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The fifth wholesale markets bulletin addresses the food supply and demand situation during these pandemic months. Through price monitoring that was carried out with the markets of Latin America and the Caribbean. Also available in Spanish Find more COVID-19 related resources here

The health and environmental consequences of our dietary choices impose costs on society that are currently not reflected in the price of those foods or diets that contribute to these detrimental impacts. This paper provides updated estimates of two major cost items: the healthcare-related costs associated with unhealthy diets, and the climate-change costs associated with the emissions attributable to diets and food production. Results suggest that the health and climate-change costs of current diets are substantial and projected to increase up to 1.3-1.7 trillion USD annually by 2030. See here the The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 [...]

The far-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on the entire planet have mobilized numerous calls to prevent similar pandemics in the future. Appeals have ranged from advocacy for the permanent closure of markets where wild animals may be sold, to banning all commercial use of wildlife, to significantly stepping up sanitary measures and monitoring along all food value chains. In this document, the Members of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) propose four guiding principles to assist practitioners and decision-makers in making practical and scientifically informed responses. These principles aim to reduce the risk of future pandemics originating from wild [...]

The document presents the definitions and components of the food system, as well as proposing a definition and search areas for food phenomena. It also updates the empirical evidence and the opinion of experts based on how these eating phenomena are defined in the literature. Finally, it presents a reflection on the identified phenomena, how they are presented and should be addressed in the Latin American and Caribbean region, in the current COVID-19 scenario. Some of the phenomena mentioned are: food deserts and swamps, eCommerce and regulatory standards for critical ingredients in food. See more publications on COVID19 here.

This publication sets out to explore the issue of harmonization of national pesticides Maximum Residues Limits (MRLs) with Codex pesticide MRLs from different angles, by taking rice as a case study. Part A identifies the level of harmonization in main rice producing and trading countries and explores the possible effects on trade, while Part B investigates the reasons behind differing levels of harmonization.Its broader objective is to offer insights for decision-makers involved in setting of standards and design of food policy at national and international level on the significance of harmonization of pesticide MRLs.Last updated date 28/08/2020.

The 27th Session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG 27) will be conducted as a virtual event from 28 September to 2 October 2020.Sustainable Livestock for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a main theme.The livestock sector is a key driver for a sustainable agricultural development. Sustainable livestock farming must improve food security, nutrition and healthy diets, inclusive economic growth, livelihoods, animal health and welfare, and address environment issues.Challenges and opportunities for the livestock sector’s contribution to SDGs will be discussed at COAG 27.COAG is one of FAO’s Governing Bodies with over 120 Member Nations. It provides policy and regulatory guidance [...]

Under the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) programme, FAO has contributed to improving resilience and livelihoods for refugees and internally displaced people in 14 countries through four types of activities: clean cooking, forest management, renewable energy in agri-food chains and policy support.This publication evaluates FAO’s energy-in-emergency portfolio in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan to define innovative programming options for efficient energy access within the humanitarian settings of these three countries.

This policy brief provides an overview on the role of digital technologies in optimizing traceability in trade for animals and animal products. It highlights the ways in which digital technologies can the enhance performance for monitoring and controlling animal disease, managing food safety and fraud risks, complying with animal production and food standards, facilitating trade and raising consumer awareness.

Sustainable food systems are fundamental to ensuring that future generations are food secure and eat healthy diets. To transition towards sustainability, many food system activities must be reconstructed, and myriad actors around the world are starting to act locally. While some changes are easier than others, knowing how to navigate through them to promote sustainable consumption and production practices requires complex skill sets. This handbook is written for “sustainable food systems innovators” by a group of innovators from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe who are leading initiatives to grow, share, sell and consume more sustainable foods in their local contexts. [...]

More than 820 million people in the world were hungry in 2018 (FAO, 2019). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there were 239 million undernourished people, with a prevalence of 22.8 percent as measured by the Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU), a Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) indicator. The target is to bring this prevalence to zero by 2030 (Ritchie et al., 2018). According to the latest Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), 9.2 percent of the world’s population (or more than 700 million people) were exposed to severe levels of food insecurity in 2018, with Africa having the highest level of 27 [...]