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The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted digital financial inclusion trends across the world in many and complex ways. In developing and emerging contexts, this crisis also holds the potential to propel an unprecedented acceleration in the process of financial digitization and turn out to be a game-changer for digital financial inclusion.The aim of this study is to illustrate the opportunities and risks associated with the surge in uptake and use of digital financial service, providing ideas on how to leverage the paradigm changes affecting the overall approach and perspective towards digital financial services – on the part of various stakeholders – [...]

Agricultural Value Chain Finance Innovations and Lessons: Case Studies in Africa documents key aspects and lessons from selected best practice cases for training and learning. Using site visits to document the information, the 22 practical case studies and examples were developed across Africa to portray a diverse set of experiences that address different aspects of applying agricultural financing using a value chain approach. The cases are of varied length and complexity. Eighteen short case studies for use in time-constrained workshop settings are presented and together with four longer, highlight cases, which deal with more complex arrangements and business models. The [...]

In the face of the economic downturn that Nicaragua experienced in 2018 and the need for a recovery, the study provides a comparative analysis of how investments in productive infrastructure in different agri-food sectors would impact growth and poverty. The analysis is based on scenarios generated through an economy-wide model representing the Nicaraguan economy and its sectors. The model includes financing constraints and the study explores different financing options for the new investments.

This report presents insights and emerging lessons on food systems governance from the experience of nine cities that have developed urban food interventions – Baltimore, Belo Horizonte, Lima, Medellín, Nairobi, Quito, Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto – and draws on diverse sources of secondary information regarding the experiences of other cities throughout the world. It highlights entry points for the governance of urban food systems issues; common procedural and content-related considerations when addressing those issues; predominant governance models; and operational opportunities for future investment. Successful examples can encourage other local governments to adapt new approaches and innovate within their own context. Every [...]

This paper presents a sector-specific framework for better understanding the role of the AFOLU sector in the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) at the country and aggregate level. It is designed to facilitate the stocktaking and analysis of national climate change mitigation and adaptation priorities, barriers to implementation and support needs specific to the AFOLU sector in order to inform country programming and guide the flow of external support. It can also be used at the country-level to facilitate NDC enhancement and encourage compliance with the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. As such, it is directed at national [...]

La pandémie de covid-19 menace gravement la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition et a considérablement affecté les moyens de subsistance et les conditions de travail dans les filières agricoles. Ce document d'orientation se concentre sur le rôle de l'investissement responsable et de la conduite responsable des entreprises dans les filières agricoles dans le contexte de la pandémie de covid-19. Il présent des recommandations politiques aux gouvernements, aux investisseurs, aux entreprises et à la société civile sur la manière d'encourager les investissements responsables et la conduite responsable des entreprises dans l'agriculture en ces temps difficiles.Voir la liste complète des synthèses relatives [...]

The aim of this report is to define the strategy for the Science and Policy Interface under Component 1 of the Resilient Food Systems Programme (RFS) Hub. Under this component, FAO and UN-Environment Programme, in partnership with RFS country projects and a range of other actors and platforms and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, aim to address institutional and policy barriers to inclusion of ecosystem services-aware approaches into policies and investments for improved and sustainable smallholder agriculture and natural resources. The focus of this component is the facilitation of dialogue, models, policies, and institutions that bridge the agricultural and environmental agendas [...]

The 2008 global food price crisis, and the resurgence of food prices in 2010-2011, caused both widespread concern and expectations. On the one hand, countries whose food supply depends on procuring food from international markets saw food price spikes as threats to their national food security. On the other hand, investors saw in these price spikes an opportunity to make profitable investments in agriculture. Either as threat or opportunity, food price spikes raised interest in Africa, whose lands are fertile and have unrealised potential. Concerns of a possible land acquisitions in Africa, and in particular the impacts of Large-Scale Land-Based [...]

This study aims to analyze the coffee value chain in Uganda and identify opportunities and constraints for enhancing youth employment. Coffee is one of the key agricultural commodities in the Government of Uganda’s pursuance of sustainable growth and job creation, especially for the rapidly expanding youth population. The study outlines a significant number of job opportunities for young people along this value chain, not only in production but increasingly in processing, trade and marketing, as well as service provision. It also suggests strategic upgrading options and outlines concrete policy actions to maximize youth participation in and benefits from the coffee [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated serious threats to food security and nutrition and has greatly affected livelihoods and working conditions in agricultural value chains. This policy brief focuses on the role of responsible investment and responsible business conduct along agricultural value chains in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides policy recommendations for governments, investors, enterprises and civil society on how they can encourage responsible investment and responsible business conduct in agriculture in these challenging times. See the full list of policy briefs related to COVID-19.