Areas of Work – Yemen

Improving natural resource management for sustainable food production

Water scarcity and land degradation present critical challenges to Yemen’s food systems. FAO prioritizes the rehabilitation and sustainable use of natural resources, especially water for agriculture, through:

• Construction and rehabilitation of irrigation schemes and water infrastructure;
• Introduction of climate-smart technologies to enhance water-use efficiency;
• Capacity building of technicians and local institutions on integrated water resource management;
• Promotion of sustainable land, soil, rangeland and watershed management.

These actions are supported by community-based governance, with the establishment of Water Users Associations (WUAs), including the active participation of women, to manage equitable water distribution, ensure maintenance of irrigation systems, and build resilience at the local level

Livestock production towards empowerment

Livestock is central to rural livelihoods in Yemen, particularly for women. FAO’s support includes:

• Promoting integrated crop-livestock systems and improved fodder production using local resources;
• Delivering training through Farmer Field Schools to enhance livestock nutrition and health;
• Strengthening veterinary services and disease control through modern practices and capacity building of veterinarians and technicians;
• Promoting animal husbandry improvements including breeding programmes to boost productivity and resilience of livestock
  

Crop production towards increased productivity and profitability

Yemen’s crop production has declined due to conflict and climate extremes. FAO works to reverse this trend by:

• Enhancing access to quality seeds and promoting improved farming practices;
• Supporting Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and Farm Business Schools (FBS) to build farmers’ capacity in climate-smart agriculture and agribusiness;
• Encouraging crop diversification, crop rotation, and intercropping to restore soil health and increase yields;
• Facilitating local input production to reduce dependency on expensive imports
  

Creating sustainable income-generating opportunities

FAO promotes income-generation and entrepreneurship, especially for youth and women, through:

• Establishing dairy and agro-processing units operated by trained community members;
• Supporting food safety, value addition, and local marketing through business development training;
• Implementing voucher schemes that help rural producers access essential inputs and services;
• Launching initiatives like the Nabta Agri-preneur Programme, which provides grants, mentorship and networking platforms for young agri-entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
  

Social empowerment and resilience building

In response to socio-economic inequalities and vulnerabilities, FAO’s actions include:

• Empowering rural women and youth through inclusive programming and leadership opportunities;
• Promoting gender-sensitive planning and reducing barriers to women's access to resources and services;
• Supporting local institutions to enhance participatory planning and community-based solutions;
• Building the capacity of stakeholders across sectors to ensure inclusive, accountable, and effective governance of food and agriculture systems
  

Source: FAO Yemen Plan of Action 2025–2027.