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Climate change plays an increasingly important role in the international debate on food security. While the key concern is on how climate change can impact world food security: how to meet the food needs of a world population reaching 9.5 billion people under climate uncertainty, the agrifood sector is also increasingly under scrutiny to increase its contribution to climate change mitigation efforts. This is not surprising since worldwide, the agrifood chain (including agriculture as well as food processing, distribution, retail and utilisation) contributes to over 20 percent of total GHG emissions (excluding land use emissions).

The LEAP (Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance) Partnership is a multi-stakeholder initiative that is committed to improving the environmental performance of livestock supply chains, whilst ensuring its economic and social viability.  Farmers, consumers and other livestock stakeholders are increasingly in need of more information about the environmental performance and the sustainability of livestock supply chains. Although a wide range of environmental assessment methods have been developed, there is a need for comparative and standardized indicators in order to switch focus of dialogue with stakeholders from methodological issues to improvement measures.  LEAP develops comprehensive guidance and methodology for understanding the environmental performance of [...]

Strengthening sustainable forest management Over the last 25 years criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management (C&I for SFM) have become a vital tool for developing a common understanding of the key components of sustainable forest management. They have been adopted and widely applied particularly for international and national reporting and for forest certification. They have undoubtedly helped to define SFM, providing a framework for discussion, and have stimulated improved monitoring. However, their use in policy and practice is limited, for a range of reasons. The project was designed to take stock of the status and use of forest indicators globally, and [...]

Enhancing groundwater management Groundwater provides a large portion of the increasing demand for water in all sectors. It also constitutes the main source of water in water-scarce regions, acts as a buffer against climatic extremes, and sustains crucial ecosystems services. The objective of the project was to embed a process of improved groundwater governance, to halt the current trend of resource depletion and degradation, and lead to positive environmental, social and economic benefits. In so doing, the project aimed to accelerate the adoption of improved groundwater resource governance, from resource management institutions, to millions of individual users. Duration: 01/01/2011  - 31/12/2016

Strengthening livelihoods through control of Peste des Petits Ruminants With almost 70 percent of the global sheep and goat population at risk of Pestedes PetitsRuminants (PPR) -Sheep and Goat Plague, significant efforts are needed to consolidate the livelihoods, nutrition and food security of millions of livestock holders, in particular in Asia and Africa. In this context, the project contributed to filling gaps in existing strategies for control of the disease and supported the formulation of new ones in West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa and Central Asia. It also reviewed and updated the subregionalstrategy for Southeast Asia. Project duration: 01/01/2015  - 01/12/2016 [...]

MOVING TOWARDS HUNGER-FREE PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING COUNTRIES The project worked towards strengthening national capacities to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in the nations making up the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. It brought together leading civil society organizations, the private sector, academic institutions and parliamentarians from the countries involved, as well as fostering cooperation between member states to advance the national implementation of the strategy. The benefits were to be felt deep within communities, as with school feeding programmesin Cabo Verde and São Tomé e Príncipe and family farming in Timor-Leste and Angola. Project duration: 03/02/2014  - 03/10/2016

There are still 2.1 billion poor people and other 900 million living in extreme poverty, most of which live in rural areas. Most of the poor live in rural areas and 95% per cent of the rural poor live in East Asia, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the rural poor are smallholders and family farmers, who depend on agriculture for their food and income. FAO works through a multi-dimensional approach to address the challenges that poor family farmers face in their daily lives and increase their income generating capacity. At the policy level, FAO helps countries shape poverty [...]

Trade agreements are at the heart of the trade and food security debate as they set out the rules for national trade and agricultural policies, which play a key role in determining food security outcomes. The relationship between trade rules and food security has become an increasingly central element in this round of negotiations. The contribution that trade can make to a country’s food security is partly determined by the disciplines that apply to other countries’ policies, but also by the “policy space” that the country itself is granted under WTO rules.   This brief looks at the role of the multilateral trading system in [...]

Eradicating hunger and malnutrition is at the center of FAO’s efforts. In order to achieve this, all stakeholders must be involved. This includes Parliamentarians and non-State actors such as Civil Society and the Private Sector. Evidence has shown that the improvement in food and nutrition security is principally due to policies, programs and frameworks that are anchored in legislation. Parliamentarians are fundamental custodians of political commitments on food security and nutrition; therefore critical partners in achieving food and nutrition security. FAO, through its Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development Division (OPC), seeks partnerships and closer collaboration with Parliamentarians, as we work towards meeting our [...]

Worldwide small-scale fishers, boat crew members, fish-processors, fish traders and fish processing workers face serious labour related challenges specifically linked to the nature of the sector, including prevailing informality, seasonality, remoteness and hazardous nature of work. Inadequate knowledge and skills make many fishers dependent on unpaid family labour including those of women and children. Where labour regulation exist are of difficult application. The study explores wide-ranging decent work concerns in fisheries and aquaculture sector with the objective to inform and guide FAO programming and partnering with governments, civil society organizations, private sector and other UN organizations in promoting decent working conditions along [...]