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Almost 88 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion youth live in developing countries. Globally, young people account for approximately 24 percent of the working poor. Although the world’s youth population is expected to grow, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women and men remain limited – particularly for those living in economically stagnant rural areas of developing countries. Hence, creating more productive and beneficial jobs for the rural youth is particularly urgent. The FAO Integrated Country Approach (ICA) for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system project, currently implemented in Senegal, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Guatemala, aims to address [...]

This publication brings together FAO’s current data on climate change and proposes actions to promote sustainable agriculture and food security, including tools and methodologies to support countries’ climate commitments and action plans. Also available in Spanish and Mandarin.

This publication is a compendium of the main outcomes of the online stakeholder dialogue organized by the FAO project "Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia”, funded by the Russian Federation, in collaboration with the FAO Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum). It presents an overview of the multiple topics that have been discussed from 2017 onwards and provides the reader with a brief introduction to the main elements that emerged during these online consultations. Now also available in Russian.

This case study provides information on Moldova's experience in mainstreaming Sustainable Food and Agriculture to achieve the SDGs. It links it to FAO's vision for sustainable food and agriculture and its five key principles.

This new edition of the report focuses on food losses and waste, providing new estimates of the world’s food post-harvest up to, but excluding, the retail level. Addressing policy makers, the report also offers a comprehensive analysis of the critical loss points in specific supply chains, thus providing examples on appropriate measures for an effective reduction.

FAO and UNEP are both custodians of the indicators to measure the Sustainable Development Target 12.3. “By 2030, to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.” Given that the existing measurement methods differ greatly for the production and consumption stages, the custodian agencies, FAO and UNEP, recommend that an additional sub-indicator 12.3.1.b on Food Waste be formally considered for the 2020 comprehensive review of the Global Indicator Framework. By acknowledging that an additional sub-indicator can only be approved in 2020, FAO and UNEP [...]

The operation of agricultural and food systems is key to the transition from subsistence to commercially-oriented food production, which will underpin rural poverty reduction and eradication of hunger. Sustainable food systems can also address the burgeoning challenges of malnutrition and obesity, working to deliver diets that promote and sustain optimal health for the world’s growing population.

The following series of flyers highlights the work being carried out by FAO's Strategic Programmes. This flyer is specifically on "Strategic Programme 2: Making agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and more sustainable". The vision of FAO for sustainable food and agriculture, enshrined in the 2030 Agenda, requires a radical rethink of the status quo and of current agricultural policies. Farmers, pastoralists, foresters and fishers are encouraged to produce more while using less in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. Building more efficient and equitable agriculture and food systems and investing in rural development can accelerate achievement of goals [...]

Viet Nam has seen remarkable progress in the reduction of rural poverty in recent decades, with the agriculture sector making a substantial contribution. In 2017, the sector had a growth rate of almost three percent per year, with the livestock sector being one of the fastest growing subsectors. However, the sector is faced by many challenges, including the growing demand for high-quality, safe and consistent livestock products, difficulties related to diseases, and growing environmental pollution caused by livestock waste from intensive livestock production and processing. Efforts to understand and manage changes in the livestock sector as a whole have been [...]

The high cost to Ecuador’s national budget of maintaining a minimum guaranteed producer price for rice led to the introduction of a price bracket system in 2017. The minimum support price policy and a complimentary high import tariff were meant to protect small rice producers from competition from world markets and increase their incomes. However, farmers with greater productive capacity are currently accruing the highest income transfers from the guaranteed minimum rice price. Moreover, the policy has led to distortions throughout the marketing chain, only partially meeting its objective of price stability. The introduction of the price bracket system and [...]