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This document is based on the publication Review of Agricultural Trade Policies in post-Soviet countries 2014-15. In the 2013-2014 period, most countries in the region registered a negative foreign trade balance in agrifood products (HS codes 1-24). The largest deficit in this product category was recorded in the Russian Federation, which had an average annual deficit over the two years of USD 23.9 billion. Available in Russian.

Approximately 30% of food produced for human consumption around the world is either lost or wasted each year. This is equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes of food. Robert VanOtterdijk, Agro-Food Industries Officer and Camelia Bucatariu, Technical Officer of the FAO Nutrition and Food Systems Division explain the importance of actively preventing and reducing food loss and waste and its direct contribution to food and nutrition security for all. They describe the FAO policy work, including key policy messages. See all videos in the Policy and Governance series :  AR  CH  EN   FR  RU  SP

If global population and food consumption trends continue, by 2050 the world will need 60 percent more food than is available today. Matthias Halwart, Senior Strategic Programmer Officer of the FAO Sustainable Agriculture Programme, explains the importance of sustainable agricultural intensification and its contribution to meeting this demand. He describes the FAO policy work, including key policy messages, to achieve food security.  See all videos in the Policy and Governance series:  AR  CH  EN   FR  RU  SP

The Handbook offers guidance and tools for assessing the impacts of agricultural and food security programmes and projects on child labour in family-based agriculture. In addition, the Handbook aims to sensitize agricultural programme staff on the importance of incorporating child labour prevention as a crosscutting issue in their planning, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system and of systematically considering the potential positive and negative impacts of agricultural programmes on child labo ur. The Handbook furthermore encourages the user to identify good agricultural practices for preventing and reducing child labour in agriculture.

Uganda is putting significant efforts toward addressing the constraints responsible for its low agricultural productivity, which affects farmers’ incomes and therefore, their food security. The biggest developments are being seen in improving the added value of its production, as well as in supporting strategic commodities such as livestock and rice. 

The National Inputs Voucher Scheme (NAIVS) will be ending at the close of this cropping year (2013/2014). NAIVS provided access to fertilizer and seeds through subsidized input packages for maize and rice. The Big Results Now (BRN) initiative was launched in 2013, which aims to modernize the agriculture sector by promoting public-private partnership and mainstream market oriented measures.

In Senegal, the government has given great importance and priority to the development and promotion of national rice production to achieve self-sufficiency by 2017. Besides, emphasis has been placed on risk management with the creation of the National Agricultural Insurance Company (CNAAS) and several plans dedicated to flood and water management.

In reaction to weather and market induced food price crises, the government has implemented various measures targeting maize in order to combat low production and high prices such as the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) in 2005/06, export bans in 2005/06, 2008/09 and 2012/13, private domestic trade bans in 2006 and 2008, and import restrictions throughout the entire period under review.

Supporting agri-food production and exports has been the leading policy since 2007, with particular emphasis on agricultural modernization and ensuring minimum prices for farmers. The government’s social policy has focused on cash transfer programmes to improve health and education, and to alleviate poverty. Following these efforts and with the support of the overall economic growth since 2005, both income and social living conditions have improved. For more country policy briefs by FAPDA please see here.

The government of Burundi has timidly decreased State involvement in strategic value chains, with a view to open the market, enhance effectiveness, and reduce the fiscal deficit. With regards to social protection, no specific national programmes are in place, though the country joined the Scaling Up Nutrition movement in 2013 committing to tackle the alarming levels of malnutrition in the country (the highest in the region). For more country policy briefs by FAPDA please see here.