FAO's work on inclusive rural transformation and gender equality is built around four key policy areas: social protection, rural institutions, land tenure, and labour market and value chains interventions. The SERA team supports this effort by developing evidence on these policy areas, in line with the thematic pillars of economic inclusion and inclusive climate actions.
Social Protection
FAO's work on social protection seeks to strengthen the capacities of national social protection systems to expand coverage of adequate social protection, in particular in rural areas. The SERA team supports this effort through evidence generation to inform the design of policies and programmes and delivery mechanisms so that these are adapted to the specificities of rural populations, leading to positive impacts on gender equality, climate change adaptation and mitigation, economic inclusion, improved nutrition, and resilience among rural households.
Rural institutions
FAO's works to strengthen rural institutions and organizations, facilitating the socio-economic inclusion and empowerment of people engaged in agriculture, mobilizing their contribution to role in food systems transformation and the realization of rural prosperity. SERA team supports this ambition through evidence generation on the impacts of farmer field schools, cooperative market arrangements, and localized risk management and financial empowerment programmes. This work is particularly focused on the roles of these institutions in supporting inclusive climate adaptation and landscape restoration objectives.
Land tenure
FAO's work on land tenure seeks to strengthen the rights of land users through the adoption of recommendations based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT). The SERA team's policy focus on land tenure seeks to provide evidence on effective strategies for supporting improved customary and community land rights to foster sustainable landscape conservation and restoration activities that generate benefits for all.
Labour markets and value chains
FAO's work on labour markets and value chains focuses on supporting decent employment and income earning opportunities in agri-food systems. Key thematic issues include youth employment, rural migration, child labour, green jobs, and improved working conditions. The SERA team supports this area of work through evidence generation activities focused on:
- Youth engagement, participation in and contribution to agriculture and non-farm employment in developing countries
- Impacts of external migration dynamics on women's economic inclusion and agency
- Impacts of climate risks and climate adaptive actions on labour allocations of men, women, and youths.