FAO.org

Pulses are a sub group of legumes with extraordinary nutritional and environmental benefits. Pulses are rich in proteins, in comparison with other plant-based protein sources and hence, act as major protein sources for vegetarians and in regions where meat and dairy are not physically or economically accessible. Pulses have a greater genetic diversity than the other crops, with many varieties of pulses resistant to floods, drought and other extreme and marginal environmental conditions.   Considering the benefits of pulses, the Government of Sri Lanka has initiated several programmes to promote pulses to address micronutrient deficiencies, which are widespread, particularly among nutritionally vulnerable [...]

The key drivers in food value chain development are the entrepreneurs. They create firms that are profitable and competitive, create many jobs, link in many smallholders and producer organizations as suppliers, generate tax revenues, improve the food supply to consumers (lower price, higher quality), and have a positive impact on the wider environment in which they operate (e.g., reduce rural poverty). Applied to Africa, the approach is to develop a publication that synthesizes a combination of literature review and 12 carefully selected cases of particularly successful entrepreneurs. The document will be organized around four sub-themes (scaling up, youth, women, challenging BEEs). [...]

Using a storytelling approach, this special series of short stories communicates the impact of FAO's work on prevention and response to transboundary threats, told through the voice of the individuals affected.

Advocacy on FAO’s emergency prevention activities along the food chain, in addition to providing information. This series presents FCC-EMPRES core activities through successful programs and initiatives illustrating FAO’s role in supporting member countries to prevent, prepare and respond to transboundary, high impact animal and plant pests and diseases and food safety threats. See more information sheets here.

During the period April to June 2019, Food Chain Crisis (FCC) threats are expected to occur in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, where they may persist within a country, spread to neighbouring countries, remain latent, or re-emerge or amplify. The dynamics and likelihood of occurrence of FCC threats depend on a number of risk factors or drivers. These include agro-ecological factors (intensive farming systems, deforestation, overgrazing, etc.), climate change (droughts, extreme weather events, flooding, heavy rains, heat waves, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation – ENSO –, changes in vegetation cover, water temperature, etc.), human behaviour (cultural practices, conflicts and civil insecurity, [...]

Entrenched food insecurity and malnutrition is a major concern in Afghanistan. It can be explained by several factors, including limited availability, fragile accessibility and instability of food supplies, among others. Food security and nutrition(FSN) is therefore a high priority on the agenda of the Government of Afghanistan. However, capacity constraints in the field of planning and management of FSN policies, programmes and projects remained a challenge for the successful implementation of FSN interventions. Against this background, the project focused on strengthening national capacities in FSN programming and implementation, and in reviewing, analysing, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the food security and [...]

A moyen terme, la sécurité alimentaire du Burkina Faso devra passer par l’augmentation de la production agricole, pour faire face à des taux de croissance démographique élevés. L’augmentation de l’utilisation de l’engrais chimique permettrait d’augmenter la production agricole. Toutefois, les niveaux d’utilisation de l’engrais chimique restent faibles au Burkina Faso et du fait de l’enclavement du pays, les prix de l’engrais chimique sont élevés  par rapport aux autres pays de la région. L’analyse a permis de mettre en évidence les facteurs explicatifs du prix élevé de l’engrais et de proposer des actions à même de limiter le prix des engrais payés [...]

In December 2017, FAO and Bioversity International entered into an agreement to contribute to the overall food systems and climate change adaptation debate through analytical and field activities on indigenous food systems. Thanks to this agreement, and through a task force thatincluded, FAO and Bioversity, the Centre  for  International  Forestry  Research  (CIFOR),  the  Indigenous  Partnership  for  Agrobiodiversity  and Food  Sovereignty,  the  French  National  Research  Institute  for  Sustainable  Development  (IRD)  and  local indigenous organizations, different food systems across the world were profiled. To  present  the first  results  of  these  studies  and  to  identify strategies  to  safeguard  the  preservation  and transmission  of  ancestral  [...]

Distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) and smart contracts provide a unique opportunity to bring greater efficiency, transparency and traceability to the exchange of value and information in the agriculture sector. By utilising digital records, cryptography and the disintermediation of transaction processing and data storage, DLTs can improve both agricultural supply chains and rural development interventions in a number of ways. The technology has the potential to simplify and integrate agricultural supply chains, enhance food safety, facilitate access to trade finance and other types of agricultural financial services, improve market transparency, provide greater legal certainty to land-tenure systems and strengthen accountability for [...]

This Resource framework is intended as a guidance tool for stakeholders involved in programme design, implementation and monitoring of Home-Grown School Feeding Programmes and the related policy and institutional environment, including, inter alia: governments and development partners providing technical and financial assistance, as well as civil society, community based organisations and the private sector. It is a knowledge product that harmonizes the existing approaches and tools, and builds on the wealth of expertise and experience with home grown school feeding models i.e. those designed to provide children in schools with safe, diverse and nutritious food, sourced locally from smallholders, with [...]