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RuralInvest is a free multilingual methodology and toolkit designed to help with the preparation of sustainable agricultural and rural investment projects and business plans. It is participatory, interactive, bottom-up and decentralized way, involving communities, entrepreneurs, government field technicians, project staff and local financing institutions.  Developed by FAO with the support of national and international development partners, RuralInvest contributes to FAO's Strategic Objective to enable inclusive and efficient agricultural food systems.  Any agency, project, organization or private institution managing funds or mobilizing resources for small- and medium-scale agricultural and rural investment can apply RuralInvest to develop: Income-generating projects in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, fish farming, [...]

Part I of this year’s edition of the State of Food Insecurity in Europe and Central Asia is devoted to the theme of how the nature of food insecurity has evolved in the region over the past 23 years. The familiar four pillars of food security are used to demonstrate how the character of food insecurity in the region has changed substantially, owing to the pro-poor economic growth observed over the past 23 years, particularly in the poorer countries of the region. Today, the main indicators and issues on household food insecurity concern malnutrition, rather than the physical or economic [...]

The report sheds some light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, and provides some insights as to what is at stake and what needs to be done. What emerges is that “business as usual” is no longer an option but calls for major transformations in agricultural systems, in rural economies and in how we manage our natural resources. The following complementary information is available: Overview Summary Infographic FAO's work on Global Perspectives Studies

The Commodity Policy Developments tool is maintained by commodity analysts of the FAO Trade and Markets Division. The tool provides concise accounts of national policy changes deemed relevant to markets of basic foodstuffs. Its coverage is global, with emphasis given to policy developments – grouped by major policy domains – affecting cereal, oilcrop, meat, dairy and sugar markets since 2011. The policy records included in the tool act as a supplement to more exhaustive commodity market appraisals prepared by the Division, such as the AMIS Market Monitor, the Food Outlook, the Oilcrops Monthly Price and Policy Update, the Monthly News [...]

FAO promotes the transition to sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural policies and governance mechanisms, working with countries on reviewing their policies and investment strategies and helping them align their policies and programmes in support of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change.

This is a training course on nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems. Using two realistic scenarios, this course illustrates the linkages between agriculture, food systems and nutrition, and describes existing opportunities for integrating nutrition into food system policies, investments and programmes. The course offers a series of examples of nutrition-sensitive policies and interventions, as well as an overview of the main initiatives and commitment on nutrition. The course is designed to assist professionals from any fields related to agriculture and food systems (inputs and production, processing, storage, transport and retailing, consumption) that are involved in shaping and implementing nutrition-sensitive programmes, investments and [...]

Between 2013 and 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) undertook a survey of innovative approaches that enable markets to act as incentives in the transition towards sustainable agriculture in developing countries. Through a competitive selection process, 15 cases from around the world provide insights into how small-scale initiatives that use sustainable production practices are supported by market demand, and create innovations in the institutions that govern sustainable practices and market exchanges. These cases respond to both local and distant consumers’ concerns about the quality of the [...]

Fighting hunger is not only about producing more food. It also means protecting food sources from diseases that can spread across borders. The Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES), is a surveillance and early warning system established with the objective of preventing food chain emergencies caused by transboundary threats. These may be animal or plant pests and diseases or food safety threats and can have a great impact on food security and food safety. Threats to the food chain affect not only  food security livelihoods and human health, but also national economies and global markets. This is why surveillance, early detection, early [...]

La Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) est une maladie hautement contagieuse causée par un Morbillivirus (famille des Paramyxoviridés) qui affecte les petits ruminants sauvages et domestiques. Elle est présente dans toute l’Afrique (sauf dans les pays situés le plus au sud), au Moyen-Orient, en Turquie, en Asie de l’Ouest et du Sud et en Chine. Signalée pour la première fois en 1942, la PPR se propage à un rythme alarmant depuis 15 ans, atteignant des régions antérieurement non infectées et mettant en péril des centaines de millions de petits ruminants. Dans les populations nouvellement infectées, la PPR a eu des [...]

Le Plan Maroc Vert du Gouvernement du Maroc souligne le rôle important de l’agriculture etdéfinit des stratégies visant à promouvoir le développement de ce secteur en y attirant desinvestissements nationaux et internationaux et en organisant les acteurs privés en chaînes devaleur concurrentielles et rentables. Malgré ces efforts, cependant, de grands défis restent à relever. L’un des principauxconcerne la disponibilité de services financiers pour les acteurs ruraux de l’agriculture. Lecapital moyen nécessaire chaque année pour financer l'agriculture est estimé à 30 milliardsde Dirhams. Les finances du secteur bancaire marocain représente seulement 17 pour cent decette demande et le Crédit Agricole du Maroc [...]