutrition of all populations worldwide. It presents policy-oriented analysis and recommendations addressed to governments, private sector and civil society [...]

Download the FAO VCA-Tool  This analytical tool allows users to systematically gather, store and manage data for the implementation of cost-benefit and value-added analyses. Users can build different scenarios and analyze the socio-economic impact of various policies — such as domestic prices liberalization, opening to international trade, new technologies adoption. Users can use the software to build a baseline scenario which corresponds to a benchmark situation; once users generate the policy measures or changes in the value chain, their impacts will modify the original reference scenario.  The software is the complementary tool to the "Value Chain Analysis for Policy Making: Methodological Guidelines for [...]

According to FAO, almost one-third of food produced for human consumption – approximately 1.3 billion tonnes per year – is either lost or wasted globally. Food losses and waste (FLW) impact both food security and nutrition and the sustainability of food systems, in their capacity to ensure good quality and adequate food for this generation and future generations. This report adopts a systemic perspective to analyze the impacts of FLW on the sustainability of food systems and on food security and nutrition. It reviews the wide range of causes of FLW, identifying broad categories and levels of causes. The report is deliberately oriented towards action. [...]

Effective governance of modern aquaculture must reconcile ecological and human well-being so that the industry is sustainable over time. Without effective governance, there will be misallocation of resources, and perhaps stagnation of the industry and irreversible environmental damage. Four principles – accountability, effectiveness and efficiency of governments, equity and predictability of the rule of law – are suggested as necessary for effective aquaculture governance. These principles should guide the administration, legislative and regulatory framework of aquaculture. In addition to governments, other stakeholders such as communities, non-governmental organizations and producers should also be involved in the governance of the industry.

Agricultural production is prone to several risks which affect both producers and consumers. In order to enhance investment and achieve a sustained increase in production, coherent and integrated long-term strategies and policies are required to reduce risk aversion and build resilience among African rural producers. Furthermore, the critical importance of social protection and its complementarity to risk management initiatives must be recognised. This paper investigates possible tools and instruments to deal with various production and price risks. Market-based approaches are crucial for risk management options to thrive, but the country experiences examined have highlighted that most of the risk management instruments [...]

Developing countries are increasingly using agrocorridors to develop their agricultural sectors. These corridors promote inclusive agribusiness growth, building on a linear agglomeration of people and activities along existing transportation infrastructure. Based on initiatives in Central Asia, the Greater Mekong Subregion, Indonesia, Mozambique, Peru and the United Republic of Tanzania, this report shows how agrocorridors help improve physical connectivity and functioning of markets, while generating economies of scale in agriculture. Agrocorridors do this because they integrate public and private investments in “hardware” (transport and agribusiness infrastructure), “software” (policy and regulatory framework) and “orgware” (institutional strengthening and capacity building). The goal of [...]

Pour éliminer la faim, il est indispensable d'accroître sensiblement l'investissement agricole et, plus encore, d'améliorer la qualité de l'investissement afin qu'il bénéficie à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin.  Les Principes du CSA pour un investissement responsable dans l’agriculture et les systèmes alimentaires partent de l'idée qu'avant de définir la mesure dans laquelle l'investissement responsable dans l'agriculture et les systèmes alimentaires peut contribuer à la sécurité alimentaire et à la nutrition, il convient de reconnaître et de respecter les droits de l'homme. Cet ensemble de 10 principes encadre tout investissement agricole, quels qu'en soient le type et le volume, y [...]

This technical paper focuses primarily on price transmissions in small-scale and large-scale fishery and aquaculture value chains in 14 developed and developing countries. Although the study is focused on the small-scale sector, both the small-scale and large-scale sectors were analysed in order to demonstrate differences between the two. The document begins with an overview of the entire project and its global implications, reviewing the importance of fisheries and aquaculture to livelihoods, food security and trade as well as the rationale for value chain analysis. It then presents detailed and summarized country-specific information on the research and analysis conducted, presenting analysis [...]

The transformation of agricultural markets as a result of political and economic transition in the post-Soviet countries was accompanied by the process of globalization and deepening trade integration both within the region and with external trade partners. These countries are often engaged in multiple trade negotiation processes at the same time, each with their own challenges and benefits.  Many European and Central Asian countries joined the WTO which helped enhance their participation in global agricultural trade, and the region plays an increasingly important role as a supplier of agricultural commodities to international markets. The network brings together experts who conduct research, carry [...]