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Malnutrition in all its forms - undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight and obesity - imposes unacceptably high economic and social costs on countries at all income levels. "The State of Food and Agriculture 2013: Food systems for better nutrition" argues that improving nutrition and reducing these costs must begin with food and agriculture. The traditional role of agriculture in producing food and generating income is fundamental, but agriculture and the entire food system - from inputs and production, through processing, storage, transport and retailing, to consumption - can contribute much more to the eradication of malnutrition.

This Technical Note seeks to address two central questions relating to negotiations towards further disciplines on domestic support measures: (i) what are the characteristics of domestic support measures that cause such measures to have a potentially trade distortionary effect? and (ii) will further WTO disciplines on domestic support measures be effective in reducing levels of trade distorting support? To provide context, the Note begins by summarizing how domestic support measures are currently disciplined within the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (UR AoA) and discusses the effectiveness of these disciplines. It then highlights the most significant aspects of the August 2004 Framework [...]

Les présentes directives ont pour objet d’expliquer comment la FAO et les Ministères de l’agriculture des différents pays5 peuvent soutenir et utiliser la Convention, au niveau national, en tant qu’instrument d’élaboration et de programmation des politiques, de manière à assurer l’égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, dans le domaine de l’agriculture et du développement rural.

L’égalité des sexes est au cœur du mandat de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’alimentation et l’agriculture (FAO), qui consiste à assurer la sécurité alimentaire de tous les êtres humains en améliorant les niveaux de nutrition, la productivité agricole et la gestion des ressources naturelles, ainsi que la vie des populations rurales. La FAO ne peut atteindre ces objectifs qu’en menant simultanément une action en faveur de l’égalité hommes-femmes et à l’appui des rôles divers que jouent les femmes dans l’agriculture et le développement rural. L’égalité des sexes n’est pas qu’un moyen essentiel l’accomplissement de la mission de la FAO; c’est aussi et avant tout [...]

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 report aims to provide a conceptual framework to address food security under conditions of water scarcity in agriculture. It has been prepared by a team of FAO staff and consultants in the framework of the project `Coping with water scarcity: the role of agriculture?, and has been discussed at an Expert Consultation meeting organized in FAO, Rome in December 2009 on the same subject. It was subsequently edited and revised, taking account of discussions in the Expert Consultation and materia ls presented to the meeting. The document offers views on the conceptual framework on which FAO's water scarcity programme [...]

This report aims to provide a conceptual framework to address food security under conditions of water scarcity in agriculture. It has been prepared by a team of FAO staff and consultants in the framework of the project `Coping with water scarcity: the role of agriculture?, and has been discussed at an Expert Consultation meeting organized in FAO, Rome in December 2009 on the same subject. It was subsequently edited and revised, taking account of discussions in the Expert Consultation and materia ls presented to the meeting. The document offers views on the conceptual framework on which FAO's water scarcity programme [...]

The purpose of the passport is to support them in mainstreaming a gender perspective during planning, implementation and management of agricultural water management projects and programmes. This implies assessing the implications of any intervention on women and men, girls and boys, through a participatory approach, while designing gender sensitive interventions. The expected outcome is improved performance of water management projects and systems, while strengthening the position of rural women or other disadvantaged groups. The passport is designed to be a rapid appraisal tool to identify the main gender-related problems and gaps that require attention during the design, implementation and monitoring of a project or programme. If the project is at the planning [...]

New information and knowledge are critical inputs for the practice of agriculture the world over. This is especially true for resource-poor farmers living in rural areas in Asia. Yet most of these farmers are not only resource poor but also information poor. Mobile technology holds great promise in delivering information to resource-poor farmers and as a consequence to improving their livelihoods. The number of mobile connections is presently six billion and growing. There are many examples of mobile-based interventions in agriculture, health, education and rural livelihood projects in Asia. Of these, however, few have moved from the pilot phase to [...]

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 [...]