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The global market of organic products increased fivefold between 1999 and 2014, Organic Monitor projects growth to continue. This trend is also true for the Asian region where the third largest market for organic products in the world and forty percent of the world’s organic producers are located (a total of 0.9 million producers, mostly concentrated in India). Consumers in the region are increasingly demanding organic products to ensure food safety. This trend represents an opportunity for smallholder farmers practicing organic production to increase their sales and improve their livelihoods. Yet, this opportunity is not readily available to smallholder farmers in [...]

The resource guide is part of the follow-up to the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) that was held in November 2014 in Rome, Italy. It aims at guiding countries to translate the 60 recommended policy options and actions of the ICN2 Framework of Action into country-specific commitments for action. This process is done according to the national needs and conditions, and builds on existing policies, strategies, programmes, plans and investments in order to achieve the 10 commitments of the Rome Declaration on Nutrition.

Food Outlook is published by the Trade and Markets Division of FAO under Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). It is a biannual publication focusing on developments affecting global food and feed markets. Each report provides comprehensive assessments and short term forecasts for production, utilization, trade, stocks and prices on a commodity by commodity basis and includes feature articles on topical issues. Food Outlook maintains a close synergy with another major GIEWS publication, Crop Prospects and Food Situation, especially with regard to the coverage of cereals.   

An adequate nutrition provides us with the necessary energy for the appropriate functioning and care of our body, and is the first defence against diseases. However, many people today still do not have access to food, do not eat enough or do not eat poorly. Nutrition problems (malnutrition, obesity, etc.) encompass inappropriate choices and practices that can be addressed through effective public policies. In this context, parliamentary alliances such as the Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean, and specialized agencies such as FAO, play a key role in educating consumers and preventing diseases. During an event on [...]

A technical brief on the sustainable food systems concept and framework, this document reflects the three first-day modules of the FAO food systems/value chains training program. Colleagues and trainees using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings wish to refer to the training materials (e.g., the food system wheel), but as these have yet no published documents related to them, they cannot do so. Also, various trainees are using the training materials to explore the implementation of trainings of a similar format in their countries/projects, and are looking for some publication to share with partners. Finally, the course [...]

Since its introduction to Libya in December 2015, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has spread to a number of farms in the country, causing serious economic losses to poultry farmers and affecting public health. Between 2014 and 2015, the losses to farmers caused by the disease were estimated at over USD10 million. The lack of qualified human resources and appropriate equipment meant that the outbreaks were not deeply investigated, while the absence of biosecurity measures and awareness enabled the evolution of the disease in the country, reaching over 60 percent in backyard farms and leading to an increase in the number [...]

This Discussion paper explores the relationship between food loss and waste (FLW) and the right to adequate food. It focuses on the need to develop sustainable global consumption and production systems to contribute to the realization of the right to adequate food while it argues for a human rights-based approach to tackle FLW.  As such, it presents key notions of FLW and expands on their impact for the realization of the right to adequate food. Simultaneously, it looks into the different components of the right to adequate food and offers ways through which its legal obligations could help processes and initiatives [...]

The Understanding Codex will be at its 4th Edition and it is a very useful tool to introduce the Codex Alimentarius and its collection of international food standards to the public. The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Such standards cover all the main foods and also  material used in the further processing of food. Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional; quality of food, including microbiological norms, food additives, pesticides and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, and methods of sampling and risk analysis. The Codex Alimentarius [...]

At its 42nd session in October 2015, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) to prepare a report on Nutrition and Food Systems, to be presented at CFS 44 in October 2017. This topic is highly relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the implementation of the 2014 Rome Declaration on Nutrition, the subsequent Decade of Action for Nutrition, and the fulfilment of the right to adequate food. The purpose of this report is two-fold: (i) to analyse how food systems influence people’s dietary patterns and nutritional [...]

The United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 aims to trigger intensified action to end hunger and eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide, and ensure universal access to healthier and more sustainable diets for all people, whoever they are and wherever they live. Achieving and sustaining on-the-ground reductions in malnutrition will require strong commitment from many people and organizations including policy-makers and governments, implementing agencies and teams, civil society groups, research institutions, businesses and communities. Such commitment does not come easily: it must be created, sustained and strengthened over time. This policy brief sets out factors that drive commitment [...]