10th SITES annual conference on development economics
15/09/2025
Rome, Italy
FAO participated in the 10th annual conference on development economics, organized by the Società Italiana di Economia dello Sviluppo (SITES) and the Fondazione Tor Vergata of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The event took place at Villa Mondragone, Monteporzio Catone, Rome, on 15–16 September 2025.
The conference provided a platform for economists and practitioners to exchange views on development theory and practice, with a focus on building peaceful, just and climate-resilient societies. Strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Mediterranean was highlighted as a way to foster mutual growth and reduce inequalities.
FAO session: evidence in fragile and conflict-affected contexts
FAO hosted a session on evidence generation and impact evaluations in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Producing reliable evidence in such environments is often challenging due to conflict, climate shocks and displacement. These findings are essential for shaping programmes that help protect food security and strengthen livelihoods.
The session featured four studies:
How to Pay? Experimental Evidence on Early Warning-Based Cash Transfer Modalities in Somalia
Measuring the Impacts of a Poultry Transfer on Women’s Empowerment in Afghanistan
The impacts of the 2023/2025 Gaza Conflict on agriculture: Estimates of short- and medium-term losses in agricultural income and nutrition
Promoting agricultural value chains in refugee and host communities: impacts on household livelihood and community social cohesion in Uganda.
The discussion showed how innovative evaluation approaches can generate valuable evidence even in volatile and data-scarce contexts.
FAO contribution to the gender session
FAO also contributed to the gender session, presenting the paper Weathering inequality: age and gender divides in labour outcomes under climate stressors in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The study examines how climate shocks shape labour opportunities across different groups, with implications for building inclusive resilience.