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The FAO-IFPRI study, focuses on the use of tractors because they are among the most versatile farm mechanization tools and are universal power sources for all other driven implements and equipment in agriculture, with significant potential to replace animal draught power and human power, including children’s muscle power. Tractor use is typically also the first type of machine-powered equipment in use at lower levels of agricultural development, the context where most child labour is found.Mechanization is mostly assumed to reduce child labour, as it is expected to be labour saving in general. Yet, this is not always the case, as [...]

Agriculture accounts for almost one-fourth of all the greenhouse gas emitted by humans, but is also a victim of the changing climate – extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and land degradation are undermining the sector's productivity – putting many livelihoods at risk. Yet, with the right set of policies and investments, agriculture can be a part of the solution. The EX-ACT suite of tools gathers the evidence complementing the information available to decisions makers on the outcomes of their agrifood interventions. It helps them to quantify the amount of greenhouse gas released or sequestered from agricultural production, analyse the outcomes [...]

FAO commissioned the Consultation and Research Institute to undertake an in-depth assessment of child labour in greenhouses in order to be able to mitigate this phenomenon through FAO’s future projects and programmes. The main objective of the study is to acquire more information and data on child labour in greenhouses in order to be able to determine the assistance necessary to prevent, reduce and eradicate child labour in this field. The resulting evidence will support FAO in the design and implementation of programmes and projects aimed at promoting greenhouses as sustainable and viable businesses that are free from child labour [...]

In recognition of the well-understood challenges with promoting rural and agricultural finance, the need for a more systemic approach to promoting financial inclusion is gaining traction in the thinking and programming approaches of the community of practice. Within this system-level view, the concept of de-risking the overall operating environment of agricultural value chains is recognized as a critically important factor. Accordingly, numerous project-based and stand-alone “de-risking” arrangements have recently been launched or are at various stages of design throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The generation of evidence of performance, impact and cost effectiveness is critical to validating the relevance of these types of [...]

In this study, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) teamed up to investigate how transformational change (transformational change) is understood in the scientific literature. The study, the first of its kind to review academic studies on transformational change, focuses on two main questions: (i) What does ‘transformational change’ mean? and (ii) What drives it?

Reducing rural poverty is a key objective of FAO. To achieve this goal, the Organization must reach the poor and the extremely poor in rural areas, analysing their needs and aspirations and providing effective guidance for the design of policies and investments that foster inclusive and sustainable development.This guide was developed to strengthen the Organization’s work on rural poverty reduction and inclusivity over the coming years. It provides key information to measure poverty, characterize rural populations, and identify their constraints to target them more accurately.The guide includes five chapters. Chapter 1 explains the structure, content, and use of the guide, [...]

The FAO-IFPRI study, of which this policy brief is a summary, focuses on the use of tractors because they are among the most versatile farm mechanization tools and are universal power sources for all other driven implements and equipment in agriculture, with significant potential to replace animal draught power and human power, including children’s muscle power. Tractor use is typically also the first type of machine-powered equipment in use at lower levels of agricultural development, the context where most child labour is found.Mechanization is mostly assumed to reduce child labour, as it is expected to be labour saving in general. [...]

This publication offers a synthesis of the major factors at play in the global food and agricultural landscape. Statistics are presented in four thematic chapters, covering the economic importance of agricultural activities, inputs, outputs and factors of production, their implications for food security and nutrition and their impacts on the environment. The Yearbook is meant to constitute a primary tool for policy makers, researchers and analysts, as well as the general public interested in the past, present and future path of food and agriculture. The World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2021 is available in other formats: Digital report Statistical Pocketbook 2021 [...]

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