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Political disputes and the deterioration of the economic and security situation in Libya continue to threaten the agricultural sector and its infrastructure. The cereal sector and, above all, wheat production, the most important crop for food security, are particularly affected. To improve food security conditions, farmers need to have access to improved seed, especially wheat seed. The wheat seed assistant programme was implemented to help small farmers in selected governorates to increase wheat production and productivity by distributing improved seed to producer households affected by the political situation, and by providing training and extension. Find more Project Highlights here.  

This brochure presents the key findings and recommendations of the study entitled “the Regional Outlook on Gender and Agri-food Systems,” which was jointly conducted by the FAO and the African Union Commission. The brochure describes gender gaps in (i) access to and control over productive resources and opportunities, (ii) influence and collective capacity, and (iii) agricultural policies, investment and rural context. Additional analysis on progress and good practices across countries in Africa informed the brochure further to provide recommendations and next steps to move from commitments to collective actions. Also available in French. 

This brochure presents the results of an impact evaluation carried out on the Child Grants Programme in Lesotho.  The evaluation investigated the impact of the programme on three key areas, namely income and economic security, financial inclusion and dietary practices, and nutrition for adults and children.  Adopting a mixed-method approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis, the study aims at informing policy makers about the importance of combining social protection and rural livelihood interventions as opposed to the implementation of standalone programmes.  

Drawing on two school feeding programmes in Mozambique, this study shows how policy reforms need to be aligned legally for successful implementation. It also argues that pilot initiatives can inform the adaptations needed within institutional frameworks.

This brochure provides an overview of FAO's work on Rural Institutions, Services and Empowerment, notably in regard to the challenges and ways forward for tackling hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity from social, territorial, financial and institutional perspectives. FAO's work in these areas aims to unlock the development potential of rural areas, reduce inequalities, promote inclusive finance and advisory service systems and contribute to socio-economic empowerment of rural women and men. 

Trade Policy Brief No. 32 With agriculture accounting for roughly 70 percent of employment and 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in low-income countries, trade in agricultural products has the potential to significantly affect rural employment, incomes and poverty in these countries. See the complete series: Trade Policy Briefs  

The country fact sheet provides a contribution to organizational outcome by monitoring and analysing recent policy trends related to food and agriculture in the specific country, thus providing evidence on what policies are implemented or not in the country and what could be challenges or policy gaps. Thailand country fact sheet provides a glimpse of the overarching agriculture, food security and nutrition policy frameworks and highlight trends in key national policy decisions affecting producers, consumers and trade in the country. The fact sheet synthesizes policy information that is stored in the online policy database, the FAPDA tool. See all FAPDA country fact sheets.

Millions of pastoralists worldwide provide food and important environmental benefits, yet they have little say in policies that affect them. In this video, experts and pastoral representatives discuss the importance of pastoralism and the role of the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub in bringing together various stakeholders to advocate sustainable pastoralism. For more information on the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub, please visit http://www.fao.org/pastoralist-knowledge-hub/en/ 

It is generally assumed that there are strong links between conflict, food security and peace. However, the precise underlying causes and channels that determine these links are often not well understood. More research and data are required to generate the evidence base that helps guide both national and international responses. The present study aims to add to this knowledge. It comes at a time of enhanced risk of famine and severe food crisis in several parts of the world, with conflict as the common denominator. It also comes at a time when the total number of hungry people in the [...]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is conducting a comprehensive study across regions to assess the benefit from applying disaster risk reduction (DRR) good practices in agriculture. The study identify practices that help to reduce the vulnerability of households and communities to natural hazards. The study uses a systematic approach to quantify, on a case-by-case basis, how much damage and loss can be reduced in the agriculture sector through the implementation o f DRR good practices at farm level, compared with usual practices. The approach compares the performance under hazard and non-hazard conditions, including various types [...]