FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNI T IE S I N A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO
CHALLENGES
AND FAO
OPPORTUNI T I E S
I N A GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND
WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
ISBN 978-92-5-131411-1
IN A
9 7 8 9 2 5 1 3 1 4 1 1 1
CA4305EN/2/07.19

GLOBAL WORLD
FAO: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD
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FAO
CHALLEN G ES AN D
O PPO RTU N ITI ES
IN A
G LO BAL WO RLD
 F O R E W O R D

In September 2015,

all of the United Nations Member States approved the 2030 or contracted, particularly in middle-income countries in Latin
Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable America, Africa and Asia.
Development Goals (SDGs).
Vulnerable rural communities and family farmers continue to be
“End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition the bulk of people suffering from poverty and hunger. To face this
and promote sustainable agriculture” (SDG 2) is one of the situation, the implementation and strengthening of social protection
overarching objectives of the agenda, alongside the eradication programmes are very important. It is imperative to act on three
of poverty (SDG 1). fronts: (i) to build the resilience of rural communities in conflict
areas – to save lives, we also need to save livelihoods; (ii) to promote
Paradoxically, after decades of steady decline hunger has the adaptation of family farmers to the impacts of climate change;
only increased – though slowly – since the advent of the 2030 and (iii) to mitigate economic slowdowns through social safety nets
Agenda. Other forms of malnutrition have also been on the and public policies, such as school meal programmes that are based
rise. Furthermore, the agricultural sectors continue to be highly on local food purchases from family farming.
dependent on chemicals, pesticides and other factors that
degrade natural resources and biodiversity, as well as contribute As the world continues to struggle with hunger, a more
to climate change. complex nutrition problem looms large: more than 2 billion
people are overweight nowadays, of which 670 million people
This comprehensive book intends to identify the challenges are obese. Projections estimate that the number of obese people
and opportunities facing food and agriculture in the context of the in the world will soon overtake the number of people suffering
2030 Agenda, present solutions for a more sustainable world and from hunger (nearly 820 million). This has already happened in
show how FAO has been structured to better support its Member Latin America and the Caribbean. Furthermore, nearly 2 billion
Countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. people are suffering from micronutrient deficiencies such as
iron, iodine, zinc and vitamin A.
Today, conflicts and the impacts of climate change are the
primary causes of hunger. In fact, more than 60% of people Obesit y and micronutrient deficiencies are predominant
suffering from hunger live in areas of conflict. However, hunger in populations that consume poor-qualit y diets with little
has also recently increased where the economy has slowed down dietar y diversit y. One of the main reasons is the high

2 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

consumption of ultra-processed food. This kind of food (soft We need to promote a paradigm shift. The future of food and
drinks, chips, packaged soups, chicken nuggets, hotdogs and agriculture is not input-intensive, but knowledge-intensive. Countries
so on) goes through multiple processes (extrusion, molding, need to implement sustainable practices that provide healthy and
milling, etc.) and contains little to no nutritional value, with accessible food, ecosystem services and climate-change adaptation
a high content of saturated fats, refined sugars, salt and at the same time. This can be done, for instance, by reducing the
chemical additives. use of pesticides and chemicals, increasing crop diversification and
improving land conservation practices, just to name a few measures.
In order to improve people’s diets, food systems must All of these can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
be reoriented to provide everyone with healthy food that is agricultural sectors, which nowadays account for 20 to 30% of the
necessary for a healthy life. A food system cannot be only total emissions. In this regard, agroecology and climate-smart
based on the availability of food and the access to it, but also on agriculture are highly promising. FAO has developed a broad range of
the quality of food. The production and consumption of local tools to support countries in adopting more sustainable agricultural
fresh food, for example, is an important part of the so-needed practices, including digital innovation and information technologies.
transformative change of our food systems.
Our focus has always been on building a strong foundation to
Furthermore, we must bear in mind that to produce healthy pursue FAO’s vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition
food, we need healthy oceans, soils and seeds, as well as where food and agriculture contribute to improving the living
sustainable agriculture practices. Nourishing people must standards of all, in an economically, socially and environmentally
also go hand in hand with nurturing the planet. Today, it is sustainable manner. This can only be achieved through strong
fundamental to produce healthy food in a way that preserves commitment and collective action now and in the future.
the environment. This is what the 2030 Agenda and the Paris
Agreement on Climate Change call for. The agricultural José Graziano da Silva
innovation model that resulted from the Green Revolution has FAO Director-General
reached its limits. In fact, high-input and resource-intensive
farming systems have increased food production at a high cost
to the environment, generating deforestation, water scarcity, soil
depletion, and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 3

123
C O N T E N T S

A FAO’S GREATEST
NEW CHALLENGES ACHIEVEMENTS
VISION IN THE 21ST IN THE HISTORY
CENTURY OF FAO
9 From “Fome Zero” 3 2 Ending hunger and malnutrition 1 8 6 Eradication of Rinderpest
to “Zero Hunger” and ensuring food access
1 9 0 The Treaty on Plant Genetic
for all
1 5 A renewed strategic framework Resources for Food
4 7 The climate change threat and Agriculture
5 9 Natural resources under 1 9 5 Codex Alimentarius
pressure: biodiversity and
2 0 1 The fight against hunger in Latin
water
America and the Caribbean
75 Transforming food systems
2 0 4 Legal instruments for
8 9 Towards sustainable forest responsible fisheries
management
2 0 9 Guidelines on tenure of land,
1 0 3 Safeguarding our oceans and fisheries and forests
fisheries
2 1 3 The Committee on World Food
1 2 0 Conflict and food security Security (CFS)
1 3 3 Combatting rural poverty 2 1 7 Agricultural Market Information
System (AMIS)
1 5 0 Leaving no one behind: rural
women and youth as agents 2 21 The right to food
of change
226 FAOSTAT: FAO Statistics
1 6 7 Innovation: FAO sowing the
seeds of transformation
45
FAO IN
SEVEN
DECADES

2 3 2 How it all began

AN
OPEN
FAO

2 5 5 An agile network: FAO’s

Decentralized Offices
ACK N OWL ED G E M EN TS
We would like to thank the following
FAO Departments, Divisions and
Offices for their contributions to
the publication, overall guidance
and technical review: Animal
Production and Health Division (AGA);
Business Development and Resource
Mobilization Division (PSR); Climate
and Environment Division (CBC);
Codex Alimentarius Commission;
Committee on Food Security (CFS);
Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD); Forestry Department (FO);
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
(FI); GIAHS Secretary; International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture (CBDT); Land
Tenure Unit (DPSL); Nutrition and
2 3 4 Taking stock and moving ahead Food Systems Division (ESN); Office of
2 7 8 Partnerships for a world free Support to Decentralized Offices (OSD);
2 3 6 From maps to databases
from hunger Partnerships Division (PSP); Plant
2 3 8 Oil crisis, food crisis Production and Protection Division
2 8 9 Communication at FAO
2 4 0 New ways, old threats (AGP); Regional Office for Latin
America and the Caribbean; Research
2 4 2 Relaunching the fight and Extension Unit (AGDR); Social
2 4 4 MDGs and SDGs Policies and Rural Institutions Division
(ESP); Statistics Division (ESS) and Trade
and Markets Division (EST).

Special thanks as well to all

Strategic Programme (SP) teams:
Hunger Eradication, Food Security and
Nutrition Programme Management
Team (SP1); Sustainable Agriculture
Programme Management Team (SP2);
Rural Poverty Reduction Programme
Management Team (SP3); Food Systems
Programme Management Team (SP4);
Resilience Programme Management
Team (SP5).
1
9 From “Fome Zero” to
“Zero Hunger”
15 A renewed strategic framework

 A

NEW

VISION
 A N E W V IS IO N

8 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1.1

F ROM “FOME ZERO”

TO “ZERO H U NGER”

F
SENEGAL or millennia, the lives of people, communities
Women from and civilizations have been marked by a
the Kawral
association water
permanent threat. That threat is hunger, a
their plantation scourge that leads to weakness, desperation and, in the
everyday with most extreme cases, death. Escaping hunger has been one of the main
water drawn from
cisterns, as part of common threads throughout history causing large-scale migration,
the “One million wars, conflicts and enormous sacrifices. But it has also given rise to
cisterns for the
Sahel” project. unexpected alliances and served to sharpen human ingenuity and
© FAO consolidate solidarity and fellowship between communities.
As a result of that ingenuity, that solidarity and the human
inclination to escape the shackles of need, the second half of the
twentieth century saw a significant increase in food production.
Although that increase took – and still takes – a considerable toll on
the planet’s natural resources, it helped to keep pace with population
growth and to reduce the episodes of famine that periodically plagued
much of the world.
It has now been several decades since our incapacity to produce
enough food for all stopped being the reason why hundreds of millions
of people are not eating enough for a decent and full life.
Today, on the contrary, we produce more than enough food for the
entire global population and even waste enormous amounts each year.
If, at the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century, around
820 million people are trapped in the vicious circle of hunger, this is
primarily due to a lack of political will to eliminate its root causes.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 9

 A N E W V IS IO N

IF IT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE,

IT CAN BE DONE AGAIN

R
ecent history provides us with examples hungry people among their inhabitants by half with respect to
that if we want to get something done, then 1990. But in Brazil, as of 2003, the Government decided to be
it can be done. Such examples include the rebuilding of even more ambitious. Reducing hunger was not enough. It had
Europe after the Second World War and the more recent to be eliminated. “Fome Zero” (Zero Hunger) was the motto
case of Brazil. At the dawn of this century, in 2000, more than 11 chosen, and even became the name of a ministry dedicated
in every 100 Brazilians were not eating enough. specifically to the task.
As was the case in dozens of other countries, millions of In order for expressions of goodwill to have meaning, they
people in Brazil were trapped in an endless spiral of hunger, must be followed by effective decisions and programmes. And
poverty and lack of opportunities that was repeated generation that effectiveness requires funding. One of the characteristics of
after generation. At that time, right at the turn of the century, the the Brazilian case is that the executive’s political commitment led
United Nations Members set certain targets in order to achieve a to plans and investments aimed specifically at rescuing millions
fairer and more decent world by 2015. of people from hunger and poverty.
The aim of the Millennium Development Goals was that by The economy was growing fast and the country decided to
2015 all nations on the planet would reduce the percentage of include the hungry in its budgets and to share that increasing
wealth with them. The plan of attack prepared by Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva’s executive focused on breaking the vicious cycle
and turning it into a virtuous circle, where food production, the
country’s macroeconomic policy and social protection measures
REDUCTION OF HUNGER IN BRAZIL would be coordinated and would feed back into each other.
1990–2014 For instance, the Brazilian State started to provide nutritious
school lunches for children from the most disadvantaged
neighbourhoods.
PERCENTAGE OF UNDERNOURISHED PEOPLE As well as improving their diet, this encouraged them to
attend class. Moreover, the food was bought from small-scale
15% farmers in vulnerable situations and therefore many excluded
families could access a source of income that allowed them to
13% improve their circumstances and develop their businesses.
This system was complemented with other forms of subsidies
82%
11%
and grants and up to 30 different measures contained in different
9% REDUCTION social programmes. By 2015, the world in general had made
considerable progress: in 1990, 23.3 percent of the planet’s
7% inhabitants were not eating enough; 25 years later, that number
had dropped to 12.9 percent. Seventy-two countries (from Bolivia
5%
(the Plurinational State of) to Nepal and from Mozambique to
Uzbekistan) managed to reduce hunger by half on time.
3%
However, the overall objective was not achieved and in 2015
1% 1.7% there were still 780 million hungry people in the world. Brazil,
1990–1991 1995–1996 2001–2003 for its part, took less than a decade to join the ranks of “hunger-
2005–2007 2012–2014
free” countries. The country reached Zero Hunger in just a few
SOURCE: FAO. 2014 years as a result of its political commitment, reflected in effective
investments and programmes.

10 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 INTRODUCTION
FROM “FOME ZERO”TO“ZERO HUNGER”

A GLOBAL COMMITMENT

S
ince then, the Zero Hunger Programme (developed
by agronomist José Graziano da Silva, then Special Minister
for Food Security in Brazil and current FAO Director-
General) has been considered one of the major successes
of hunger and poverty reduction at the international level and has
become a model that is replicated and adapted by countries aiming
to follow in the same direction.
Latin America was a pioneer in taking on this challenge and is
the region that has made the most progress in terms of hunger and
poverty reduction since the start of the twenty-first century. At the
end of the 1990s, there were 66 million people (14.7 percent of the
region’s population) suffering from hunger and without access to the
food needed for a healthy life. In a decade and a half, that percentage
dropped to five percent and the number of people affected decreased
by 34 million (bearing in mind, moreover, that in that period the
population increased by some 130 million).
The region’s success story is the result of the countries’ top-
level political commitment in a context of macroeconomic and
political stability that facilitated greater public spending on social
programmes aimed at the most vulnerable in society, although
progress has been slowing down in recent years.
Inspired and impressed by advances in the fight against hunger,
then United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, made an
appeal to world leaders and to all actors from both civil society
and the private sector during the 2012 Rio+20 Conference on PHILIPPINES combination of conflicts and climate disasters is behind this increase.
Sustainable Development. That appeal, known as the Zero Hunger Nasser Paaro, This upward trend should serve as a warning that things need to
a beneficiary
Challenge and supported by the entire United Nations system, from the Food change if we really want to eliminate all forms of malnutrition
asked countries to redouble their efforts to eliminate hunger from and Agriculture by 2030. Recognizing the right of all people to adequate food, as
Organization
the face of the earth once and for all. of the United an increasing number of countries are doing (above all thanks to
Subsequently, numerous initiatives under the umbrella of Zero Nations. parliamentary alliances between different political groups united
Hunger were launched in Asia and the Pacific in 2013. African ©FAO/NOEL against hunger), is a step in the right direction, but declarations
CELIS
Heads of State also joined the initiative in 2014 by adopting the alone are not enough.
Malabo Declaration, which determined to put an end to hunger
on the continent by 2025. Lastly, the global target of Zero Hunger IT’S STILL POSSIBLE

F
by 2030 was taken on by the entire international community
when it was included as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG AO is confident that we still have time to
2) in the ambitious agenda adopted by all world leaders at the achieve SDG 2, but that this will require
United Nations headquarters in 2015. strengthening global commitment (and
However, implementation of the SDGs has so far failed to investments) and preventing hunger, food
produce positive results. In 2016, hunger increased for the first insecurity and all forms of malnutrition from losing relevance on
time after over a decade of decline, with around 820 million the global agenda to other emerging issues, such as migration or
severely hungry people in 2018. According to most experts, the climate change.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 11

 A N E W V IS IO N

No plan for ending poverty and hunger will be worth the the households they sustain) are excluded from those
paper it’s written on if it lacks the funding (which demonstrates programmes for legal or cultural reasons.
real commitment) to be put into practice. In this regard, In some cases, such as the Horn of Africa or the
investments from traditional development actors (cooperation Dry Corridor of Central America, a focus is needed on
from developed countries or organizations such as the World generating resilience among those who live off agriculture
Bank) will not be enough. and livestock farming in the context of an increasingly
Developing countries must be capable of mobilizing more unpredictable climate. In others, such as West Africa,
resources and the involvement of the private sector will probably an enabling environment is needed to develop the agro-
have to go beyond small corporate social responsibility projects. industry and create opportunities and jobs for a growing
However, even in places with political will, specific programmes population. In addition, in places such as the small islands
to fight against hunger and money to implement them, there states of the Pacific or the Caribbean, the economic impact
are cases where progress is not visible or advances are too slow. of the population’s dependency on food imports will need
This requires an analysis of what is going wrong: where are the to be mitigated.
bottlenecks that are undermining the effectiveness of the efforts The recipe for Zero Hunger must be specific to each
made and which efforts are indeed yielding results? territory and its circumstances. However, the example of
There is little use, for example, in investing in improving Brazil reveals a necessary ingredient for any recipe to work:
the capacity of vulnerable coastal communities to fish and to the adoption of measures to make food systems inclusive
process fish if there is no fight against the illegal fishing that and sustainable not only in environmental terms, but
is decimating stocks and, therefore, the number of potential also from the social and economic perspective. As long
catches among these communities. Nor is it very effective to as food systems (with all their elements and actors from
allocate funds to supporting family farmers if women (and seed to table), urban systems and transport systems are
geared solely towards economic growth and profit, it will
be hard to advance towards the achievement of SDG 2
(or practically any of the others). Constant urbanization,
population growth, climate change, the deterioration of
THE SDGs AND THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER natural resources, biodiversity and microbiodiversity, and
the emergence of disruptive technologies present both
obstacles and opportunities in the fight against hunger.
The Sustainable Development hunger, for example) involves many others, The key to success, as shown in different examples
Goals (SDGs), also known as including promoting education, generating around the world, from post-war Europe to Brazil in the
the 2030 Agenda, represent the jobs and ending poverty. 2000s and including other places that have experienced
target the world has set itself progress, such as Ethiopia or Bangladesh, requires placing
for 2030. Specifically, the SDG most directly focused the hungry and the poor centre stage and ensuring that
on achieving Zero Hunger is Goal 2: they too enjoy the fruits of economic growth. While the
Population growth, climate change and “End hunger, achieve food security and criteria of inclusion, efficiency, equity and sustainability
the environmental deterioration we have improved nutrition and promote sustainable are being incorporated into economic activity (particularly
subjected the planet to since the start of agriculture.” However, there are others in food systems), we need to invest words, actions, laws,
industrialization compel us to urgently set that are very closely linked to this, such
programmes and resources to free humanity from this age-
targets like these. As does the injustice as SDG 5, gender equality (to include
old scourge, which today comes in many guises, including
of hunger and poverty. That is why the and protect women in the elimination of
countries within the United Nations have hunger); SDG 6, access to water; SDG 12, undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.
developed 17 goals to achieve a better responsible consumption and production; Brazil reached Fome Zero in one decade. Eliminating
(and sustainable) world before 2030. SDG 14, care of the oceans (including hunger is not a technical matter or one linked to food
These goals are interconnected because, combatting overfishing); and SDG 16, production. It is a matter of will. Zero Hunger is
as we have seen, achieving some (ending peace, justice and strong institutions. still possible.

12 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1.1
FROM “FOME ZERO”TO“ZERO HUNGER”

FAO’S TIMELINE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER

1994 2012
1945, CANADA. In the plant breeders, farmers and
afternoon of 16 October
1945 the Food and public and private institutions.
Agriculture Organization of Special Programme for Voluntary Guidelines on the
the United Nations (FAO)
came into existence with the
Food Security was created
to support low-income
2002 Responsible Governance
of Tenure of Land, Fisheries
signature of its Constitution World Food Summit: it
by more than 20 nations. food-deficit countries in reaffirmed the international and Forests in the Context of
©FAO
their efforts to improve community’s commitment to National Food Security.
food security, reduce the
2013
halving the number of people
variability of agricultural suffering hunger by 2015.
production year on year, FAO changes its goal
and improve their people’s
access to food.
2007 from “reducing” hunger to
“eradicating” hunger.
Committee on Fisheries:

1996 2014
a legally binding global
agreement in which
World Food Summit 119 countries approved Second International
convened at FAO a proposal to develop Conference on Nutrition
headquarters and adoption measures to address the (ICN2). It was a high-level
of the Rome Declaration. illegal, unreported and intergovernmental meeting
that focused global attention
2001
unregulated fishing.
1945 1963
countries experienced on addressing malnutrition in
The Food and Agriculture The World Food
serious famine. The
international community
International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources for
2011 all its forms.

2015
Organization of the Programme is established Eradication of rinderpest.
responded with a Food and Agriculture. It is
United Nations (FAO) was to deliver urgent food aid in Thanks to a decades-long
remarkable wave of a legally binding agreement The United Nations’ General
established on 16 October real time to affected areas. international cooperative
solidarity. that promotes sustainable effort, FAO and the WHO Assembly approves the 2030
1945. With 44 Members,
FAO sprung to life with the 1960–70 1986 farming by ensuring
equitable access to plant
announce the eradication of
rinderpest – a deadly cattle
Agenda for Sustainable
Development, which
mandate of “achieving a The Green Revolution
AGROSTAT is launched: genetic resources and by disease – from the natural includes 17 Sustainable
world free of hunger and contributed to lifting
The world’s most important sharing their benefits among environment. Development Goals.
malnutrition”. millions of people out of
source of agricultural
1946
hunger, particularly in
information and statistics.
Asia. This was largely 2015. ITALY.
First World Food Survey.
A full picture of the world
due to mechanization and
the great increase in the 1987 Awards ceremony
recognizing achievements
Measures against in the fight against hunger,
food situation, confirming production of improved at FAO headquarters in
that widespread hunger cereal varieties. radioactive Rome. © FAO
and malnutrition were contamination in food:
pressing concerns. 1975 in 1986 the release of
radioactive particles from
Committee on World Food
1960 Security created at FAO Chernobyl spread across
Europe and Asia, causing
Launch of the “Freedom Conference that same year.
from Hunger Campaign” to serious problems for food
1981

SOURCE: 2018. FAO.

mobilize non-governmental production and trade.

1992
organizations against hunger. First World Food Day. Held

1963
on 16 October in over 150
countries. FAO and the World Health
Codex Alimentarius: FAO Organization convened
and WHO established 1984–85 the first International
international food standards. At least 30 African Conference on Nutrition.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 13

 A N E W V IS IO N

14 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1.2

A RENEW ED STR ATEGIC

FR A MEWOR K

A
KENYA s the prime connection between
A woman with people and the planet, food and
two goats at the agriculture can help achieve multiple
local livestock
market where Sustainable Development Goals
traders take their (SDGs). Properly nourished, children can learn, people
animals for sale.
Due to the severe can lead healthy and productive lives and societies can
droughts that prosper. By nurturing our land and adopting sustainable
affect the Horn of
Africa, pastoralists agriculture, present and future generations will be able to
lose many of their feed a growing population with healthy and nutritious food.
animals, and the
ones that survive
Agriculture is the world’s biggest employer and provides
tend to get about the main source of food and income for the extreme poor,
half of the normal which is why sustainable food and agriculture have great
market rate.
potential to revitalize the rural landscape, deliver inclusive
©FAO/AMI VITALE
growth to countries and drive positive change across the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
FAO faces this Agenda with long-standing and still
pending issues such as eradicating hunger and food insecurity,
including the most vulnerable or preserving the natural
resource base; and other emerging challenges such as climate
change or obesity and diet-related NCDs, on its plate. In order
to help countries face the increasing number of challenges in
sustainable agricultural development and achieve Zero Hunger,

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 15

 A N E W V IS IO N

ACHIEVING FAO'S GOALS TO in 2013 the Organization renewed its Strategic Framework with five
key Strategic Objectives (SOs).
END HUNGER AND POVERTY IS The SOs represent FAO’s main areas of work to achieve its
A CHALLENGING TASK. T H A N KS vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition, where
food and agriculture help to improve the living standards of all,
TO M AJOR C H A NGES I N HOW W E especially the poorest, in an inclusive, economically, socially
DO BUSI N ESS, TODAY FAO IS A and environmentally sustainable manner. Through its Strategic
MORE F LE X I BLE ORGA N I Z AT ION, Objectives, FAO has developed a flexible structure adapted to the
multisectoral nature of today’s global challenges – centring the
W I T H AC T I V I T I ES DR I V EN BY focus of its work, broadening its fields of action, generating new
F I V E ST R AT EGIC OBJ EC T I V ES. synergies, strengthening its capacity at regional and country levels,
and contributing at the same time to the implementation of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development.

FIVE BIG OBJECTIVES, A MORE

COMPREHENSIVE VISION

E
radicating hunger and all forms of
malnutrition is closely linked to eliminating
poverty, and both goals require inclusive and
socially, economically and environmentally
sustainable food systems; inclusive social protection
systems; and preventive efforts to build resilience before any
FAO'S STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES potential setbacks or disasters. All of which necessarily comes
through governments’ political will and interventions at
community and household levels.
Complex realities like that of the Horn of Africa’s pastoralists,
for instance, can lead to a situation in which specific efforts, such as
keeping the herds healthy, fighting zoonoses, providing access to
water and animal feed, developing meat drying methods or building
milk collection centres, end up focusing on their own concrete results
and may lose sight of the broader goals. Of course, these issues
are important, but having access to education and health services
SO1 SO3 SO5 are equally so. Moreover, pastoralists need economic safety nets to
Help Reduce Increase
increase resilience to droughts or conflicts, while securing access
eliminate rural the resilience
to markets and food storage systems or getting specific support for
hunger, food SO2 poverty SO4 of livelihoods
insecurity to threats women and youth.
Make Enable
and and crises Bearing in mind these goals, FAO’s five Strategic Objectives
agriculture, inclusive
malnutrition forestry and and (SOs) are the basis for programming coherent support, monitoring
fisheries more efficient impact and assessing results. These five SOs enable FAO’s technical
productive agricultural specialists to align their work with the results pursued, assessing
and and food their contribution to achieving each SO and subsequently establish
sustainable systems the priority areas of support. In light of this, rather than focusing
on the specificities of a single area of work (Are we reducing illegal

16 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

fishing?), each action area is viewed through the lens of the Strategic CHAD everything it does, while fully integrating its cross-cutting themes
Objectives (Are our efforts against illegal fishing contributing to more A poultry farm of gender, governance, nutrition and climate change impacts in all
sustainable fisheries? Are they helping to reduce poverty in fisheries? worker carrying aspects of its work.
cartons of eggs.
etc.). Moreover, the SOs allow countries to align their planning and This is one of The Strategic Framework helps governments measure
roadmaps in order to meet these very same objectives, and they pave many poultry FAO’s contribution to each SO and ensure consistency across
farms participating
the way towards new partnerships with other development actors, in the South–South multiple projects and programmes developed at the country level.
the civil society and the private sector by shaping areas in which the Cooperation Coordination at national level has also been enhanced by the SPs,
project.
interest of both parties may concur. especially at the regional level through the Regional Initiatives.
©FAO/S.
KAMBOU The SP structure’s conceptual and structural flexibility presents
HOW DOES FAO DELIVER THE STRATEGIC significant opportunities for the Organization to position itself
OBJECTIVES? strategically before the current and emerging global challenges.

T
he SOs are delivered through Strategic FAO’S WORK ON THE GREAT CHALLENGES
Programmes (SPs) that are managed by AND THE 2030 AGENDA
Strategic Programme Teams, staffed and

G
equipped with focal points from FAO’s iven that the SOs were established
technical divisions and regional offices. The aim of before the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
the SP Teams is to lead and coordinate the Organization’s actions Development, FAO has now aligned both
towards achieving the SOs, which ultimately feed into the SDGs. The roadmaps to measure its contribution to the SDGs
Organization’s technical knowledge and expertise also underpins and their targets. Food and agriculture lie at the core of many

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 17

 A N E W V IS IO N

18 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 2
A RENEWED STR ATEGIC FR AMEWORK

CONFRONTING FOOD INSECURIT Y

AND MALNU TRITION REQUIRES
MULTISEC TOR AL COORDINATION
BE YON D T H E T R ADI T IONAL
M I N IST R I ES OF AGR IC U LT U RE,
F ISH ER I ES A N D FOREST RY.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, consequently, of

current and future big challenges. In this context, as a technical
Organization, with a renewed and timely Strategic Framework,
FAO is in a good position to address such challenges with ambition
and determination.
Demographic growth projections – over 9.7 billion people by
2050 – immediately point to the need for more food. However,
the growth of food production in the past decades came at a high
price for the planet’s natural resources, which means we will need
to feed an increasing population with a lower impact on water,
soils or forests. In short, agriculture, fisheries and forestry need
to be more efficient and sustainable – socially, economically and
environmentally speaking – wasting less at all levels of the value
chain, while also preserving natural resources (SO2).
A reduction of hunger and levels of malnutrition cannot be
achieved solely by producing more food. Rather, it is necessary
to understand the root causes and consequences of both and
link the political will to eradicate them with adequate public
policies and private contributions (SO1). Food availability needs
to be matched with access to food for all, which requires creating
jobs, social protection networks and, ultimately, reducing
poverty (SO3), particularly in rural areas and among the most
vulnerable groups such as the extreme poor, rural women, youth
PAKISTAN or indigenous peoples. Promoting rural transformation and
Relief camp set up revitalizing marginal territories or communities, and supporting
in Sultan Colony for their empowerment, are also powerful tools to prevent conflict
internally displaced
persons (IDPs).
and promote social progress.
©FAO/ASIM
In addition, since agriculture and food production are part
HAFEEZ of an integrated food system, it is necessary to guarantee that

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 19

 A N E W V IS IO N

A REDUC TION CAMBODIA smallholder farmers and the landless, small and medium-sized
OF HUNGER AND A woman casting
a fishing net from
enterprises and poorer countries are included in global value chains and

MALNU TRITION a boat on the

Tonle Sap River.
markets. Transitioning into more efficient agricultural and food systems
also requires reducing food losses and waste and ensuring that available
CANNOT BE ©FAO/A.K. and accessible foods are nutritious and safe for human consumption,
ACHIEVED SOLELY
KIMOTO
especially for the continuously growing urban populations (SO4).
Despite all these efforts, climatic patterns, natural disasters, pests and
BY PRODUCING diseases or conflict can still unexpectedly disrupt food systems and push
MORE FOOD. I T IS vulnerable populations to cycles of hunger, malnutrition and poverty

N EC ESSA RY TO LI N K that may become extreme. Therefore, it is essential to build resilience and
strengthen governments’, communities’ and people’s capacity to mitigate
POLI T IC AL W I LL W I T H risks and avoid that isolated catastrophes or climatic events become
ADEQUAT E PU BLIC protracted crises or deprive affected communities of their livelihoods. It
is equally essential to rebuild livelihoods and restart food production as
POLIC I ES. soon as possible through conflict-sensitive programming and scaling up
social protection systems while building comprehensive responses along
the humanitarian–development–peace nexus (SO5).

20 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 As one example, this strategic framework has united, under the MOZAMBIQUE
FAO'S TECHNICAL
umbrella of all the five SPs, the work of FAO’s technical divisions,
regional offices and country offices to support the revitalization of rural
Lack of infrastructure
limits the access DIVISIONS,
areas in Colombia and the reincorporation of former fighters during the
of rural people to
markets. REGIONAL AND
country’s stabilization phase.
At a time when more than half of the world’s population – the
©FAO/FILIPE
BRANQUINHO
COUNTRY OF FICES
figure keeps on growing – lives in urban areas, coordinated action WORK TOGETHER
across the SPs has led to a joint effort from all relevant divisions U N DER T H E
to address the new urban food agenda. Cities will have to play an
increasingly important role in ensuring sustainable and healthy
U M BRELL A OF T H E
diets for urban dwellers, who are ever more disconnected from food F I V E ST R AT EGIC
production. The ongoing cooperation among different FAO Strategic
Programmes aims at addressing nutritional, social, economic and
PROGR A M M ES.
environmental issues more holistically when seeking to strengthen
different components of the food system, from farm to fork.
While progress in addressing old and well-known problems such as
undernourishment has stagnated or even backtracked in recent years

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 21

 A N E W V IS IO N

FAO A I MS AT
ADDRESSI NG
N U T R I T IONAL,
SOC I AL,
ECONOM IC A N D
EN V I RON M EN TAL
ISSU ES MORE
HOLIST IC ALLY
W HEN SEEKING
TO STRENGTHEN
DIF FERENT
COMPONENTS
OF THE FOOD
SYSTEM.

VIET NAM – the number of hungry people is around 820 million – new issues
REDUCE RURAL POVERTY ENABLE INC
Veterinarians also emerge. Prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies remains
ULTURE,
MAKE AGRIC FISHERIES
AND AND FOOD
LUS
EFFICIENT AG IVE AND
RICULTURAL INCREA administering high and obesity and “diet-related” non-communicable diseases
D ESTRY
FOR SYSTEMS OF LIVE SE THE RESI
GER AN DUCTIVE AND
free vaccines to
in agriculture has increased from

UN MORE PRO LIHOO LIENCE

ATE H
59 percent to 70 percent, which
Despite progress made in reducing poverty, over 2 billion people

NABLE
represent 108 million boys and girls. To
DS
ELIMIN N MORE SUSTAI
(diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular events, etc.) are on the rise (more
still live in poverty, 736 million of which live in extreme poverty. tackle this challenge, FAO collaborates

HELP
A large majority live in rural areas and depend on agriculture

chickens to prevent
with a wide range of organizations at
IO
UTRIT
for their livelihoods. These communities often lack income to Thelevel,
global operatio
including
n ofthe members of
agricultu

MALN
buy food and access to resources, services, technologies, markets International Partnership for ral and food systems
thetransitio
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production, on Child Labour in nce to commer
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Food as of PRINC IPLES Agriculture (ILO, willand
IFAD, IUF underpin rural food achieve sustainab the ning
work to stead
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than 672 million adults are obese worldwide), both in developed

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food ation family farming,of ng. Improve livelihoods for adva ultural oting and
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ACHIEVEMENTS The NADHAL TS Resolution of UN Secu
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food and reductionAdapt
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trade initiatives. Discussio Framewor released a Corp
weight for sustaina
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points set up by
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by end, SP1 ps with regio ns in security, manage the risks foundwhich rural youth employment. Since 2017, Europe organizations at regional,n national
in nal Plant urgent re of the a root cause g impact while
means
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toral practices, and Central in changes Protection Convention, agreed in Bangladeshhum andanita food plane supportin ts through its
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n. Regional networksFAO has supported approximately 50 its Regional and local levels, resulting
Asia through
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fosters innovatio In this programs on rural youth employment objective in policiesInitiative
and regulations to assist develop a global system of FAO has been on the natural g livelihoods,

role in those areas, traditionally confined to the health sector.

. The main same page development syste
security inabl parts of SP2 supports on climate smart in countries including Nigeria, is to enhance phytosanitary electronic instrume
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sociala protection facilitates producers. The Dimitra Project in
the agrifood certificates, known when unlocking man g
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TS together e and sustainab economic re (CSA),
inclusion, particularly Latin Uganda, Senegal and Guatemala.
that 2018 highlighted issues
ent forsuch as global electronic smallholders with UN FAO is
ACHIEVEMEN
ultur rica, rican and
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the Vietnamese
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in the tomato the inter practices report nding to Early Warn
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s (CEL Guided America Social Protection d or Dimitra clubs strengthened
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bean State Initiafrom n platform,inwere
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countries ned. with evidence- out its work on migration at global,
are provided in thecommunication for
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countries resulted in in Sout h on disas rian efforts focus past,
into action
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it fromation, effor ts to ne ter
has emer relief. Now a ed mainly anticipato tive

Additionally, the Organization has increased its focus on promoting

expe and the Implementation transport to
and analy expertise and s, and agricultu a p with expansio of small-scale irrigation of inclusive social protection systems of disasters reduce the impa

Government.
’s world form ber statefood Food Secu arequires of trade agreemen these countries north-east
increased producer brea king ged, one new
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ry
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that help the rural invest in Member States in addressing both new markets; quality tomatoes better- risks ahea asizes 2018, FAO food chain
across its is able to legal, rethink of ent at the rural dimensions of migration Increased Cooperation in and
markets h supp d of time projects launched 11 new . In
crises
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radical promotes their future and cope with capacity kept globa Yemeand
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Blue Growth Initiativecommunities
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reduced of the most vuln food ion-m al framewor African ts,deve
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level as well as its implications for rural Supportiv FAO promotesstandard
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make this nt te taskforce

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DINH NAM
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has been FAO's surve
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natio nal is
and
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In 2018
, FAO prod
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climate change in a way that agriculture, forestry and other land

Assistance analytical on the
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the ar upda r study
commitmethat polic y actio ving Malawi, integrated
Security tes in Afric s
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Council of whic nds,
ensuring targeted at achie Goal 2 on h are guid the outcomes s
s are ent Parag uay reduc ing our
level lopm e comm efforts
e Deve food unities’
Sustainabl er, achieving vulnerabi to
ng hung lity to
endi

„ The following series of flyers highlights the work being use sector’s (and its related post production activities) can also
carried out under FAO's Strategic Programmes. mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases.
The SP teams, both at FAO headquarters and regional At the same time, there is mounting evidence supporting the
offices, help deliver each of the five Strategic Objectives, idea that climate change aggravation, hunger stagnation or obesity
which are also aligned with the 2030 Agenda for expansion share many of the same root causes. In particular,
Sustainable Development.
limited access to social services and growth-oriented food,
transportation or urban systems that pass over health or equity

22 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 2
A RENEWED STR ATEGIC FR AMEWORK

HISTORY OF FAO’S STRATEGIC

FRAMEWORK

When the Food and Agriculture its renewed Strategic Framework

Organization of the United Nations encompassing five Strategic
(FAO) was founded in 1945, in the Objectives (SOs).
aftermath of World War II, its key
missions included “freedom from This renew framework acknowledges
want” (especially from hunger and the need for an integrated approach
extreme poverty) and the attainment to address current and emerging
of the ordinary needs of a decent, challenges and is intended to
self-respecting life. In the decades overcome compartmentalization and
that followed, the Organization generate synergies among FAO’s
focused mainly on supporting food different technical departments, while
production and the accompanying avoiding duplication. This approach
technical innovations and agricultural rises above assumptions that the issues
development that led to a reduction of of, for instance, pastoralists in the Horn
hunger and episodes of famine. of Africa are limited to keeping their
herds healthy, and as such, that they
Today, FAO faces the 2030 Agenda only require better access to water
with long-standing and still pending and animal feed. Of course, these
issues – such as eradicating hunger are important, but having access to
and food insecurity, preserving the education and health services are
natural resource base and other equally so. Moreover, pastoralists
emerging challenges such as climate need economic safety nets to increase
change, obesity and diet-related non- resilience to droughts or conflicts, while
communicable diseases. securing access to markets and food
storage systems or getting specific
FAO’s traditional structure tended support for women and youth.
to resemble that of its country
issues, threaten biodiversity, and often ignore new science. For DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
counterparts – that is, ministries of To achieve progress in its mission
example, there is increasing evidence that the influence of the agriculture. Therefore, different divisions against the root causes of hunger,
THE CONGO
microbiome – the complex micro-organic ecosystem of water, were established to address specific food insecurity and malnutrition, the
Researchers
soils or human bodies – on food and agriculture and the planet’s measure a tree in challenges: Animal Health, Plant Organization works in a cross-cutting
natural balance can no longer be forgotten. the Yoko forest. Production and Protection, Fisheries way with ministries and departments
In this and other fields, FAO continues to keep pace with ©FAO/GIULIO Policies and Resources, etc. Given that in charge of rural and local
NAPOLITANO these divisions – each with their own development, social affairs, health,
the latest developments in science and technology, which will
require further innovation in the ways it engages with academia governmental focal points – tended employment, environment, trade,
and the private sector. Agricultural and food production to define their own priorities, the finance, etc.
techniques evolve at breakneck speed, and the Organization Organization’s work was often carried
out in independent silos. Through its Strategic Objectives, FAO
works to ensure its research and technological capacity to
has developed a flexible structure
anticipate and assess the environmental, economic and social
Building on the premise that the adapted to the multisectoral nature of
implications of such progress. Digital innovation and artificial challenges around food and these global challenges. It has centred
intelligence, along with other technological developments in agriculture are multidisciplinary and the focus of its work, broadened
the agri-food sector will also require a continuous effort to keep transnational (the same premise that the fields of action, generated
the Organization updated and on the front line in meeting the in 2015 would inspire the Sustainable new synergies and strengthened its
challenges of ending all forms malnutrition and promoting Development Goals and the 2030 presence and capacity at regional
sustainability, inclusion, efficiency and resilience. Agenda), in 2013 FAO introduced and country level.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 23

 A N E W V IS IO N

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1
HELP ELIMINATE HUNGER, FOOD
INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION

A
fter decades of steady progress in the fight investing in education, health, water and sanitation, or a combination
against hunger, we have recently witnessed of the above.
some backtracking, taking us back to the FAO’s Strategic Programme 1 supports Members in their efforts to
figures registered a decade ago: it is estimated ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food,
that around 820 million people suffer from hunger. particularly by developing cross-sectoral policy, programme, strategy
Climate variability and extremes, a surge in the number and and investment plans; strengthening inclusive food security and
complexity of conflicts and economic slowdowns and downturns are nutrition governance mechanisms; improving access to information
the main drivers behind the rise in hunger. Meanwhile, other forms and data for better decision-making; and enhancing governments’
of malnutrition are also on the rise: almost four out of ten adults capacities to implement policies for eradicating hunger.
worldwide are overweight or obese – a trend which is associated with a
surge in diet-related noncommunicable diseases both in the developed
and developing world. At the same time more than two billion people
suffer from various micronutrient deficiencies.
FIRST, THE NEW POLICY
Investments in agriculture have led to higher productivity, ASSISTANCE FACILITY
ensuring global food production keeps pace with a population
that has more than doubled since 1970. However, despite stronger
Since its inception in 2015, the FAO/EU and nutrition. FIRST has also assisted
political commitment, with countries progressively acknowledging
FIRST Policy Assistance Facility has helped governments in the ECOWAS region in
that everyone has the right to adequate food, the latest statistics show countries create an enabling environment to reviewing the policies and needs of the
that investments and policies have not been fully effective in fighting make investments by governments, donors fisheries sector (with a specific focus on the
hunger and malnutrition and that some population groups have not and private sector produce impact on food trade-offs between commercial fisheries
been reached by these efforts. As a specialized UN agency with a security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. aimed at exports and small-scale fisheries)
mandate to help countries in this endeavour, FAO works in partnership as well as the challenges and opportunities
with governments and other development actors at global, regional This is thanks to its network of policy officers related to developing aquaculture in the
and national levels. One of the main types of FAO’s support relates to embedded in the relevant ministries or region. In Myanmar, FIRST has helped the
the development of adequate policy and institutional environments national institutions of over 30 countries. government link nutrition-sensitive agriculture
and the strengthening of countries’ capacities to help them translate Above all, FIRST acts as a broker between with land tenure issues. Several legal
their political commitments into concrete action and eradicate hunger, those who want change (governments), changes now support crop diversification
those who are willing to support those efforts and encourage farmers and other actors
food insecurity and malnutrition.
with investments (like the EU) and those who to invest in different farming activities,
Eradicating hunger requires policy action that is multidimensional
can provide their expertise and technical from fruits and vegetables to aquaculture.
in approach. Depending on the specific context of a country, the assistance (like FAO). By combining government efforts and
requirements can range from increasing agricultural productivity priorities, EU funding and support and
and accessing markets to investing in family farming, small-scale FIRST has supported countries like Niger in FAO expertise, FIRST has already made
fisheries and forestry, fostering governance of land tenure and developing agricultural investment plans, a significant contribution. Representing just
natural resources, strengthening nutrition-sensitive social protection which are aligned with the budgeting 0.1% of the EU’s resources for food security
mechanisms, addressing gender inequalities, improving monitoring of relevant ministries to ensure steady and nutrition, the Facility adds value to over
and coordination mechanisms for food security and nutrition, and progress towards achieving food security 4 billion euro in investments.

24 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 2
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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2
MAKE AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY
AND FISHERIES MORE SUSTAINABLE

I
n the recent decades, the world has seen huge and provides a basis for developing adapted policies, strategies,
progress in agriculture development. The rapidly regulations and incentives.
expanding population together with the intensification of More specifically, FAO supports countries to work towards more
agriculture have been the driving force behind the rapid growth sustainable food and agriculture by:
of food supplies by more than threefold. A variety of factors, including „ Supporting producers in adopting more innovative, productive,
the increased use of fertilizer, water, pesticides, drugs, new crop sustainable and climate-resilient practices that increase productivity
varieties and animal breeds, and innovative agriculture practices, have and resilience to climate change, while preserving natural resources.
contributed to enhance food production. „ Promoting the transition to sustainable and climate-resilient
This progress, however, has also come at a high cost to society and agricultural policies and governance mechanisms through stronger
to the environment. Oceans are now over-exploited and many rivers, policies, investment strategies and programmes and cross-sectoral
lakes and seas are polluted with chemicals. Soils are degraded and dialogue, in order to enhance the role of agriculture, forestry and
have lost much of their fertility. Pesticides are devastating people’s fisheries in national sustainable development.
health and the environment, while high levels of greenhouse gas „ Gathering and sharing knowledge needed to support the
(GHG) emissions from input-intensive agriculture aggravate the transition to productive, sustainable and climate resilient agriculture
menace of climate change. In short, our agricultural systems are the and strengthening the capacity of institutions to collect and analyze
result of unsustainable farming practices that have squandered our data and produce evidence for informed decision-making.
natural resources. „ Strengthening national capacities to implement international
Hence, there is compelling evidence to suggest that building more instruments that promote productive and sustainable agriculture and
efficient and equitable agriculture and food systems and investing in developing new frameworks to incentivize the transition.
rural development can accelerate achievement of goals and targets
across the 2030 Agenda.
FAO’s Strategic Programme 2 calls on everyone’s efforts to move
towards sustainable agricultural production systems, but this endeavor
entails more than just protecting our natural resources. Sustainable MAINSTREAMING SUSTAINABLE FOOD
agricultural development requires integration and synergies between AND AGRICULTURE
sectors and entails policy coherence with all stakeholders, including
the private sector, civil society, academia and research institutions. It
is a process with overarching frameworks that range from technical, Sustainable food and agriculture structure. Rural investment, stronger farmers’
governance and financing aspects to developing partnerships and have great potential to revitalize the cooperatives, public partnerships, accessible
rural landscape, deliver inclusive growth policy debates and better coordination
accountability at different levels.
to countries and drive positive change across ministries, all with a focus on people,
In order to contribute to the aim of the 2030 Agenda of shifting
right across the 2030 Agenda, but this their livelihoods and the environment, are
societies and economies onto a sustainable development pathway transformation will not happen by itself. key aspects of delivering necessary and
while “leaving no one behind” and achieve such a significant Mainstreaming sustainable food and transformative change. While not intended
transformation, FAO has developed a common vision for sustainable agriculture into national development as a standard, the course below offers
food and agriculture that is based on five key principles that balance strategies and action plans requires setting decision makers one possible route towards
the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability, up a process and a functioning institutional SDG implementation.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 25

 A N E W V IS IO N

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3
REDUCE RURAL POVERTY

P
overty remains one of the biggest obstacles to economic, political and daily challenges that poor rural people face by:
human development and economic growth, „ Increasing access to natural resources and other assets; ensuring
and most of the world’s poor live in rural supportive extension and information systems to improve their income and
areas affected by hunger and food insecurity. capacity to manage risks; and linking small-scale agriculture to markets and
Therefore, reducing rural poverty is essential to FAO’s mission. food systems, while also ensuring food security.
Although progress has been made in reducing the number of the „ Mobilizing investments to create decent employment opportunities for
poor in the past decades, more than 700 million people continue to the rural poor as well as productive enterprises in agriculture and in the
live in extreme poverty and most of them (around 80 percent) live nonfarm economy.
in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Poor „ Building and scaling up social protection systems.
communities are often constrained by limited access to resources, „ Strengthening local governments and empowering the rural poor and
services, technologies, markets and economic opportunities, which their organizations to benefit from the development process.
lower their agricultural productivity and income in rural areas.
UN member countries have committed to eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger for people everywhere by 2030. Through its
Strategic Programme 3, FAO is helping countries to achieve the ENHANCING THE USE OF POVERTY
goals of poverty reduction by making ongoing processes of rural ANALYSIS IN THE FOOD AND
transformation more pro-poor and inclusive, to make sure that no
one is left behind. Among other activities, FAO supports governments
AGRICULTURAL SECTORS
in the design of pro-poor policies, strategies and programmes that
promote inclusive and sustainable agriculture; it helps countries FAO enhances the capacity of countries formulate differentiated policies and monitor
improve access to technologies, services and markets, as well as access to use data and utilize ongoing research indicators related to SDG 1 and SDG 2.
to and sustainable management of natural resources; and works to initiatives for policy making. In Latin This initiative will support countries’ efforts
empower the rural poor and strengthen rural institutions. America, FAO launched a regional Alliance to better understand the challenges of
In low-income countries in particular, investing in agriculture of experts for the Elimination of Rural Poverty rural poverty as well as enhance poverty
reduces poverty more directly than investing in other sectors, as it and produced the first FAO Regional measurement and assessments.
offers the most direct route for rural people to benefit from land and Flagship on Rural Poverty. FAO is also
labour – their main assets. However, because the poor often need supporting countries, Panama and Morocco Since 2017, FAO has worked with the
to engage in multiple economic activities, reducing rural poverty as two examples, to boost their capacities World Bank and IFAD on a Joint Initiative
to use poverty analysis in the design of for Focusing Agricultural and Rural
requires a vision of rural transformation that includes an economic
multisectoral strategies for poverty reduction Development Research and Investment
diversification that can generate jobs and empower people in
in rural areas, fostering coordination through on Achieving SDGs 1 and 2, which
agriculture and beyond. a common vision of development. aims to strengthen and raise the profile
Recognizing the diverse spectrum of poor rural households, of research and data to support pro-poor
FAO proposes a broad approach with differentiated strategies to FAO, together with IFAD and the World investments in agriculture and rural areas
help the rural poor and extreme poor move to a higher labour status Bank, has developed the Rural Livelihoods within the partner agencies, as well as
and productivity and reach decent standards of living through their Information System (RuLiS) to provide policy- amongst policymakers, civil society and
livelihoods. This multisectoral approach aims to address the social, makers with evidence to more effectively the private sector.

26 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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A RENEWED STR ATEGIC FR AMEWORK

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4
ENABLE INCLUSIVE AND EFFICIENT
AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS

A
gricultural and food systems in the world design of appropriate trade policies and produces international market data as basis for trade
are undergoing dramatic changes. On one and market policies.
hand, globalization, rapid urbanization and changing Increased investments are also key to produce better quality products that ensure
consumer preferences have created opportunities for nutritional needs are met and higher prices attained by producers. FAO develops the capacity
the agriculture sector. On the other, industrialized food systems have of countries to design, plan and implement investments together with the public and private
contributed to malnutrition, increased incidences of food safety issues sectors. Moreover, the Organization also provides assistance to enhance the inclusiveness
and transboundary animal and plant disease outbreaks, the misuse of of food and agriculture systems by engaging smallholder producers and economically small
antimicrobials that results in antimicrobial resistance, significant levels countries. By supporting market models that link smallholders to large buyers, promoting the
of food loss and waste, environmental degradation and climate change. participation of women at higher levels along the value chain, and encouraging South-South
In addition, those segments of society that traditionally have less Cooperation to allow countries to learn from the successful experience of others, amongst
access to education, resources and capital, namely women, youth, urban other activities, FAO aims to develop inclusive and efficient value chains.
and rural poor, indigenous peoples, and smallholders, face barriers to
participate in modern value chains. Small-scale farmers, herders and
fisherfolk, and small and medium agro-enterprises are increasingly FAO mission for the Urban Food Agenda
dependent on dominant actors further downstream in value chains. FAO’S 3E APPROACH AND THE
And poorer countries that may be relatively minor players in the global COMPREHENSIVE AREAS OF SUPPORT
market, risk exclusion from new market opportunities.
Approximately three-quarters of the world’s agricultural value-
(CAS) TO THE URBAN FOOD AGENDA
added activities take place in developing countries, which means
that the increasing demand for high-value products on international EXPANDING
and domestic food markets provides an opportunity for developing
countries to generate economic growth and gainful employment. In CAS 7.
Evidence-based outreach for improved global urban food
our increasingly interconnected world, agriculture and food systems
governance
are crucial for countries in meeting the objectives set out in the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development to eliminate hunger, improve
nutrition, reduce rural poverty and increase resilience to climatic and EXECUTING
economic shocks. However, countries require assistance and capacity
building in accessing international markets and meeting international CAS 5. CAS 6.
CAS 3. Short food CAS 4. Agri-food Food and green Optimized supply
standards for food safety. supply & public food innovation across environments for chains & circular
Through its Strategic Programme 4, FAO assists developing procurement small towns healthy cities bioeconomy
countries in the implementation and enforcement of food safety and
hygiene standards. For instance, it ensures that governments are active
ENABLING CAS 1. CAS 2.
members of FAO and WHO’s Codex Alimentarius and builds countries’ National urban and Integrated food
capacity to apply guidelines and codes of practice, as well as to meet territorial policies system planning
the necessary procedures for accessing markets. Besides facilitating and transformative and inclusive local
Institutions food governance
dialogue on issues related to trade agreements, FAO also assists in the

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 27

 A N E W V IS IO N

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5
INCREASE THE RESILIENCE OF
LIVELIHOODS TO THREATS AND CRISES

E
very year, millions of people who depend „ Strengthen crisis and disaster risk governance to
on the production, trade and consumption establish enabling policies and institutional structures
of crops, livestock, fish, forests and other that reduce multiple and increasing levels of threats
natural resources, are confronted by affecting the agriculture sector.
disasters and crises. They can strike suddenly – like an „ Monitor crisis and disaster risks in order to prepare
earthquake or a violent coup – or unfold slowly, like drought- for and reduce the impact of such shocks.
flood cycles. „ Apply risk reducing practices before, during and after
As the magnitude and impact of crises and disasters emergencies.
increase more and more households, communities and „ Respond to emergencies and rehabilitate agricultural
governments of developing countries are less able to absorb, livelihoods to ensure that people do not become
recover and adapt, making them more vulnerable to future destitute and dependent on international assistance.
shocks. The combination of acute shocks and chronic
stressors causes widespread human suffering and huge
economic losses and threatens progress made in ending
hunger and malnutrition. It creates a vicious downward GLOBAL NETWORK
spiral, pushing poor families into destitution and, ultimately, AGAINST FOOD CRISES
dependency on costly humanitarian aid.
Building the resilience of agricultural livelihoods to
threats and crises and promoting agriculture’s role in
Conflict, climate variability and root causes. The GNFC acknowledges
reducing conflict and sustaining peace are key to making extremes, and economic downturns are the centrality of food and agri-food
sustainable development a reality and offer a powerful deepening acute and chronic hunger and systems in preventing food crises and
lever for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals’ malnutrition. If we are to achieve Zero mitigating their impact, boosting recovery
pledge of leaving no one behind. Agriculture and food Hunger, we must simultaneously meet and reconstruction. It also acknowledges
systems must be resilient and risk sensitive in order to immediate humanitarian needs while the need to coordinate actions in relation
feed present and future generations. By bringing together addressing underlying fragilities through to other complex drivers of vulnerability,
humanitarian and development actions – with a deliberate a mix of humanitarian, stability, peace- such as conflict and insecurity, climate
focus on contributing to sustaining peace – FAO strives to building and development interventions. change and demography. The GNFC
both meet the immediate needs of those impacted by crises The Global Network against Food is a global collaboration that aims to
while simultaneously addressing root causes of hunger Crises (GNFC) was established by the promote an enhanced coordination
European Union, FAO and the WFP in among stakeholders, share data and
and vulnerabilities and seeking to open new opportunities
2016 during the World Humanitarian analyses, define innovative approaches
tailored to local livelihoods and agri-food systems.
Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, to combat and pursue evidence-based advocacy for
FAO’s Strategic Programme 5 has developed a food crises from humanitarian and food and nutrition security in contexts at
resilience programme to strengthen risk informed development perspectives and tackle its risk of food crises.
and shock-responsive systems based on four mutually
reinforcing areas: SOURCE: FSIN. 2019. GLOBAL REPORT ON FOOD CRISES.

28 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 2
A RENEWED STR ATEGIC FR AMEWORK

CROSS-CUTTING
THEMES IN
FAO’S STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK

T
o ensure a GENDER GOVERNANCE CLIMATE NUTRITION
robust and CHANGE In November 2014, world
practical The agricultural sector is Governance refers to
A world without hunger leaders adopted the Rome
underperforming in many the rules, policies and
results- will not be possible without Declaration on Nutrition and
developing countries, processes through which
based approach to partly because women tend public and private actors a global concerted effort the Framework for Action
all of its work, FAO to respond to changing at the Second International
to be locked out of land articulate their interests
must ensure that climatic patterns. FAO Conference on Nutrition
ownership, access to credit and make, implement,
it has the internal supports countries to (ICN2), reinforcing their
and productive farm inputs monitor, and enforce
technical capacity and combat this challenge commitment to end all forms
and access to markets as decisions. Development
of malnutrition by 2030. To
integrity to achieve well as other resources and processes affecting food head on by pursuing more
productive, sustainable meet these commitments, FAO
the expected results. services. This gender gap security, nutrition, livelihoods,
works for nutrition-sensitive
Therefore, the Strategic impedes development and and the management and and climate-resilient
agricultural development. food systems that deliver
Framework guarantees costs societies in terms of sustainable use of resources,
Poverty, health, water use healthy diets for everyone all
integration of technical lost agricultural production, all face increasingly complex
and biodiversity will all be year. This approach requires
capacity and cross- food security, nutrition and governance challenges. To
affected by a changing action at every level of the
economic growth. Women address these challenges,
cutting issues in the climate. Productive, food system – from input
are the backbone of rural stakeholders will need to reach
delivery of the Strategic sustainable and climate- supply, through production,
economies, working as a common understanding
Objectives. The following resilient agricultural post-harvest management,
farmers, laborers and and to increase the dialogue
cross-cutting areas of development is among processing, retailing to
entrepreneurs. FAO works within and across sectors.
work are fully integrated the most effective ways to consumption – and cuts
with partners to eliminate Achieving progress requires
in the way FAO works address and mitigate these across all of the FAO Strategic
gender-based barriers and involving stakeholders,
inter-related challenges. Programmes. Our work
through the Strategic support countries in devising including the private sector,
As a cross-cutting aspect promotes the sustainable
Objectives action plans. equitable agricultural and civil society, academia and
of the work of FAO, production of nutrient-dense
rural development policies research institutions, and
climate change is being foods with the protection of
to increase the participation developing partnerships at
mainstreamed throughout biodiversity in favour of more
and empowerment of different levels. FAO’s cross-
our Strategic Framework. diversified food consumption;
women and narrow the gap cutting theme on governance
All of the FAO Strategic the development of nutrition-
between them and men. enhances the effectiveness
Programmes examine how sensitive value chains and
of our policy assistance and
climate change affects their trade and effective consumer
better addresses the complex
core aims and what they protection and seeks to ensure
challenges of achieving our
must do to support Member that the poorest have access
Strategic Objectives in all
States to respond effectively. to healthy foods and good
aspects of our work.
nutrition even in times of crisis.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 29

2 CH
IN
3 2 Ending hunger and malnutrition
and ensuring food access
for all
4 7 The climate change threat
5 9 Natural resources under
pressure: biodiversity and
water
75 Transforming food systems
8 9 Towards sustainable forest
management
1 0 3 Safeguarding our oceans and
fisheries
1 2 0 Conflict and food security
1 3 3 Combatting rural poverty
1 5 0 Leaving no one behind: rural
women and youth as agents
of change
1 6 7 Innovation: FAO sowing the
seeds of transformation
 FA O ’ S
ALLEN G ES
T H E 21 S T
CENTURY
 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

C H A P T E R 2 .1

ENDING H U NGER
AND M ALN T RU T ION
AND ENSU R ING FOOD
ACCESS FOR ALL

W
hile global hunger has decreased in KYRGYZSTAN
recent decades thanks to the joint A family having a
meal together, near
efforts of countries and international Jalal-Ablad Obast.
organizations, the last few years have ©FAO/SERGEY
seen a worrying reversal in this trend. The number KOZMIN
of undernourished people, meaning those facing chronic food
deprivation, has grown in recent years to around 820 million
people, which represents almost 11 percent of the world
population (one nine people).
After a prolonged decline, hunger is returning to levels from
a decade ago. This recent increase in hunger has been largely
attributed to persistent instability in conflict-ridden regions,
adverse climate events that have hit many regions of the world,
and economic slowdowns that have affected more peaceful
settings and worsened the food security situation.

32 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 33
 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

GOING BEYOND HUNGER: FOOD INSECURITY

FOOD I NSEC U R I T Y E X PE R I E NC ES AND ITS CONNECTIONS TO MALNUTRITION
R A NGE F ROM T HE A N X IE T Y OF

U
RU NNING OU T OF FOOD TO nder the second goal of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, also known as
COMPROMISES IN DIE T QUALI T Y the Zero Hunger Goal, the world has committed
A ND REDUC T IONS IN T HE to eliminating hunger and ensuring access to safe,
QUA N T I T Y OF FOOD CONSU MED sufficient, nutritious food for all. As such, SDG 2 has entailed a global
rethink of the broad Zero Hunger concept, to align it with the complex
DU E TO L AC K OF MON E Y OR set of food-related challenges that our world is faced with now. Going
OT H E R R ESOU RC ES. beyond hunger is necessary in a context where multiple forms of
malnutrition – from micronutrient deficiencies, to stunting, wasting
and obesity – exist in poor and rich countries alike and are very often
present within countries, households and even individuals.
Meeting requirements for dietary energy consumption (which is
captured by the FAO indicator: the prevalence of undernourishment
– PoU) is not enough to demonstrate progress on SDG 2. People
who consume sufficient food to meet their energy needs may still be
forced to reduce quality and/or quantity of food and face uncertainty
about their ability to obtain food, all of which can have serious
consequences for mental and physical well-being. There is a need to
THE NUMBER OF UNDERNOURISHED capture more than hunger, as SDG 2 goes well beyond it.
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD Food insecurity, characterized by the lack of reliable access to
adequate food, goes beyond hunger to encompass experiences that
correspond to different levels of severity, ranging from relatively
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE mild conditions, such as facing anxiety over food running out, to
more severe ones, like going day(s) without eating.
1000
Number of
As one of several causes of poor nutritional status, food
undernourished people insecurity contributes to malnutrition via multiple pathways.
950
Poor access to food, for example, and particularly to healthy food,
Zero contributes to undernutrition as well as overweight and obesity.
900 Hunger
Goal
Food insecurity increases the risk of low birthweight, childhood
stunting and anaemia in women of reproductive age, yet it is
850 ≈ also linked to overweight in school-age girls and obesity among
820 women, particularly in upper-middle- and high-income countries.
800 There are several explanations for the seemingly paradoxical
coexistence of food insecurity and obesity. When resources are
750 ON THE RISE limited, people are often forced to eat lower-cost, less-healthy,
SINCE 2014 more energy-dense foods, which can lead to them becoming
overweight and obese. Affordable, readily-available, ultra-
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 processed foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt, combined
with shifts away from traditional diets towards convenience foods,
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD. contribute to explaining the association between food insecurity
and overweight and obesity.

34 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .1
ENDING H U NGER A ND M ALN U T R I T ION A ND ENSU R ING FOOD ACCESS FOR ALL

Periodic episodes of food insecurity and deprivation can also lead

to disordered eating and stress-related metabolic responses. This can
increase the risk of obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases
such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Additionally,
maternal and infant/child food deprivation can result in foetal and
early childhood “metabolic imprinting”, which increases the risk of
obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases later in life. HUNGER, FOOD INSECURITY
GLOBAL TRENDS IN MALNUTRITION AND MALNUTRITION

A
s already described, malnutrition ranges
from undernutrition (wasting, stunting or „ Hunger is an uncomfortable or amounts of safe and nutritious food for
underweight) to overweight and obesity to micronutrient painful physical sensation caused normal growth and development and
deficiencies. Stunting (low height for age) in children by insufficient consumption of an active and healthy life.
under five years of age is a largely irreversible outcome of inadequate dietary energy. FAO has used the
nutrition and repeated bouts of illness. Recent data tell us that Prevalence of Undernourishment „ Malnutrition is an abnormal
stunting is declining, yet the numbers remain high. Globally, indicator to estimate the extent of physiological condition caused
approximately 151 million children under five (over 22 percent) suffer “hunger” in the world for decades, by inadequate, unbalanced
from stunting, particularly concerning given that stunting before the thus “hunger” may also be referred or excessive consumption
age of two can lead to poor cognitive and educational outcomes, as to as chronic undernourishment. of macronutrients and/or
well as an increased risk of developing obesity and non-communicable micronutrients. Malnutrition includes
„ Food insecurity exists when undernutrition and overweight as
diseases later in life. Additionally, wasting (low weight for height)
people lack secure access to sufficient well as micronutrient deficiencies.
continues to affect 7.5 percent of children under five worldwide,
exposing them to a higher risk of mortality.
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD.
Recent estimates reveal more than two billion people to be
suffering from at least one form of micronutrient (vitamin and
mineral) deficiency. Often called “hidden hunger” due to the
frequent lack of visible signs, the consequences are nevertheless
serious. Anaemia in women of reproductive age, for instance, FOOD INSECURITY ALONG A
affects over 613 million women worldwide and contributes CONTINUUM OF SEVERITY
significantly to maternal deaths, yet it can be present in women
who appear healthy or are even overweight. The prevalence of
anaemia among women of reproductive age has been slowly yet
Mild food Severe food
steadily increasing, with nearly one in three women affected in
insecurity insecurity
2016. While the causes of anaemia vary, it is estimated that half
the cases are due to dietary deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12 and/
or folic acid. Worrying Compromising Reducing Feeling hungry
Likewise, rates of obesity have continued to rise, as more than about how to on quality and quantities, but not eating,
one in eight adults, or 672 million people, are now obese. Obesity procure food variety skipping or not eating
increases the risk of many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), meals for an entire
including heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, degenerative joint diseases day, due to
and some forms of cancer. These conditions are costly, in terms of lack of money
individual well-being, healthcare expenses, lost income and earning SOURCE: FAO. 2013. THE FOOD INSECURITY EXPERIENCE
SCALE: DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL STANDARD FOR
or other
potential, and reduced labour productivity. MONITORING HUNGER WORLDWIDE. resources

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 35

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

Overweight and obesity are on the rise in all regions of the RUSSIAN THE NUTRITION TRANSITION
FEDERATION

R
world, and the speed with which they are increasing is of great
Seller playing the
concern. Obesity more than doubled between 1984 and 2014. It balalaika and ecent decades have seen a shift in
is not only adults who are affected either; an alarming 38 million working at a stand dietary patterns worldwide. Rapid
at the LavkaLavka
children under five years of age were overweight in 2017 farmer’s market,
urbanization, the globalization of food chains, food
globally – an increase of 8 million since 2000. Experts suggest outside Moscow. cultures and consumer markets, together with rising
that if there is no major shift in policy, by 2030, the number ©FAO/ JAMES HILL incomes, especially in low- and middle-income countries, have
of overweight and obese people will have increased from 1.33 been key drivers to this change.
billion in 2005 to 3.28 billion. In certain parts of the world, richer incomes have led to greater
In other words, the issue will affect almost one-third of demand for, and consumption of, nutrient-rich foods such as fruit,
the global population projected for that year, according to vegetables, wholegrains and seafood. Nevertheless, in many other
estimates from the 2016 Foresight report by the Global Panel parts of the world – especially in urban contexts – more income,
on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. But where does coupled with less time available to prepare family meals, has led
this increase in the prevalence of obesity and overweight come consumers to progressively rely on supermarkets, fast food outlets,
from? The explanation is quite complex and depends on multiple street food vendors and take-away restaurants. This has contributed
factors and causes. to an increase in consumption of cheap, highly processed foods

36 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .1
ENDING H U NGER A ND M ALN U T R I T ION A ND ENSU R ING FOOD ACCESS FOR ALL

and beverages – which are often high in fat, sugars and/or salt and low in
vitamins and minerals. R A PI D R AT ES OF U RBA N I Z AT ION
Responding to the needs of urban dwellers, the food industry has been A N D T EC H NOLOGIC AL ADVA NC ES
widely promoting this kind of food, by impacting significantly on diets
and consumer choices. Technological advances and market liberalization
ACC ELER AT E DEM A N D FOR H IGH LY
have made ultra-processed food more readily available and often cheaper PROC ESSED FOODS, W HICH ARE
than more nutrient-rich foods. This shift towards less nutritious, highly- OF TEN LOW IN VITAMINS AND
processed convenience foods is characteristic of the global nutrition
transition, which brings with it a shift in diet-related disease patterns.
MINER ALS, AND CHEAPER THAN
NU TRIENT-RICH FOODS.
TRADE AND NUTRITION

I
nternational trade is an important and essential
tool in our effort to eradicate hunger and
malnutrition in its various forms, by allowing food to move
from surplus to deficit regions and contributing to making
it available and affordable for people. At the same time, it can
contribute to diversifying diets, for instance by making certain fruit
and vegetables available in countries where they cannot be grown,
or they can only be grown at much higher costs including to the
1 2 3
environment. However, trade can also increase the availability of
ultra-processed food that is unhealthy. HOW IS FOOD INSECURITY
Globalization, rising incomes, urbanization and changing
lifestyles have all led to the increasing demand for ultra-processed
MEASURED?
and convenience foods. Studies suggest that, among other factors,
trade and investment liberalization have led to increased imports and
consumption of fatty meats, vegetable oils and processed foods and thus Inspired by several countries 5 6 7 8 9 10
contributed to drastically increasing obesity rates in the Small Island already applying similar
Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific, which heavily rely on food tools for national monito-
imports. Other studies suggest that highly processed foods, typically ring, FAO has established the Food
loaded with saturated fats, refined sugar, salt and chemical additives Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
are made available to an increasing number of low- and middle-income as a new approach to measuring
countries (LMICs) through trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) food insecurity at the global level diet, and skipping meals or running out of
and may contribute to the obesity epidemic in these countries. that is well aligned with the need to think food occasionally. Someone experiencing
beyond hunger. Experience-based food severe food insecurity is likely to report
insecurity measurement involves asking having also gone entire days without
FOOD SYSTEMS FOR HEALTHY DIETS
people directly about the occurrence of eating due to lack of money or other re-

R
conditions and behaviours that are known sources. Based on the responses to ques-
ather than delivering the diets that people need to reflect constraints on access to food. For tions about such experiences collected
for a healthy life, the globalized food system is example, someone experiencing moderate in a nationally representative survey, it
contributing to obesity, overweight and other forms levels of food insecurity is likely to report is possible to estimate the prevalence
of malnutrition. In fact, the food challenges facing humanity feeling anxious about not having enough of food insecurity at different levels of
nowadays are not only related to availability and accessibility, but to the food, being unable to afford a healthy severity in the population.
quality and sustainability of food people eat. Healthy diets depend on our
food systems’ ability to make them available and affordable to everyone, SOURCE: FAO STATISTICS DIVISION

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 37

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

ENDING HUNGER AND year-round. They also depend on how the food environment in which
we live can influence our ability to opt for healthy dietary patterns at
MALNU TRITION IN ALL ITS all stages in life.
FOR MS SHOULD REMAIN In order to provide better access to affordable and healthy diets

CENTR AL FOR COU N T R I ES and address the rising burden of overweight, obesity and diet-related
non-communicable diseases, food systems need to be transformed,
AS T H E Y F U LF I L T H E 2030 from farm to plate. FAO promotes a holistic food systems approach
AGEN DA FOR SUSTA I NABLE to healthy diets that comprises the four main functions of the system,
namely: food production; food handling, storage and processing; food
DE V ELOPM EN T. trade and marketing; food demand, preparation and preferences. The
food environment is a key consideration in addressing nutritional
outcomes as it serves as the interface between food systems and
consumers’ nutritional choices.
This would help increase the availability, affordability and
appeal of nutrient-rich and diversified foods, while making
foods high in fat, sugars and/or salt less available and affordable.
Measures can include laws and taxes on unhealthy food products;
ADULT OBESITY IS RISING clear and informative labelling restrictions on advertising for
EVERYWHERE AT junk food to children; a reduction of the levels of salt, fat and
sugar used for processed foods; legislation to ensure institutional
AN ACCELERATING PACE procurement from local farmers or trade agreements that reduce
the influx of imported cheap and ultra-processed food.
Besides being nutritious, food that is part of a healthy diet should
30 also be safe. Recent data reveal that every year food-borne diseases
affect 600 million people and lead to 420 000 deaths in the world.
PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN ADULTS

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

25 This requires urgent reflection on actions needed to bolster food
NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE security and food safety, as discussed during the First FAO/WHO/
OCEANIA African Union International Food Safety Conference in Addis Ababa
20
(12–13 February 2019) and the FAO/WHO/WTO International Forum
(PERCENTAGE)

on Food Safety and Trade in Geneva. Both meetings identified key

15 actions and strategies to address current and future challenges to
food safety globally, align food safety approaches across sectors and
10 borders, address the trade-related aspects and challenges on food
safety, and reinforce efforts to reach the Sustainable Development
5
Goals. These efforts are in line with the United Nations General
Assembly resolution on Global Health and Foreign Policy adopted in
December 2018 that urges FAO and the World Health Organization
to facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day (starting 7 June
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014
2019) and raise awareness on the global importance of improving food
ASIA AFRICA WORLD safety. FAO works with governmental authorities, with local industry
and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that this expectation is met.
NOTE: Prevalence of obesity in adults 18 years and over, 1975–2014.
SOURCE: FAO. 2017. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD.
„ MORE INFORMATION ON FOOD SYSTEMS IN PART 2, CHAPTER 2.4,
TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

38 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 COLOMBIA
FAO’S WORK FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
Breakfast with
WHAT IS A

I
yam, eggs and
n light of emerging global priorities and crises – from cheese at Orlando
Ruiz Mendes and HEALTHY DIET?
obesity and the surge of non-communicable diseases, to climate Myriam’s home.
change and environmental degradation, to migration, conflicts Orlando is a farmer
and natural disasters – global leaders and national decision living in the regin
of Pertenencia, A healthy diet is one that meets
makers must remain steadfast in their efforts to achieve the SDG 2 Zero northern Colombia, the nutritional needs of individuals
Hunger targets and prevent further backtracking on the progress made with his wife and
eight children. He by providing sufficient, safe, and diversified
over the past few decades. was born in the foods to maintain an active life and reduce
Besides a global rethink on how to eradicate hunger and poverty, area and is proud risks of disease. It contains fruits, vegetables,
of his ancestry.
the 2030 Agenda has also proposed a global focus on eradicating all legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole
©PATRICK
types of malnutrition, with a clarion call to ensure that sustainable ZACHMANN/ grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet,
agriculture works for nutrition. Ending hunger and malnutrition in MAGNUM PHOTOS oats, wheat, brown rice), and is low in fats
FOR FAO
all its forms through sustainable agriculture and food systems should (especially saturated fats), free sugars and
indeed remain central for countries as they fulfil the 2030 Agenda. salt. Unhealthy diets are an important cause
As implementation of the 2030 Agenda gathers momentum, of malnutrition. They are now responsible
for more adult deaths and disabilities than
countries are increasingly recognizing that in order to achieve SDG 2,
alcohol and tobacco use.
and the SDGs more generally, it is important to promote coherent
policy action across sectors with an explicit focus on Zero Hunger.
SOURCE: GLOBAL PANEL ON AGRICULTURE
Only by pulling together the efforts and strengths of all stakeholders AND FOOD SYSTEMS FOR NUTRITION
can countries wipe out the root causes that keep the hungry, food (GLOPAN). 2016.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 39

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO FAC I LI TAT ES DI ALOGU E insecure and malnourished trapped in a vicious circle of chronic
deprivation.
BET W EEN GOV ER N M EN TS However, despite stronger political commitment, the latest
A N D PROV I DES T EC H N IC AL statistics show that investments and policies have neither been fully
implemented nor effective in fighting hunger and malnutrition, and
ASSISTA NC E TO STRENGTHEN that some population groups have been neglected. As a specialized
THEIR CAPACITIES TO UN agency with a mandate to help countries in the fight against
IMPLEMENT POLICIES AND hunger and malnutrition, through its Strategic Programme 1
(“Help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition”)
PROGR AMMES. FAO works in partnership with governments and other
development actors at global, regional and national levels to develop
adequate policy and institutional environments and strenghthen
countries’ capacities to translate their political commitments into
concrete action.

Designing policies, programmes

and legal frameworks
Political commitment is crucial for change, but it is not enough
on its own. Commitment must be reflected in policies, laws
and investment plans across a number of sectors, if the most
vulnerable are to see any improvement in their lives. This can
imply a radical transformation at policy and institutional levels,
beginning with the setting up of enabling environments for
THE GLOBAL COST OF MALNUTRITION inclusive political processes and dialogues, where the most
vulnerable people are given a voice.
FAO works in partnership with governments and other
development actors at global, regional and national levels to develop
Burdens of hunger, food overweight and obese, it is estimated
adequate policy and institutional environments to help countries
insecurity, and malnutrition that the cumulative cost of all non-
translate their commitment into action and achieve SDG 2.
pose a significant economic communicable diseases – for which
challenge for all countries, being overweight and obese are Increasingly, countries recognize the need for support to guide
especially less developed ones, given among the main risk factors – reached them through this process. FAO is assisting them in assessing how
the health costs and loss of productivity, approximately USD 1.4 trillion in 2010 well existing development policies address current and future food
which could represent up to 5 percent (SOFI 2013). security and nutrition trends of the country.
of global gross domestic product Once countries have taken an accurate stock of their policy needs,
(GDP), equivalent to USD 3.5 trillion The current hunger and malnutrition FAO supports them to adopt or redesign policies, strategies, laws
per year or USD 500 per person. It is situations call for urgent and scaled-up and investment plans, within and across sectors, to sharpen their
estimated that the costs of undernutrition action by countries and their partners in effectiveness in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition and
and micronutrient deficiencies line with the international commitments factor in related outcomes.
represent 2–3 percent of global GDP, made at the Second International FAO, in collaboration with different partners – in particular
or between USD 1.4 trillion and Conference on Nutrition (ICN2, 2014),
with economic bodies like the Community of Latin American and
USD 2.1 trillion per year. Although the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition
Caribbean States (CELAC), the Economic Commission of West
there are no global data available on 2016–2025 and the 2030 Agenda for
the economic costs of people being Sustainable Development. African States (ECOWAS), or the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordination Agency – has
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. guided countries in outlining the need for greater policy focus and

40 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1.1
ELIMINATING HUNGER, FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION

coherence across sectors to achieve better food security and nutrition. UGANDA practices on ending hunger and food insecurity by 2030. A noteworthy
In one example, the joint FAO/EU FIRST policy assistance facility (see Betty Dawa and example is the World Committee for Food Security (CFS). It offers an
box) has revamped policy dialogue on food security, nutrition and her children in international platform for inclusive intergovernmental dialogue on
the settlement
sustainable agriculture among policymakers and development partners of Bidi Bidi, the issues that are key to food security and nutrition. Discussions held at
in countries like Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Guatemala most populated the Committee lead to policy recommendations, sometimes taking the
refugee camp in
and Honduras. the world. form of voluntary guidelines for countries as they work to achieve food
©FAO/ROBERTO security and nutrition for all.
SALINAS
Strengthening governance and coordination
Ridding the world of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition requires Improving evidence-based decision-making
action at all levels, from consumers to producers and their organizations, Targeted action to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition
to civil society organizations, the private sector, governments, and requires a common understanding of the root causes of such
international organizations. FAO assists all these stakeholders in deprivation. Arriving at a common understanding is often hindered
enhancing their governance and coordination mechanisms at national, by unreliable, fragmented or non-existent information, or the lack of
regional and international levels. Through FIRST, for example, FAO has information regarding the contributions and actions by different sectors
contributed to revising the draft statutes of the participatory council for and stakeholders to food security and nutrition.
food security and nutrition in Timor-Leste (KONSSANTIL), and has FAO works hand in hand with governments to collect data,
supported the council to prioritize the most relevant food security and feed various information systems and produce relevant information
nutrition interventions planned in the Zero Hunger National Action Plan. products such as The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World
FAO also supports various platforms and committees bringing (SOFI) and its regional overviews. The Organization also promotes
stakeholders to work together and share experiences and best methods, tools and training programmes to assist countries in

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 41

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

generating credible data and statistics, strengthening their capacities to BRAZIL and plans into effective action. In 2018, over 15 countries received
analyse them, and supporting the development of policies, investment A school snack support to develop investment plans for their sectoral strategies which
in one of the
and action plans based on this evidence. Further, FAO provides community
integrated issues of extreme poverty, social protection and nutrition.
support to countries to monitor ongoing policies, programmes and nurseries in
investments, and assesses the impact of these initiatives on rates of Brasilia. Parliamentary fronts and alliances against hunger
hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. ©FAO/UBIRAJARA The first parliamentary fronts and alliances for food security and
MACHADO
nutrition began in Latin America, but thanks to FAO’s support similar
Enhancing governments’ capacities to implement alliances now exist worldwide, from the Caribbean, to Europe, to
policies and programmes the Near East and Africa. These neutral platforms, populated by
New policies, however, are only effective if institutions are able to lawmakers from across the political spectrum, provide a forum and
implement them: countries must continue to develop the capacities of a great opportunity to debate issues of food security and nutrition
their institutions to bring real and lasting change to the lives of people. beyond national politics. Through them, parliamentarians become
FAO supports governments in assessing their financing needs aware of the various instruments they can bring to bear through their
and helps them to map existing resources to increase mobilization legislative powers. Parliamentary fronts and alliances, together with
of resources. The Organization also assists countries in undertaking other legislative initiatives, contribute to strengthening legal and policy
capacity needs assessments and in developing institutional capacities frameworks at global and local levels while enabling a progressive
for national budgeting and resource allocation that can turn policies realization of the right to adequate food.

42 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .1
ENDING H U NGER A ND M ALN U T R I T ION A ND ENSU R ING FOOD ACCESS FOR ALL

The First Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and

Malnutrition, held in Madrid in October 2018, hosted around
FAO STRENGTHENS ITS
200 parliamentarians from 80 countries. SUPPORT TO COUNTRIES
REGIONAL INITIATIVES: TURNING POLITICAL
THROUGH ITS REGIONAL
COMMITMENT INTO ACTION ZERO HUNGER INITIATIVES,
AS V EH IC LES FOR I NC RE ASED

T PA RT N ERSH IPS W I T H
he role of FAO on the ground is primarily
as a catalyst for turning theory into
practice, seeking to strengthen regions’ REGIONAL A N D NAT IONAL
programming, mechanisms, capacity and ORGA N I Z AT IONS.
delivery needed to end hunger by 2030. Three FAO
regional initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America seek to
strengthen actions made by countries in these regions to achieve
Zero Hunger within the next two decades. In each region, FAO
is working closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, including
inter-regional organizations, NGOs, associations and grass-roots
organizations, among others, that are already engaged in the fight
against hunger.

HUNGER-FREE LATIN AMERICA AND

CARIBBEAN INITIATIVE TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS
Latin America and the Caribbean vowed that
the present generation of children, women
and men would be the first to see hunger
eradicated. In 2005, the region committed FAO has a lead role to play In addition, FAO supports countries
in linking food and nutrition in the development of Food Based
to end hunger by 2025 and became the first and only region
initiatives at the global Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) – the
to achieve both the Millennium Development Goal of halving
level, for example through the UN Organization is working with 12
hunger rates, and the more ambitious goal of the World Food Decade of Action on Nutrition and countries in Africa to develop
Summit (WFS) of 1996 to reduce by half the absolute number of the 2030 Sustainable Development FBDGs as a means to inform
undernourished people. Goal Agenda. Boosted by the institutional procurement and provide
High-level plans, such as the Community of Latin American commitment of countries to end all guidance on healthy diets.
and Caribbean States (CELAC) Plan for Food Security, Nutrition forms of malnutrition, leaving no
and Hunger Eradication 2025, have been successful in showing one behind, these initiatives present To address the issue of insufficient
other regions that ending hunger can be achieved. opportunities to reform food systems access to reliable information on
for healthy diets. Under the UN food consumption, FAO and WHO
AFRICA’S COMMITMENT TO END Decade for Action on Nutrition, have developed a tool (FAO/WHO
HUNGER BY 2025 several action networks have been Global Individual Food consumption
formed to address specific nutrition- data Tool) to provide simple and
In Africa, FAO supports governments with
related issues. A network for actions accurate food-based indicators,
technical expertise on food security and
on food labelling was established derived from sex and age
nutrition policies and programmes through the on the initiative of Chile, France and disaggregated data on individual
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Australia. food consumption.
Programme (CAADP) initiative. Countries are supported in capacity
strengthening and inter-sectoral coordination for accountability on SOURCE: FAO. 2019.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 43

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

investments and more harmonized programme delivery. The aim is

to accelerate and add value to ongoing regional and country efforts.
The Malabo Declaration on“Accelerated Agricultural Growth and
Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods”,
and its vision of ending hunger in Africa by 2025, is implemented
across the continent today. More efforts are now being channelled
into establishing an African Centre that will facilitate learning and
innovation among African policymakers and practitioners in their
work on food security issues.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC’S ZERO

HUNGER CHALLENGE
Launched in 2013, the Zero Hunger
Challenge saw FAO and UN partners
prepare a “Regional Guiding Framework
for Achieving Zero Hunger in Asia and the
Pacific”, calling on everyone to continue the momentum. To
support countries, FAO is spearheading the Regional Initiative
to support the Zero Hunger Challenge in Asia and the Pacific.
For example, in Bangladesh, the Initiative outlines a country plan
for food security and nutrition, drawing on the success of the
strengthening food policy capacity programme.
Equally important for FAO is to improve capacity for measuring
CHILE
and calculating undernourishment in the region, and to improve
WORKING TOGETHER FOR Celebration of
the World Food
nutrition for children so that stunting becomes a thing of the past.

ZERO HUNGER Day 2014 in

Santiago de
Chile.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
©FAO/ MAX
VALENCIA
In partnership with CELAC’s Food Security and Chile: pioneer in responsible
regional entities and Nutrition Plan. In Africa, a labelling
economic commissions partnership with the Economic In 2010, Chile discovered that 60 percent
in various parts of Community of West African of its population was overweight and that
the world, FAO has States (ECOWAS) has 25 percent of children under six years of
fostered strategic helped to develop a regional
age suffered from obesity, making the
action to end Hunger. strategy on fisheries and
problem of malnutrition due to excess
aquaculture in West African
In Latin America, together countries, while continued the country’s main public health concern. Faced with this issue,
with the Community of Latin partnership with the African a group of parliamentarians led by Senator Guido Girardi
American and Caribbean Union ensures nutrition asked itself the question: What determines people’s food habits
States (CELAC), FAO supports considerations are at the and nutritional status? There is no simple answer. They are
the Hunger-Free Initiative heart of national agriculture determined by multiple factors and one of the most influential is
through the formulation of investment plans. the food environment, including marketing and advertisement,
the information available and nutrition labelling. That is where
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. Chile wanted to make a difference.

44 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .1
ENDING H U NGER A ND M ALN U T R I T ION A ND ENSU R ING FOOD ACCESS FOR ALL

This led to the adoption of Law 20.606 on the Nutritional ensure 100 percent equitable year-round access to adequate nutritious
Composition of Food and Food Advertising in 2012, though it did and affordable food for all.
not come into force until 2016. The law provides for the creation of A needs assessment pointed out that achieving the goals established in
mandatory front warning labels for products that exceed the limits the national action plan for a Hunger and Malnutrition-Free Timor-Leste
set by the Ministry of Health in relation to the recommended intake (PAN-HAM-TIL) would require, among other measures, the simplification
of sugar, saturated fats, salt and calories. of priorities, increasing budget and improving coordination. Through the
The law improves the nutritional information available, FIRST policy assistance facility and other programmes, FAO is assisting the
encouraging healthy food choices through the mandatory addition Government in addressing those bottlenecks and resume progress.
of front warning messages on black labels: “HIGH IN”followed by
calories, saturated fats, sugar or sodium. It also restricts advertising Ethiopia
food with black labels to children under 14 years of age and provides Several regions in Ethiopia are still suffering
that healthy food must be offered in schools, prohibiting the sale, from acute food insecurity, mostly caused by
promotion and free delivery of black-labelled products in schools. lack of resilience before droughts and climatic
The Implementing Regulations for Law 20.606 consisted of patterns. However, Africa’s second most-populous
two phases. In June 2018, the second phase entered into effect, country has made significant progress in fighting
reducing the initial limits. The law now provides that for every 100 cc, hunger in the last two decades, with significant
drinks exceeding 80 calories, 100 mg of sodium, 5 g of sugar or 3 g support from FAO on policymaking.
of saturated fats will have to carry a warning label. For solid food, With double-digit economic growth in the last 10 years, the Government
the limit is set for every 100 g and any food exceeding 300 calories, has put in place public programmes and policies to fight unemployment
500 mg of sodium, 15 g of sugar or 5 g of fat will require a warning and improve education or public health that have been paired with indirect
label. In 2017, the Chilean Government published the first evaluation subsidies (on wheat, electricity or fuel) and a nascent social security network. 
report on the law, finding that compliance stood at 72 percent. Differences across regions are still important, but the whole package of
After a year in force, its success is perhaps best reflected in the measures has paved the way for the prevalence of undernourishment to
population’s perception of it. Ninety-four percent of the 1 067 people decline by 20 percentage points since the year 2000.
surveyed thought it was“good or very good”to require labels for
products that are“high in”; 91 percent also approved of prohibiting
their sale in schools; and 74 percent approved of prohibiting their
advertisement to children. The products that have most felt the impact +INFO
of the labelling law are biscuits, followed by drinks and crisps: these are
the things Chileans claim to be consuming less of now.
„As a policy and knowledge
Organization with a mandate
Timor-Leste to help countries eliminate
In 2014, Timor-Leste became the first hunger, food insecurity
country in Asia-Pacific to launch a and malnutrition, FAO is
national campaign on the Zero Hunger a natural convener for
Challenge. A National Plan of Action was countries aiming to implement
developed to reach this ambitious goal and the 2030 Agenda, and
through its implementation, the country remains committed to assist
with 15  youngest population in the world (74 percent of the
th them translate their political
population are under 35 years of age) aims to eradicate hunger commitment into concrete
and malnutrition by 2025, while increasing agricultural production action. Visit FAO’s website for
more information.
and diversifying the population’s diet. Through the existing
coordination mechanism, FAO is strengthening institutional www.fao.org/food-security-
capacities for forging policies, laws, programmes and plans that and-nutrition-for-all/en/

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 45

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

46 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.2

T HE CLIM AT E
CH A NGE T HRE AT

MYANMAR “There is no peace without tackling food security

A woman stands and eliminating hunger and there will be no food
amidst debris
from the floods on without tackling climate change.”
her land in Kale
township, Sagain José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
region.
©FAO/HKUN LAT

C
limate change is already having profound
consequences on people’s lives and our
planet’s diversity of life. Sea levels are rising and
oceans are warming. Longer, more intense droughts
threaten freshwater supplies and crops, endangering efforts to
feed a growing world population. The livelihoods of smallholder
farmers, fishers and foresters, who have contributed least to climate
change, are already suffering most from extreme weather events that
damage infrastructure, wipe out harvests, compromise fish stocks,
erode natural resources and endanger species. Between 2006 and
2016, agriculture bore the brunt of 26 percent of the total damage
and loss caused by climate-related disasters in developing countries.
While no other sector is more vulnerable to extreme and volatile
weather events, food and agriculture provide numerous opportunities
to adapt to, mitigate and build resilience to climate change.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 47

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FOR M I LLIONS OF PEOPLE, Achieving the commitments that countries made to transform
food systems and promote sustainable agriculture approaches can
OUR AC TIONS CAN MAKE A still deliver a world without hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
DIF FERENCE BET W EEN POV ERT Y The ever-increasing impacts of the changing climate threaten to

A N D PROSPER I T Y, BET W EEN undercut and possibly reverse the progress that has been made in
the fight against hunger and malnutrition in recent years. Slow-
H U NGER A N D FOOD SEC U R I T Y. onset environmental change processes, increasing climate variability
and more frequent and severe extreme weather events impact
agricultural productivity and add pressure to already fragile food
and ecological systems. Smallholder producers and the rural poor
in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to the effects
of climate change and climate variability largely due to limited
resilience and diversity in their production systems.
GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS Agriculture and food systems are partly responsible for increased
temperatures but are also a fundamental part of the solution to mitigate
BY ECONOMIC SECTORS greenhouse gas emissions and promote adaptation to a changing
climate, especially for rural family farmers in developing countries.
Often the poorest, they are also the most vulnerable to climate change.
ELECTRICITY & HEAT PRODUCTION The capacity of the agricultural sectors to respond to climate
AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY change has far-reaching impacts on the livelihoods of the majority
AND OTHER LAND USE* 25% Energy
1.4% of people in many developing countries and on national economies.
24% More than 3 billion people, 80 percent of the poor, live in rural areas,
with around 2.5 billion people dependent on agriculture for their
Industry livelihoods. Farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk and community foresters,
Other energy 11% whose work is inextricably linked to climate, require greater access to
technologies, markets, information and credit for investment to adapt
9.6% their production practices to the changing climate, build resilience
TOTAL Transport and continue to contribute to national economic growth.

49 Gt 0.3% The food and agricultural sectors are central for human
development and they need to be at the centre of the global response
CO2-eq to climate change. World leaders made historic commitments in
(2010) Buildings 2015, to tackle the great challenges facing our planet, promising to
Industry
21% 12% build a sustainable future for humankind through the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, and pledging action to address
climate change in the Paris Agreement, reached at the Twenty-first
AFOLU
Buildings
* Conference of the Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework

* Agriculture includes Transport 6.4% 0.87% Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

14%
crops and livestock. Today, these great challenges persist. The October 2018 report of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tops a series
of recent studies that call for urgent action to avert the disastrous
DIRECT CO2 EMISSIONS INDIRECT CO2 EMISSIONS consequences of global warming. Focusing on the scenario of a global
temperature rise this century of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, the
SOURCE: AR5 SYNTHESIS REPORT: CLIMATE CHANGE. IPCC, 2014. report notes that 122 million more people could experience extreme
poverty by 2030, mainly due to higher food prices and declining health.

48 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.2
THE CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT

KEY MESSAGES
The IPCC report sounds the loudest alarm bell yet for concerted
action to respond to the existential threat that predominantly faces
Agriculture must transform from being of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,
poor rural populations in developing countries. part of the climate change problem to afforestation, sustainable forest management
becoming part of its solution and reducing deforestation make forests one
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF „ The agriculture sector is responsible for of the most cost-effective and immediate
CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE FOOD AND almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas solutions to curb climate change. To fully
AGRICULTURAL SECTORS emissions but has great potential to store exploit the magic of forests, it will be crucial
vast quantities of carbon in soils, forests and to address the drivers of deforestation and

W
ithout action, the changing climate will oceans. We can make significant reductions degradation; ensure responsible governance
seriously place food production at risk in emissions by adopting smarter, integrated and legitimate tenure of forests and land;
in countries and regions that are already farming systems; better forest governance and put in place effective systems for forest
highly food insecure. It will affect food and land-use planning and shifting to monitoring and reporting.
approaches that safeguard biodiversity,
availability by reducing the productivity of crops, livestock and fisheries,
use natural resources sustainably and Soils are our allies in the fight
and hinder access to food by disrupting the livelihoods of millions of
promote ecosystem services. Adopting best against hunger and climate change
rural people who depend on agriculture for their incomes. It will expose practices in livestock feeding and manure „ Making up the greatest pool of terrestrial
both urban and rural poor to higher and more volatile food prices. management and making better use of organic carbon, soils helps to supply clean
Inevitably, it will cause distress migration and jeopardize progress technologies such as biogas generators and water and food, prevent desertification and
towards the Sustainable Development Goals. energy-saving devices are also part of the provide resilience to flood and drought,
In the crop sector, there is evidence that climate change has already transformation to sustainable agriculture. while mitigating climate change through
negatively affected wheat and maize yields in many regions and at the carbon sequestration. Today, however,
global level. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Strengthening resilience can a third of our global soils are moderately
warns that decreases in some crop yields of 10 to 25 percent and prevent a climatic shock from to highly degraded, unable to provide
more may be widespread by 2050. The increased frequency of warmer becoming a crisis key ecosystem services. By sustainably
nights in most regions is damaging for many crops, with observed „ About a quarter of the total damage and managing soils, restoring degraded
loss caused by climate-related disasters in land and improving soil health, we can
impact on rice yields and quality. The number of crop varieties has
developing countries occurs in agriculture. It unlock the full potential of soils to not only
decreased dramatically during the twentieth century, raising concerns
is time to strengthen the resilience of farmers, respond to climate change but to maintain
for adaptive capacity, genetic vulnerability and nutritional diversity. foresters and fisherfolk through social protection biodiversity and help eliminate hunger, food
Ecological processes which are typical in diverse cropping systems have and other programmes, moving from a insecurity and malnutrition in the world.
been replaced or suppressed by the use of external inputs. Intensive reactive response to crises to proactively
mono-cropping systems have expanded across the globe, leading to preventing and anticipating them, supporting Oceans and inland waters are
lower resilience of agro-ecosystems and livelihoods. The conservation people before, during and after shocks. critical to global food security and
of both crop and wild plant genetic resources is therefore an important Those with resilient livelihoods are better able the regulation of the world’s climate
adaptation measure. to prevent and reduce the impact of climate „ Covering 71 percent of our planet’s surface,
Climate change is also expected to have a significant impact on change and the risk of disasters on their lives. oceans are the Earth’s life-support system,
the frequency and intensity of plant pest and disease outbreaks. For providing free goods and services, from the food
example, an increase in extreme weather events (i.e. drought spells or Forests are one of the most we eat to the oxygen we breathe. With about
cost-effective solutions to curb one-third of human-induced emissions ending up
intense short-lived widespread rainfall, including cyclones), in addition
climate change in the oceans, they act as the planet’s largest
to causing severe disruption in their own right, can lead to more
„ The ability of forests to store large amounts of active carbon sink. Climate change, ocean
frequent and intense plant pest and disease outbreaks, as was the case carbon in their trees, undergrowth and soils acidification and changes in waterbodies’
during the Desert Locust outbreaks in Northwest Africa and in Yemen represents our best way of confronting climate physical and chemical characteristics are adding
in late 2015 and early 2016. change. While tropical deforestation and to the sense of urgency to ensure resilient socio-
This holds true particularly in developing countries, where the food forest degradation account for 11 percent ecological systems.
and agricultural sectors contribute significantly to national GDP but
are already absorbing approximately 26 percent of the economic impact SOURCE: FAO. 2018. FAO’S WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 49

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

THE INCIDENCE OF CLIMATE

DISASTERS AND THE EFFECT
ON AGRICULTURE

A) damage and loss in agriculture as share of

total damage and loss across all sectors by type
of hazard

23% Storm

4% Earthquake

17% Flood

11% Tsunami

83% Drought

30% Volcanic eruption

0 50

BANGLADESH caused by medium- and large-scale natural hazards and disasters.

B) damage and loss in agriculture by agricultural Additionally, climate change impacts livestock both directly
A boat passing by
sub-sector, percentage share of total homes still flooded (for example through heat stress and increased morbidity
by Cyclone Aila, and mortality) and indirectly (for example through quality
which swept
through Bangladesh and availability of feed and forage, and animal diseases).
49% Crops in May 2009, Smallholder livestock keepers, fisherfolk and pastoralists are
flattening homes,
killing livestock and among the most vulnerable to climate change. However, a
36% Livestock damaging crops. wide range of adaptation options are available, including water
©FAO/MUNIR UZ management, breeding animal and forage species for resistance
ZAMAN
3% Fisheries to drought, heat and harsh environments, providing cooling
or shading and implementing on- and off-farm diversification.
4% Forestry Impacts of climate change on animal health are also
documented, especially for vector-borne diseases since rising
8% Unspecified temperatures increase the survival of vectors and pathogens
over the winter. Best practices and technologies in livestock
feeding and manure management – as well as greater use of
0 10 20 30 40 50
underused technologies such as biogas generators and energy-
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD. saving devices – could help the global livestock sector cut its
outputs of global warming gases by up to 30 percent.

50 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 €
FACTS & FIGURES

„ World hunger is on the rise: the

estimated number of undernourished
people is now around 820 million. Much
of the increase in hunger can be traced
to a rise in conflicts, often exacerbated by
climate-related shocks. water, energy, fisheries and food security.
„ According to a recent IPCC report, if „ Livestock supply chains account
temperatures rise by 1.5 °C this century for 14.5 % of global anthropogenic
above pre-industrial levels, 122 million greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle (beef,
additional people could experience milk) are responsible for about two-thirds of
extreme poverty by 2030, mainly due to that figure.
higher food prices and declining health.
„ FAO estimates that the potential
„ Between 2006 and 2016, 26 % of the to reduce emissions from livestock
total damage and loss caused by climate- production, in particular methane, is about
related disasters in developing countries 30 % of baseline emissions.
was in the agriculture sector.
„ By 2055, species redistribution
„ Between 2006 and 2016, 30 % of the prompted by rising ocean temperatures
agricultural losses caused by disasters may reduce potential catches of many
were due to drought, costing over USD
fish in the tropics by 40–60 %, and in
29 billion.
high latitudes by by 30–70 %.
„ In developing countries, up to 83 % of
„ Tropical deforestation and forest
all damage and loss caused by drought,
degradation through agricultural
which climate change is expected to
expansion, conversion to pastureland,
intensify, is absorbed by agriculture.
destructive logging, forest fires, and other
„ The IPCC warns that declining causes accounts for 11 % of the world’s
crop yields are already a fact, and greenhouse gas emissions.
SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS) that decreases of 10–25 % may be
„ Since 1990 over 20 countries have

T
widespread by 2050.
he negative impacts of climate change are demonstrated that it is possible to improve
being felt by all countries, and most severely in Least „ Increasing soil organic carbon by food security while maintaining or
improved land management techniques increasing forest cover.
Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States
can raise food production by 17.6
(SIDS) and areas with particularly fragile ecosystems (e.g. „ The world’s forests store an estimated
megatonnes per year and help maintain
drylands, mountains and coastal areas). These are the same locations productivity in drier conditions. 296 gigatonnes of carbon in both above-
where attaining the goals of Agenda 2030 is already challenging. We need and below-ground biomass.
to move from a reactive response to crises to proactively preventing and „ While the degradation of the world’s
soils has released roughly 78 gigatonnes „ Fisheries and aquaculture make a
anticipating them, supporting people before, during and after shocks.
of carbon into the atmosphere, the minor contribution to global emissions but
People with resilient livelihoods are better able to prevent and reduce the offer significant opportunities to reduce
rehabilitation of agricultural and degraded
impact of climate change and the risk of disasters on their lives. fuel consumption and emissions.
soils can remove up to 51 gigatonnes of
In 2015, Cyclone Pam, caused widespread devastation in Vanuatu, carbon from the atmosphere.
affecting approximately 200 000 people, which equates to 73 percent of „ Currently, one-third of the food we
the population, and causing an estimated USD 590 million in damages „ Climate change is expected to bring produce is lost or wasted. This costs up
(65 percent of GDP). Reefs were damaged and fishing infrastructure additional burdens on water systems to USD 2.6 trillion per year, including
already stressed. This will intensify USD 700 billion in environmental costs and
destroyed. Additionally, 70 percent of food crops were destroyed, putting
competition for water, affecting regional USD 900 billion in social costs.
more pressure on already declining fisheries for local consumption.
Cyclone Pam was followed only months later by a severe El Niño- SOURCE: FAO. 2018. FAO’S WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 51

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

induced drought that exacerbated the impacts of the cyclone, impeded

EL NIÑO CLIMATE IMPACTS recovery and resulted in further crop losses and water scarcity.

THE EFFECTS OF EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA

WEATHER PHENOMENA
June–August

N
Arctic Ocean ew information from country food balance
sheets points to reductions in food
availability and price increases in regions affected
by the El Niño phenomenon in 2015–16. This event
Europe North America
Asia resulted in large climatic deviations and anomalies compared to historical
Pacific Atlantic
Ocean norms, which were experienced in different ways and to varying degrees
Ocean
Africa
of intensity in various parts of the world. In some areas, severe drought
conditions have resulted from the El Niño phenomenon, particularly in
regions where many low- and middle-income countries are situated.
Indian
Ocean The Dry Corridor in Central America – in particular in El Salvador,
South America
Australia Guatemala and Honduras – was one of the regions heavily impacted by
El Niño in 2015–2016. The drought impact was severe and prolonged,
with late and irregular onset of rains, below-average rainfall, above-
COOL WET COOL & DRY COOL & WET WARM DRY WARM & DRY WARM & WET average temperatures and river levels 20 to 60 percent lower than normal.
The drought was one of the worst in the last ten years and resulted in
significant reductions in agriculture production, with losses estimated
December–February at 50–90 percent of crop harvest. In Guatemala alone, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Food estimated that
Arctic Ocean 82 000 tonnes of maize were lost, representing a total financial loss of
USD 30.8 million, while 118 200 tonnes of black beans were lost, at a
cost of USD 102.3 million. More than 3.6 million people were in need of
humanitarian assistance as result of this drought.
Europe North America
Asia
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic ENVIRONMENTAL MIGRANTS
Ocean

E
Africa
nvironmental and climate stresses on livelihoods
– such as droughts, floods and unpredictable weather
Indian
Ocean South America patterns – are a strong trigger for rural people to migrate. As
Australia land is farmed more intensively, soil degradation increases,
production declines, and incomes fall. Likewise, water scarcity caused
by prolonged drought and conflicts over water use may induce poorer
COOL WET COOL & DRY COOL & WET WARM DRY WARM & DRY WARM & WET farmers to abandon the land. Temporary, seasonal and permanent
migration can also be a form of livelihood diversification, which
provides significant benefits to many rural households. On the
NOTES: The final boundary between the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan
has not yet been determined. Final status of the Abyei area has not yet been determined.
downside, migrants often face multiple hardships, risks and dangers.
It is expected that hundreds of millions of people might need to
SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. WEATHER IMPACTS OF ENSO
(AVAILABLE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JETSTREAM/ENSO_IMPACTS). flee their homes as a result of climatic and environmental pressures
between now and 2050.

52 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.2
THE CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT

FAO ACTION AREAS The International Network of Black Soils, (2017), fosters technical cooperation

A
between countries with black soils to monitor, protect and sustainably manage
s part of its Strategic Programme 2 (“Make agriculture, this very rich source of soil organic carbon.
forestry and fisheries more productive and more sustainable”)
FAO helps countries transform their food systems by: safeguarding Forest and landscape restoration
natural resources, supporting producers in adopting more Restoring degraded forest and other lands can bring significant gains in carbon
productive, sustainable and climate-resilient practices; promoting the transition stocks and increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of local people to the threats
to sustainable and climate resilient agricultural policies; and enhancing the of climate change. To meet this ambitious challenge, FAO – through the Forest and
implementation of Nationally Determinted Contributions (NDCs), among Landscape Restoration Mechanism – facilitates a cross-sectoral platform that brings
others activities. together key government and development partners, with a view to accelerating the
transition towards restored and sustainably productive landscapes.
Leaving no one behind in the climate change agenda
The poor and most marginalized people are disproportionately affected by hazards Low-carbon livestock production
and crises, often exacerbated by climate change. FAO provides policy guidance and While the livestock sector provides high-value food and other economic and social
support to countries to strengthen livelihoods and food systems and reduce people’s functions, it is the world’s largest user of agricultural land, through grazing and the use
exposure to crises, particularly the most vulnerable. These actions help build more of feed crops. Growing populations, higher incomes and urbanization are translating
resilient and inclusive rural economies and foster sustainable agricultural practices. into increased demand for meat, milk and eggs, particularly in developing countries. The
Women are more vulnerable to climate change because they face discrimination livestock sector therefore plays a major role in climate change, management of land and
and inequalities in accessing land and water, markets, technologies and credit. This water, and biodiversity.
makes it particularly difficult for them to adapt to climate change.
In the international setting, FAO takes a leading role in advocacy for food security,
and the Organization’s key messages are gaining traction. Most recently, during
the 2015–2016 Conferences of the Parties of the three Rio Conventions (UNCCD,
UNFCCC and CBD), food and agriculture featured prominently as a result of growing
GLOBAL PLATFORMS
attention to the simultaneous vulnerability and potential of the sectors. AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE
The adoption of the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture by COP 23 in 2017
marked an important turning point for the status of agriculture in the international
climate discourse. Following the decision by 90 percent of countries to include Global policy platforms and processes where climate resilience is a key
the agricultural sectors (crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry) as a element for the achievement of sustainable development.
priority in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris
Agreement, Koronivia re-emphasizes the importance of agriculture and food UNFCCC – PARIS AGREEMENT
UNISDR – SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
security in the climate change agenda. Countries agreed to work together to
address issues related to soil, livestock, and nutrient and water management, as Disaster risk
well as on the food security and socio-economic impacts of climate change across Climate change reduction
the agricultural sectors. FAO is working to support countries in the development adaptation (CCA) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable and management
Development (SDGs) (DRR and DRM)
and implementation of this joint work through webinars and workshops allowing (CLIMATE RESILIENCE – AN ESSENTIAL
agriculture experts under the UNFCCC to informally share their views on how to Nutrition sensitive ELEMENT FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF SDGs) Humanitarian−
DRR,DRM and CCA development
develop and implement the decision. nexus

Helping to maintaining carbon in the soil ICN2 – UN DECADE OF ACTION WORLD HUMANITARIAN SUMMIT –
FAO and the Global Soil Partnership support countries in the ON NUTRITION AGENDA FOR HUMANITY
Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines of Sustainable Soil Management
to increase the resilience of soils and natural resource systems to the effects SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD.
of climate change, while simultaneously reducing GHG emissions from soils.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 53

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO’S SUPPORT TO COUNTRIES

Climate Financing
„ Working with countries to develop poli- „ Promoting engagement and invest- Agricultural investment has long been an effective and sustainable way to
cies, including National Adaptation Plans, ments of private sector and small-scale reduce hunger and poverty, but it also holds massive potential to deliver
and enabling environments that support forest and farm producers in clima- climate and other benefits. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has
farmers, foresters and fisherfolk to accele- te-friendly forest and land-use activities. funded action on sustainability for over two decades, allocating USD 17
rate the adoption of tools and practices billion in grants and mobilizing an additional USD 88 billion in financing.
that reduce risk and disaster impacts and „ Supporting improved natural resource They have been joined by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) – the UN
enhance the adaptation capacities and management, e.g. sustainable and Framework Convention on Climate Change’s financing mechanism for
the resilience of production systems to integrated land and water management,
developing countries and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to help the
climate-related shocks and change. inland fisheries, soil conservation, and
global financial system invest in the right places. FAO was accredited to the
resilient crops, trees, fish varieties and
Green Climate Fund (GCF) in 2016 and has since significantly scaled up its
„ Developing climate change impact and livestock breeds.
vulnerability assessments for crops, support, which is increasingly producing results for Member Countries.
livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and fo- „ Improving weather and climate fore-
restry, as well as those who depend on casting, predicting changes in aquatic Knowing your forests to store more carbon
these sectors for their livelihoods. ecosystems (e.g. salinity, oxygen, and FAO, the UN Development Programme and UN Environment
pH), and communicating these to far- Programme established a collaborative partnership known as the UN
„ Supporting countries to analyse the mers. Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
nexus between climate change, climate Degradation, and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon
risks and poverty to effectively strengthen „ Enhancing early warning systems, stocks (UN-REDD+) in 2008 to support countries wishing to participate
resilient livelihoods. rapid reaction mechanisms and contin- in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
gency planning for natural disasters, as
„ Assisting countries to formulate multi- well as for transboundary plant pests
Disaster Risk Reduction
sectoral pro-poor development policies, and diseases and developing disaster
About a quarter of the total damage and loss caused by climate-related
strategies and programmes that integrate risk reduction management capabilities.
disasters in developing countries occurs in agriculture. FAO works to
climate change and support the rural
poor, especially women and youth, to „ Developing the capacity of countries strengthen the resilience of farmers, foresters and fisherfolk through social
increase their resilience and adaptability to enhance their transparency fra- protection and other programmes, moving from a reactive response to
to climate change impacts. mework for action and support in the crises to proactively preventing and anticipating them, supporting people
agricultural sectors; including support to before, during and after shocks. Those with resilient livelihoods are better
„ Adopting a comprehensive approach develop their National Determined Con- able to prevent and reduce the impact of climate change and the risk
to strengthening resilience and re- tributions and incorporating agriculture in of disasters on their lives. Drought, in particular, can threaten local food
ducing poverty in rural areas through their National Adaptation Plans. security and nutrition and aggravate humanitarian conditions, which can
risk-informed and shock-responsive social trigger large-scale human displacement and create conditions for conflict.
protection systems. „ Enabling women farmers to have In agriculture-dependent communities in low-income contexts, droughts
access to land and resources, infor- have been found to increase the likelihood of violence and prolonged
„ Working with countries to monitor, mation and technologies to help their
conflict at the local level, which can eventually pose a threat to societal
report and reduce emissions from communities cope with the impacts of
stability and peace. 
agricultural sectors using Nationally climate change.
FAO and its partners have highlighted the threat of drought and
Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NA-
MAs), including deforestation and „ Helping to scale up climate investment advocated for immediate response among governments and donors to
forest degradation (REDD+), as well for the agricultural sectors by assisting ensure that early warning is matched by early action through various food
as to enhance carbon sequestration in countries to access funding from the security and early warning systems – such as its management of the Food
soils and through conservation, mana- Green Climate Fund, the Global Environ- Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit in Somalia, its use and dissemination
gement and expansion of forests. ment Facility, and other sources. of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system and its
partnership with governments and non-governmental agencies at country
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. FAO’S WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE. and regional levels.

54 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.2
THE CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

FAO AND CLIMATE

CHANGE AROUND
THE WORLD

I
n response to increasing demands, FAO’s climate
change portfolio has expanded. Since 2009, over 300
projects and programmes have addressed climate change
adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sectors.
Through its extensive network of professionals, FAO supports
countries on a wide range of climate-related issues, from policy
design to improved practices and capacity development. Some
examples of projects are highlighted below.

Building resilience in
disaster-stricken Haiti
The FAO–GEF (Global Environment
Facility) project, Strengthening Climate
Resilience and Reducing Disaster Risk in
Agriculture to Improve Food Security in
Haiti post-earthquake, was designed to
help farmers to produce more food, increase their incomes and
improve the resilience of their livelihoods in the face of disasters.
Sustainable and climate-resilient practices include the cultivation
of drought-tolerant varieties of staple crops, conservation
farming, agroforestry, tree planting, and contour and slope
farming have been introduced using the Farmer Field School
(FFS) approach. Climate resilience and food security
HAITI
The project established 130 locally adapted model farms that in rural Mali
focus on climate-smart agricultural production and 20 FFSs for Agricultural and Mali, a country that has always had high
material damage
innovative adaptive agricultural systems. At the policy level, a in Port Salut rainfall variability, is currently experiencing
technical compendium on climate change adaptation and disaster after Hurricane some of the most extreme impacts of climate
Matthew.
risk management practices was created; Haiti’s National Action change. Over the past 50 years, a period
©FAO/GIANLUCA
Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAPA) was revised and GONDOLINI in which the country’s population has
updated; technical assistance was provided for the creation of the grown threefold, Mali’s climate has been prone to dry years and
Climate Change Directorate; and ten Community Disaster Risk prolonged drought, which have contributed to the vulnerability of
Management Plans were developed and validated by recipients. The rural communities and the degradation of the fragile ecosystems
project supported farmers in acquiring the knowledge needed to they depend on.
improve the production of market garden crops and other climate- An FAO project funded by the GEF has built on an expanding
resilient staple crops. The comprehensive approach adopted in Haiti network of Farmer Field School (FFS) initiatives to incorporate
has improved food security, increased the resilience of household climate change adaptation concerns, strategies and tools in the
livelihoods and safeguarded the environment. agriculture, forestry and pastoralist sectors.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 55

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

The project has enabled farmers to share knowledge on how to

diversify production, improve soil health and fertility, determine the
toleration limits of different species to temperature and rainfall, and
choose more resilient seeds and varieties. Through agricultural adaptation
measures carried out over 123 00 hectares, the project has helped improve
the climate resilience of 41 000 smallholder farmers. The project has
reported increases in average crop yields of between 21 percent and 77
percent for sorghum, millet, rice, corn, sesame and cotton. Increases in
yields of 97 percent were reported for hybrid sorghum seeds.

Putting agriculture at the heart of

adaptation in Kenya
In Kenya, climate change is threatening the
agriculture sector, the country’s main source
of livelihood and the Kenyan economy’s
beating heart. Agriculture employs over
40 percent of Kenya’s population, rising to
over 70 percent in rural areas and directly contributes 26 percent
of GDP, and another 27 percent of GDP indirectly through links
with other sectors. The Integrating Agriculture into National Adaptation
Plans Programme (NAP-Ag), a partnership between FAO and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aims to address climate
change adaptation. It supported country-level consultations on Kenya’s
Climate-Smart Agriculture Framework Programme, aiming to mainstream
climate change into national development planning and budgeting. These
[ABOVE] KENYA
consultations have engaged government representatives to establish
A man feeding some
baselines, targets, and provisions for local guidance. of his surviving cattle,
which he managed to
save from a decimating
Paraguay: PROEZA – an integrated drought thanks to a
approach to fighting extreme poverty collaborative intevention
and climate change programe led by FAO
that provided fortified
In Paraguay, more than two-thirds of the feed to mitigate drought
extreme poor are self-employed in agriculture in his home village.
©FAO/MARCO
and climate-sensitive activities. Many of them LONGARI
are indigenous people, who live in remote areas,
lack resources and ownership rights, and depend on natural resources [RIGHT]
PARAGUAY
to meet their basic needs. This makes them extremely vulnerable
The farmers’ traditional
to climate change and other shocks. FAO and the Government of caretta is still the most
Paraguay have formulated the Poverty, Reforestation, Energy and common means of
transporting people,
Climate Change (PROEZA) project to improve the resilience of poor produce and other heavy
and extreme poor households to climate change, through risk-informed loads. New equipment
and techniques are
social protection, while combating deforestation, and mitigating being adopted to raise
greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Climate Fund approved USD 90 production levels.
million for the project. ©FAO/K. PRATT

56 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.2
THE CLIMATE CHANGE THREAT

ADAPTING SMALL-SCALE
IRRIGATION TO CLIMATE
CHANGE IN CENTRAL AND
WESTERN AFRICA

Central and Western Farmers know it is time to

Africa is one of the “rethink” agriculture to cope
regions most affected with the impacts of climate
by the impacts of change: adopting short cycle
climate change. rice varieties; diversifying
FAO is implementing a project crops; adjusting the crop
there to provide tools to assist calendar to take into account
stakeholders involved in water the impact of climate change
management, from policy- on seasons; adapting
makers to small-scale farmers, irrigation systems to the new
to design adaptation strategies climate variability; or creating
in small-scale irrigation systems sustainable infrastructure able
that respond to the specific to cope with climate change.
Floating gardens: Climate-Smart BANGLADESH needs of poor farmers.
Agriculture production system in Ferdousy
Restored and
Bangladesh Begum,35, This project is conducting sustainable productive
Evidence of climate change in Bangladesh can be
member of a participatory assessments on landscapes in Rwanda.
Farmer Field
the climate change impacts, Rwanda has committed to
seen in an accumulation of heavy rains, frequent School posing for
a portrait while vulnerability and adaptive restoring 2 million hectares
storms and rising sea levels that result in severe working in her capacity of different rural of degraded land by 2020
flooding. Due to continuous water-logged conditions, vegetable field.
communities in Côte d’Ivoire, as its pledge for the Bonn
crops are often lost and land for agriculture has become scarce. The low-lying ©FAO the Gambia, Mali and Niger. Challenge to be able to
areas of Bangladesh remain submerged for 6–8 months every year, especially “In the past, the harvest could sustainably feed its growing
during the monsoon season. As a result, crop cultivation is not possible on sustain households for 12 population. To meet this
land. In these circumstances, location-specific adaptation and resilience months if the rainy season ambitious challenge, FAO
measures to climate change have become a priority for improving the food was good, but now, with the facilitates the efforts of a cross-
security of the nation’s vulnerable people. In 2015, FAO conducted a study on a impact of climate change, sectoral platform that brings
successful climate-smart production system in the country’s lowlands that was fewer people manage to together key government and
based on the local knowledge of farmers. These farmers have converted the consume their produce development partners, with a
prolonged flooding season into an opportunity:“floating gardens”. Floating beyond six months,” said view to accelerating the transition
Manka Trawally, a farmer from towards restored and sustainably
plots made from local organic material are used to grow around 30 species
Salikeni, the Gambia. productive landscapes.
of vegetables, spices and other crops.The project is being replicated in other
regions and countries with similar flooded wetland ecosystems. SOURCE: FAO. 2017. FAO’S WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 57

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

58 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3

NAT U R AL RESOU RCES

U NDER PRESSU RE:
BIODI V ERSI T Y AND WAT ER

SUDAN SAFEGUARDING BIODIVERSITY AND WATER

A variety of dried RESOURCES ON EARTH IS CRITICAL TO
maize cobs.
OVERCOMING MAJOR GLOBAL CHALLENGES
©FAO/RAPHY

T
FAVRE
he air we breathe, the water we drink and
the food we eat all rely on biodiversity – but
the demands of a growing population and the practices
of unsustainable agriculture are compromising access to
humanity’s most basic needs.
A major factor in overcoming the global challenges we face is
safeguarding and using biodiversity, the variety of life on our planet.
Biodiversity is integral to ecosystem health, essential to the sustainable
increase of food production and necessary to build resilient livelihoods.
However, the alarming pace of biodiversity loss today threatens
devastating consequences for humankind if it goes unchecked. While
changes to the climate may be reversible in time, there is no going back
once species become extinct.
Farmers, pastoralists, forest dwellers and fisherfolk helped weave
the rich web of life over hundreds upon hundreds of generations.
But it is only now that we are beginning to understand the negative
impact that unsustainable human development has had on
biodiversity and the consequences for our planet. To take just one

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 59

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

example, in just 12 years, between 2005 and 2016, livestock breeds Today, some 820 million people still suffer from chronic hunger,
classified as being at risk of extinction increased by 13 percent. nearly a quarter of children under the age of five are stunted, and
Modern food systems are having a profound effect on both food malnutrition affects a third of the global population. The rise in
production and consumption patterns. Just five crops – rice, wheat, obesity, affecting one in eight people on the planet, is a worrying
maize, millet and sorghum – provide about half of human food-energy new trend, driven ever higher by rapid urbanization and the
needs; five animal species – cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens – relatively easy access poor people have to cheap, energy-dense,
deliver about a third of the average daily protein consumed; and ten processed food high in fats, salts and sugars.
species of fish account for more than a quarter of capture production A major response to malnutrition, climate change, emerging
from the oceans and seas. Using such a small number of species, often diseases, pressures on feed and water supplies, and shifting
with a narrow genetic base, increases the vulnerability of production market demands is to conserve and sustainably use a wide
systems and puts food security and nutrition at risk. range of plant and animal diversity. Sustainable agriculture
To feed the ten billion people projected to live on planet Earth in is the answer to reversing trends that lead to biodiversity loss,
2050 we must strike a balance between quality and diversity, linking damaged ecosystems, and the deterioration and degradation of our
productivity to sustainability and addressing the needs of people. natural resources. Techniques that successfully integrate all three
There is growing recognition that managing natural resources dimensions of sustainability (social, economic and environmental)
sustainably, and safeguarding and mainstreaming biodiversity must have the potential to better conserve natural resources while
be a priority in national plans if we are to deliver nutritious food for growing more and healthier food with fewer resources, responding
present and future generations and achieve the 2030 Agenda for to increasing urban demand for greater nutrition and responsible
Sustainable Development. consumption. Mainstreaming biodiversity, integrating landscape
and seascape approaches into actions, policies and investments,
and supporting farmers’ rights to genetic resources, are key to
building resilient livelihoods.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S BIODIVERSITY FOR FAO AND BIODIVERSITY

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

F
AO strives to harmonize the need for food
with that of protecting natural resources
Launched in 2019, air, keep soils fertile, fish and through the development of an integrated approach to
sustainability across agriculture, forestry, fisheries and
2019
2412-5474

The State of the World’s trees healthy, and fight crop

ISSN
S

Biodiversity for Food and pests and livestock diseases. aquaculture. Recognizing that biodiversity is an integral part
Agriculture is the first-ever
The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture presents
the first global assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture worldwide.
Biodiversity for food and agriculture is the diversity of plants, animals and
micro-organisms at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, present in and
of agriculture, FAO is committed to supporting governments
report to analyse the state of The report was prepared and working with other key actors to mainstream biodiversity
around crop, livestock, forest and aquatic production systems. It is essential
to the structure, functions and processes of these systems, to livelihoods and
food security, and to the supply of a wide range of ecosystem services. It has
been managed or influenced by farmers, livestock keepers, forest dwellers,

plants, animals and micro- by FAO under the guidance

fish farmers and fisherfolk for hundreds of generations.

Prepared through a participatory, country-driven process, the report draws

on information from 91 country reports to provide a description of the roles as a vital element of sustainable food and agriculture. This
organisms that support food of its Commission on
and importance of biodiversity for food and agriculture, the drivers of

is part of the work that the Organization realizes through its

change affecting it and its current status and trends. It describes the state of
efforts to promote the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity for
food and agriculture, including through the development of supporting
policies, legal frameworks, institutions and capacities. It concludes with a

and agricultural production Genetic Resources for Food

discussion of needs and challenges in the future management of biodiversity

Strategic Programme 2 (“Make agriculture, forestry and

for food and agriculture.
FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

The report complements other global assessments prepared under the

THE STATE OF THE WORLD’s

– at genetic, species and and Agriculture - the only

auspices of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
THE STATE OF
fisheries more productive and sustainble”), which promotes
which have focused on the state of genetic resources within particular sectors
of food and agriculture.
THE WORLD’s
BIODIVERSITTY

BIODIVERSITY
ecosystem level. FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE permanent intergovernmental an effective transition towards more integrated and sustainable
body that specifically
agriculture production systems by increasing productivity
ISBN 978-92-5-131270-4 ISSN 2412-5474

Biodiversity for food and addresses biological

9 7 8 9 2 5 1 3 1 2 7 0 4
FAO COMMISSION ON GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
CA3129EN/1/02.19 ASSESSMENTS • 2019

agriculture encompasses diversity for food and and employment; protecting natural resources; improving
both wild and domesticated organisms that support food agriculture – and is based livelihoods and fostering economic growth; and enhancing the
plants and animals that production, including bees on the analysis of global resilience of people, communities and ecosystems.
provide food, feed, fuel other pollinators; plants, data and reports provided Since its inception, FAO has provided an
and fibre; and “associated animals and micro-organisms specifically for this report by intergovernmental platform in which biodiversity-related
biodiversity” - the myriad of that help purify water and 91 countries. policy is discussed, and where relevant agreements are

60 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3
NAT U R A L R E SOU RC E S U N DE R PR E SSU R E: BIODI V E R SI T Y A N D WAT E R

negotiated and adopted by its Members. The Organization hosts

more than 70 instruments and mechanisms working on the
sustainability of sectoral and cross-sectoral issues, many of them
referring to biodiversity. FAO develops and supports countries
in the implementation of normative and standard-setting WEB OF LIFE
instruments, such as international agreements, codes of conduct,
international plans of action, technical standards and others that
address biodiversity directly or indirectly. Biodiversity is the and among living organisms
variety of plant and and the ecological complexes
The importance of ecosystem services animal life in the of which they are part.
for a healthy planet world, including their
Tapping into ecosystem services reduces the need for external genetic diversity and Biodiversity is understood at
inputs and improves efficiency. Agriculture benefits from healthier the variety of species three levels:
ecosystems and approaches that integrate ecosystem concerns and ecosystems. When „ Ecosystem diversity refers
into crop, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture practices. there is a rich diversity of to different habitats such
species, habitats and genetics, as temperate or tropical
Ecosystems provide four types of services:
ecosystems are healthier, more forests, mountains, cold
„ Provisioning services are the materials from which people benefit
productive and can better and hot deserts, oceans,
for supply of food, feed, water, fibre, wood and fuel. They directly adapt to challenges such as wetlands, rivers and coral
support livelihoods and are valued in markets. They include climate change. reefs. Each ecosystem is
domesticated crops and livestock raised by farmers and livestock characterized by complex
keepers, trees planted and harvested by forest dwellers, and More than variety, biodiversity relationships between living
aquatic species harvested or raised by fishers and aquaculture holds the secret of life in the components such as plants
practitioners. way that different species, and animals and non-living
„ Regulating services are the benefits obtained from the regulation plants and animals connect, components such as soil,
of ecosystem processes such as the regulation of air quality and interact and depend on air and water.
soil fertility, control of floods or crop pollination. one another. Forests provide
„ Supporting services are necessary for the production of all other homes for animals. Animals „ Species diversity
eat plants. The plants need refers to the variety of
ecosystem services, by providing plants and animals with living
healthy soil to grow. Fungi different species such as
spaces, allowing for diversity of species, and maintaining genetic
help fertilize the soil. Bees honeybees, tuna, wheat
diversity. and other insects carry and yeast.
„ Cultural services are non-material benefits people gain from pollen from one plant to
ecosystems, like aesthetic and engineering inspiration, cultural another, enabling the plants „ Genetic diversity
identity and spiritual well-being. to reproduce. Loss of species, corresponds to the variety
Appreciating the totality of these four ecosystem services is whether animal or plant, of genes contained in
fundamental to maintaining a healthy planet. weakens these connections plants, animals, fungi and
and can alter the performance microorganisms. It occurs
Nutrition and healthy diets of an entire ecosystem. within a species as well
Domestication and agricultural selection have targeted and improved as between species; for
a small share of the thousands of plant and animal species that Biodiversity is the sum of all example, Holstein Friesian,
terrestrial, marine and other Nguni and Hereford are all
our ancestors used to hunt, fish and gather. While this led to better
aquatic ecosystems, species cattle, but they look different
performance and adaptation to specific conditions, allowing us to feed
and genetic diversity. It and have different meat and
a growing population, it also resulted in a loss of diversity. includes the variability within milk performance.
Today, only three staple crops (rice, maize and wheat) and three
animal species (cattle, pigs and chickens) together provide the SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 61

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

SOUTH
majority of the world’s food-energy intake. Production intensification
AFRICA FAO RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS
and wider use of external inputs have resulted in a reduction in
the range of varieties used in crop production. Globalization and
Global
Pollination
ON THE STATE OF SPECIES
changing patterns of food production and consumption are also Project. AND ECOSYSTEMS
contributing to a crucial shift towards dietary simplification. Diets ©FAO/
NADINE AZZU
low in variety but high in energy contribute to the escalating
problems of obesity and chronic disease, which are increasingly FAO has long conducted In 2015, FAO, in collaboration
found alongside micronutrient deficiencies. assessments of food and with the Intergovernmental
Biodiversity, often safeguarded by ancestral and traditional agricultural agriculture (The State of Food Technical Panel on Soils, published
practices, plays a key role in ensuring dietary adequacy. Micronutrient and Agriculture), forests (The State the first report on the Status of the
needs for human health cannot be satisfied without animal, fish and plant of the World’s Forests; Global World’s Soil Resources.
genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Pollination Forest Resources Assessment),
leads to higher nutrient content in many crops and fruits. The alarming and fisheries and aquaculture Further, in 2019, FAO published its
(The State of World Fisheries first ever reports on The State of the
pace of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation makes a compelling
and Aquaculture). These have World’s Aquatic Genetic Resources
case for re-examining agricultural systems and diets.
contributed to knowledge of the for Food and Agriculture and The
Sustainable diets promote the use of diverse foods, including state of species and ecosystems of State of the World’s Biodiversity
traditional and local foods, that make use of nutritionally rich species, relevance to food and agriculture. for Food and Agriculture.
varieties of plants and breeds of animals, as well as wild, neglected and
underutilized species. SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

62 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3
NAT U R A L R E SOU RC E S U N DE R PR E SSU R E: BIODI V E R SI T Y A N D WAT E R

A HISTORY OF FAO’S WORK ON

BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, FAO HAS LED WORK ON develop sustainable
BIODIVERSITY IN PURSUIT OF OBJECTIVES TO END HUNGER AND agriculture approaches
MALNUTRITION AND ALLEVIATE POVERTY. HERE IS A TIMELINE OF FAO and supports farmers
ACTION THROUGH THE DECADES. and researchers adapt
crops to the effects of
climate change with the
aim of achieving food
security for all. As of 25
February 2019, there are 2018 2019
145 Contracting Parties FAO hosts its first multi- FAO publishes its
to the International Treaty, stakeholder dialogue first assessment
including the EU. on biodiversity of biodiversity for
mainstreaming across food and agriculture
2013 sectors of agriculture worldwide. It
FAO–WHO adopt the in collaboration with describes the state
International Code of the Secretariat of the of efforts to promote
Conduct on Pesticide CBD, bringing together the sustainable use
Management. The experts with the aim of and conservation
Code provides standards building a community of biodiversity for
of conduct on sound of practice, planning food and agriculture,
pesticide management the Biodiversity including through
for all stakeholders Mainstreaming the development of
involved in the pesticide Platform’s future work, supporting policies,
1950s
Resources for Food and
Agriculture. Counting 1995 life cycle from formulation spreading awareness legal frameworks,
FAO adopts the 178 countries and FAO adopts the to disposal. and mobilizing institutions and
Code of Conduct for resources. capacities.
2017
International Plant the European Union
Protection Convention, as Members, the Responsible Fisheries.
a multilateral treaty Commission coordinates The Code is based FAO launches
for the application of global measures on due respect for the Biodiversity
phytosanitary measures promoting biodiversity ecosystems and Mainstreaming
by governments to for food and agriculture. biodiversity as part of Platform at the
protect their plant It has adopted several effectively balancing Fourteenth Session of
resources from harmful Global Plans of Action conservation, the Conference of the
pests introduced through on plant (1996 and management and Parties to the CBD in
international trade. 2011), animal (2007) development of living Cancun, Mexico, to
and forest genetic aquatic resources. facilitate the integration
1983 resources (2013). of actions for the
FAO establishes the first 2001 conservation, sustainable
intergovernmental body 1994 FAO approves the use, management and

SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

specifically dealing with FAO begins strong International Treaty restoration of biological
biodiversity relevant to collaboration with the on Plant Genetic diversity across
food and agriculture, newly formed Conven- Resources for Food agricultural sectors at
today known as the tion on Biological and Agriculture. The national, regional and
Commission on Genetic Diversity (CBD). Treaty helps countries international levels.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 63

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

BIODIVERSITY MAINSTREAMING PLATFORM

KEY MESSAGES

T
he Fortieth Session of the FAO Conference
welcomed FAO’s initiative to lead the
ecosystems are managed Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform and
Safeguarding natural
sustainably, agricultural requested FAO, in collaboration with the Convention on
resources and
sectors can contribute to the Biological CBD, other UN organizations and partners, to facilitate
biodiversity is critical
provisioning of ecosystem the integration of actions for the conservation, sustainable use,
to people’s health and
services. These include management and restoration of biological diversity across agricultural
planetary wealth.
maintenance of water quality, sectors at national, regional and international levels.
„ Biodiversity is crucial to nutrient cycling, soil formation
The ultimate goal of the Platform is the adoption of good
sustainably producing enough and rehabilitation, erosion
practices across all agricultural sectors that will support biodiversity
nutritious food in the face of control, carbon sequestration,
challenges such as climate resilience, habitat provision conservation, thus increasing the productivity, stability and resilience
change, emerging diseases, for wild species, biological of production systems, and reducing pressure on natural habitats and
pressures on feed and water pest control and pollination. species. Addressing SDGs 2, 14 and 15 in particular, the Platform will
supplies and shifting market also facilitate the exchange of expertise to improve the design and
demands of a growing human Good governance, coordination of policies from local to international levels, as well as
population. Production should enabling frameworks, the exchange of information and data among stakeholders to reach a
address not only the quantity stewardship common understanding of the status quo, trends and trade-offs in the
of food or calories but also incentives and sound conservation and use of biodiversity services.
high nutrient values such as monitoring are key Through FAO, the Platform will also serve as a mechanism to
vitamins, minerals and other to mainstreaming assist in translating the richness and variety of knowledge forms
micronutrients. In agricultural biodiversity.
into policy-related actionable recommendations. The first major
ecosystems, safeguarding
„ Writing legislation to manage event organized by the Platform, the Multi-stakeholder Dialogue
biological diversity is
and regulate access to on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across the Agricultural Sectors, took
important to food production,
genetic resources; creating place in Rome on 29–31 May 2018, enabling cross-sectoral linkages
(nutrition), and to conserve
conservation areas to reverse between the Committees. Following consideration of the Dialogue’s
the ecological foundations
the degradation of natural
necessary to sustain life and outcomes, the Technical Committees on Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry
habitats; fashioning incentives
build rural livelihoods. and Commodity Problems requested FAO to develop a strategy
to promote ecosystem
services; and monitoring the on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors, ensuring
Agricultural sectors consistency with other FAO strategies, including that of climate change,
biodiversity of plants and
are major users of and in line with the preparation of the post-2020 biodiversity framework
animals to identify varieties
biodiversity but also of the CBD, the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
and breeds at risk of extinction
have the potential (COP 15) to the Convention. The strategy will demonstrate FAO’s
are all part of the enabling
to contribute to the
framework for mainstreaming commitment to playing a catalytic role in building the momentum to
protection of biodiversity.
biodiversity. FAO works achieve a “Paris moment”at the Fifteenth Session of the Conference of
„ Sustainable agriculture is key with partners to integrate the Parties to the CBD. The Biodiversity Mainstreaming Platform will
to reversing trends that lead actions for the conservation, require working on two parallel and inter-connected tracks:
to biodiversity loss, damaged sustainable management
ecosystems, deforestation and and restoration of biological
Global Level
the overall deterioration of our diversity across agricultural
„ Raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity across
natural resources. If terrestrial, sectors at national, regional
freshwater and marine and international levels. agricultural sectors.
„ Promoting dialogue on key issues such as policies, metrics, practices
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. and territorial planning.

64 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3
NAT U R A L R E SOU RC E S U N DE R PR E SSU R E: BIODI V E R SI T Y A N D WAT E R

FACTS & FIGURES

LAND AND WATER were fished within biologically

„ Soils host a quarter of our sustainable levels, down from LIVESTOCK
planet’s biodiversity, and yet 90 percent in 1974.
„ Livestock diversity includes a pool of 38
20–30 percent of lands are „ An estimated 31.5 percent species of domesticated birds and mammals
degraded. of fish stocks are classified as with more than 8 800 breeds currently used
„ Over 1 000 species of overfished. for food and agriculture.
invertebrates can be found in one „ Only ten species provide „ There are more than 1 000 breeds
square metre of forest soil. about 30 percent of marine of cattle in the world, each with different
„ The estimated global rate of capture fisheries. valuable traits.
erosion in croplands corresponds „ As of October 2018, from 8 800 known
to 193 kilograms of soil organic FORESTS
livestock breeds, 8 percent are extinct,
carbon per ha per year. „ There are more than 26 percent of breeds are at risk and 66
„ Roughly 64–71 percent of 60 000 tree species in the world. percent are classified as being of unknown
wetlands have been lost since the Globally, around 2 400 species of risk status because of lack of data.
beginning of the twentieth century. trees, shrubs, palms and bamboo
„ About 150 livestock breeds have become
are actively managed for products
„ Agriculture uses 70 percent of extinct between 2000 and 2018.
or services.
all freshwater withdrawals globally, „ Three species (cattle, pigs, chickens)
and up to 95 percent in several „ Large-scale commercial
together with three staple crops (rice, maize
developing countries. agriculture causes 40 percent of
and wheat) provide the majority of total
forest conversion in the tropics and
„ Almost 40 percent of the calories in human diets.
subtropics, 33 percent is caused
global irrigated area is reliant on by local subsistence agriculture and
groundwater. CROPS
27 percent by infrastructure
development and mining, among „ Globally, there are almost
FISHERIES AND other activities. 400 000 plant species. Of these, only nine
AQUACULTURE plants – sugar cane, maize, rice, wheat,
„ As of 2015, natural forests
„ Almost 600 aquatic species potatoes, soybeans, oil palm fruit, sugar beet
accounts for 93 percent of total
used for global food production and cassava – account for over 66 percent of
forest area.
come from aquaculture. Ten species all crop production.
alone (shellfish, crustaceans, plants „ Globally, natural forest area is
„ Three out of four crops around the globe
and fin fish) account for half of the decreasing and planted forest area
producing fruits or seeds for human use as
total aquaculture production. is increasing. However, the global
food depend, at least in part, on pollinators.
annual net loss of natural forests
„ Fish provide 20 percent of decreased from some 10.6 million „ Pollinators affect 35 percent of the world’s
animal protein to 3 billion people. hectares in the 1990s to 6.5 total crop production by volume, supporting

SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

„ Coral reefs provide vital habitat million hectares between 2010 the production of 87 of the leading food
for 25 percent of the world’s known and 2015. crops worldwide.
marine species. „ Mountain areas host „ The volume of agricultural production
„ In 2013, 68.5 percent of approximately 25 percent of dependent on pollinators has increased by
assessed commercial fish stocks terrestrial biodiversity. 300 percent in the past 50 years.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 65

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

AGR IC U LT U RE
ACCOU N TS FOR A N
EST I M AT ED 70 PERCENT
OF GLOBAL WATER
WITHDR AWALS

„ Facilitating the engagement of stakeholders from the agricultural

sectors in the development of the CBD’s post-2020 global
biodiversity framework.
„ Collecting data and develop metrics and indicators to measure
the impact and performance of actions undertaken to foster the
sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, with the active
involvement key stakeholders.

Regional and National Levels

„ Regional and national multi-stakeholder dialogues promoting [ABOVE, LEFT] resources. There are more than 370 million indigenous people,
sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. RWANDA accounting for 5 percent of the world’s population and 15 percent of all
„ Organizing a regional dialogue in Latin America and the Caribbean A woman the poor (UN, 2009). Traditional Indigenous territories encompass up to
planting
in 2018, with further dialogues in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and papaya 22 percent of the world’s land surface and coincide with areas that hold
Europe in 2019. seeds as part 80 percent of the planet’s biodiversity (WB, 2008).
of an FAO
„ Supporting the integration of biodiversity in national agricultural and Global
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) are
plans, as well as sustainable agriculture in countries’ commitments Environment outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural
to multilateral environmental agreements. Facility biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and a valuable cultural heritage. 
programme to
„ Implementing global policy instruments for mainstreaming manage agro- These ancestral agricultural systems constitute the foundation for
biodiversity. ecosystems and contemporary and future agricultural innovations and technologies.
biodiversity.
Their cultural, ecological and agricultural diversity is still evident in many
©FAO/MARCO
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO BIODIVERSITY LONGARI parts of the world, maintained as unique systems of agriculture.

A
groecology is the integrative study of [ABOVE, RIGHT]
„ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 2, CHAPTER 2.10, INNOVATION: FAO
the ecology of the entire food system, CHINA SOWING THE SEEDS OF TRANSFORMATION
encompassing ecological, economic and social A qiang girl
holding a
dimensions. From tackling hunger, poverty and sheep, one
inequality to responding to climate change to safeguarding biodiversity of the sacred SUSTAINABLE WATER USE IN AGRICULTURE
animals for this
and expanding nutritional choice, agroecology echoes reinforces the ethnic group.
2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.
©FAO/SUJAN
Water scarcity: one of the greatest challenges of the
Family farmers promote environmental sustainability of agricultural SARKAR twenty-first century
systems thanks to their understanding of local ecologies and land Today, significant parts of the world are struggling with water
capabilities, and to their preservation of seeds and other genetic scarcity. From California to China’s eastern provinces, from

66 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3
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The excessive use and degradation of water resources is threatening the

sustainability of livelihoods dependent on water and agriculture. Inefficient
and uncoordinated water use depletes aquifers, reduces river flows and
degrades wildlife habitats, and it has caused salinization on 20 percent of the
global irrigated land area. Changes in water use and management can lead to
biodiversity loss. The inappropriate use of fertilizers and pesticides translate into
water pollution, affecting rivers, lakes and coastal areas. The bulk of production
in capture fisheries comes from coastal waters, where both the productivity and
quality of fish stocks are severely affected by pollution, a great part of which
comes from agricultural crop production, aquaculture and livestock. In this
context, it is clear that there is an urgent need to address water scarcity and
increase water-use efficiency.
Farmers worldwide hold tested solutions to water scarcity, but they need
to be supported with appropriate policies, the right mix of public and private
investments, and access to knowledge and resources for producing more and
better with less water. Various adaptation measures that deal with climate
variability and build on improved land and water management practices have
the potential to create resilience to climate change and address water scarcity.
The sustainable intensification of food production with more efficient water
management systems adapted to climate variability and local circumstances
can help increase water productivity and raise on-farm incomes. Countries in
Jordan to the southern tip of Africa, estimates indicate that over water-scarce regions will increasingly need to devise food security strategies
4 billion people live with severe water shortages for at least one that explicitly consider structural food supply deficits and trade arrangements
month each year. that will provide protection from food price volatility.
The drivers of the perceived water crisis are well known:
demographic growth, economic development, urbanization and
pollution are putting unprecedented pressure on renewable water
resources, especially in semi-arid and arid regions. There is also DIMENSIONS OF WATER SCARCITY
competition for available freshwater resources in and between
economic sectors such as agriculture, industries, services and
households. Climate change also affects freshwater resources Water scarcity is defined demand, in the simple case of
as the gap between physical water shortage;
negatively, in terms of both quantity and quality. More frequent
available supply and
and severe droughts impact agricultural production, while rising
expressed demand of freshwater „Scarcity in access to water
temperatures translate into increased water demand in agriculture in a spvecified domain, services, because of the
sectors. Moreover, water withdrawals grew at almost twice the rate under prevailing institutional failure of institutions in place to
of population increase in the twentieth century, and a 50 percent arrangements and infrastructural ensure reliable supply of water
surge in food demand is expected by 2050. conditions. The several to users;
Of all economic sectors, agriculture is the sector where water dimensions of water scarcity are
scarcity has the greatest relevance. Currently, agriculture – summarized as follows: „Scarcity due to the lack
encompassing crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry of adequate infrastructure,
– accounts for an estimated 70 percent of global water withdrawals „Scarcity in availability of fresh irrespective of the level of
and more than 90 percent of consumptive use, while competition water of acceptable quality water resources, due to
with other sectors for water is increasing. Agriculture is both a cause with respect to aggregated financial constraints.
and a victim of water scarcity. SOURCE: FAO.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 67

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO, SDG 6 and the importance of water

Against this backdrop, the adoption of Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) 6 creates an opportunity to systematically engage
with key water-scarce countries and to inform and orient
national policies towards effective, sustainable models of water
management and governance. Target 4 of SDG 6 aims to reduce
the potential for conflict by ensuring sustainable withdrawals
of water and increasing water-use efficiency, with the objective
of reducing the number of people suffering from water scarcity.
FAO is the custodian agency for the two indicators of target
6.4, supporting Members in developing and reinforcing their
monitoring capacity, with the aim of having better and more
consistent information to support their policy decisions.
Among FAO initiatives on this matter, the AQUASTAT
database provides an established platform for the integration
of the different types of data required for the computation of
the indicators. The GEMI project, implemented by FAO in the
context of a multi-agency UN effort, is providing methodological
support and capacity development assistance to the member
countries. Beyond the actions on monitoring, the Organization is
also supporting the implementation of measures to ensure that
countries meet target 6.4, including the water scarcity initiative and
the water productivity project.

The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in

Agriculture
The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG), Framework. One key dimension comprises agriculture and food
TUNISIA
established at FAO headquarters in April 2017, supports the Women carry systems, which includes crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry, as
development and deployment of policies, strategies, programmes water home well as value and supply chains, consumption and trade. A second
near Kairouan.
and field capacity for the adaptation of agriculture to water scarcity, Summers are hot
dimension is climate change, encompassing both adaptation and the
using context-specific approaches and processes tailored to specific and dry in Tunisia mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
circumstances and needs, including support for the formulation of and year-long This broad scope means that WASAG comprises a wide range
water sources are
transformational projects. often scarce. of available coping mechanisms, both in the agriculture sectors
WASAG aims to help governments and related stakeholders in ©FAO/JOHN and beyond. It addresses food loss and waste, diets and nutrition,
ISAAC
the achievement of the water-related targets of the 2030 Agenda nexus approaches, diversification, wastewater reuse, trade,
for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular sustainable livestock and forest management, innovative landscape
emphasis on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 2 approaches, water productivity and how private sector actors can
(Zero Hunger). WASAG also contributes to SDG 1 (No Poverty), integrate such measures into their practices and operations, as well
SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 as their supply chains.
(Partnerships for the Goals).
WASAG recognizes the intricate links and complex feedback Progress on water-use efficiency
loops between sustainable agriculture, food security, water scarcity Access to safe water and sanitation and sound management
and climate change; therefore, it is holistic and multidimensional of freshwater ecosystems are at the very core of sustainable
in scope. Water scarcity is the main entry point for the Global development. SDG target 6.4 addresses water-use efficiency and

68 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 6
CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY

water stress, aiming by 2030, to “substantially increase for the same sectors – from sources such as the World Bank, United
UNITED
water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable REPUBLIC OF Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and Organisation for Economic
withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity TANZANIA Co-operation and Development (OECD) – allowed for countries’
and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from A herd of Ankole data and economic performances to be compared internationally.
Longhorn cows
water scarcity” . grazing on an The results of the first FAO assessment reveal that water-use
In the case of indicator 6.4.1 – Change in water-use unmanaged efficiency – defined as the value added per volume of water
parcel of land in
efficiency over time – FAO now provides technical and/or the catchment of withdrawn in all water-using sectors – is a little over USD 15/m3
logistical support to countries that request it. FAO developed Rusumo. worldwide, though there are significant differences among countries
the methodology for indicator 6.4.1 on the basis of a testing ©FAO/MARCO and regions. Lowest regional water-use efficiencies are USD 2/m3
LONGARI
process in five pilot countries – Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, in Central and Southern Asia, around USD 7/m3 in sub-Saharan
Senegal and Uganda – which helped establish the global Africa and almost USD 8/m3 in Northern Africa and Western Asia.
baseline period (2015–2018) for this indicator. The highest values are USD 50/m3 in Oceania and USD 38/m3 in
Using the methodology behind the pilot study, FAO’s first Europe and Northern America. Average values are found in Eastern
assessment on water-use efficiency at the global and regional and South-Eastern Asia (around USD 15/m3) and Latin America and
levels was based on nationally and internationally available the Caribbean (about USD 13/m3). Ultimately, increasing water-use
data sets, with figures available for 168 countries. The FAO efficiency over time means decoupling economic growth from water
AQUASTAT database was used to provide data on water use use across the main water-using sectors, which are agriculture,
for agriculture, industry (MIMEC) and services. Economic data industry, energy and municipal water supply.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 69

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

S
upporting countries and working with partners,
these stories provide a snapshot of how FAO contributes to
mainstreaming biodiversity in agriculture, fisheries and forestry
through projects and programmes across the globe.

KENYA
Ecosystem service and biodiversity
for food security and nutrition as a
Blue Growth Initiative

Mangrove ecosystems have immense worth,

providing a multitude of goods and services,
stretching from clean water to climate regulation to sustaining the lives
of coastal dwellers.
Responding to declining areas of mangroves in Kenya, FAO, as part
of the Blue Growth Initiative, has implemented a multifaceted project
with strong agroecological elements, including watershed management
techniques to support improved ecosystem services at the same time
as food, nutrition and livelihood security. Through partnerships
with various stakeholder groups, an estimated 268 122 seedlings
were planted in 41 hectares of degraded mangrove forest areas, and
three new mangrove nurseries were established in combination with
aquaculture and bee-keeping activities.
These activities to rehabilitate mangrove forests have benefits for
both livelihood generation and ecosystem services. One significant
result was increased biodiversity of fish fingerlings and other aquatic
animals within the restored areas.

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC
LAO
Growing a rice–fish culture PEOPLE’S The ponds allow farmers to nurse seed fish that can be used
DEMOCRATIC as a source of food during dry seasons when food is
Lao People’s Democratic Republic enjoys a rich REPUBLIC often scarce.
aquatic biodiversity, with rice fields home to an A farmer throws As a result of the project, in 2016, 28 families produced a
a net to catch fish
impressive diversity of aquatic organisms. Fish, on a rice–fish– total of 68 000 seed fish. These numbers increased in 2017,
frogs, eels, snails, crabs and aquatic insects are key to the nutritional poultry farm. with 30 families producing a total of 102 000 seed fish. The
and food security needs of the country’s population. ©FAO/K. PRATT project shows that partnering with farming communities and
Working with extension officers and pilot communities on national agricultural extension services can deliver innovative
integrated aquaculture–agriculture techniques, FAO helped local interventions that are well within farmers’ technical and
farmers construct small, plastic-lined earth ponds that can be used to financial capabilities to enhance food and nutrition security
intensify their rice–fish culture system. and enrich biodiversity.

70 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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BRAZIL
BRAZIL the private sector and other non-governmental actors in making
Forest data at the service of Women workers informed decisions by providing timely and relevant information
weed and
biodiversity clean around and policy analysis regarding the state and dynamics of Brazil’s
cacao trees in a forest resources.
plantation.
Almost 60 percent of Brazil’s territory is The project works with public and private sectors to collect
©FAO/K. BOLDT
covered by forest, accounting for a significant botanical samples: 91 021 botanical samples of trees have
proportion of global terrestrial biodiversity. been collected and 5 158 tree species have been identified.
Brazil’s forests are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in By providing different analyses of collected data, including a
the world. In 2011, FAO began helping the Brazilian Forest Service baseline and periodically monitored forest resource indicators,
establish a national forest monitoring and assessment system. The the project enhances Brazil’s capacity to identify and reduce
Global Environment Facility-funded project supports the government, environmental threats by adjusting policies, strategies and

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

interventions, and to highlight their effectiveness. Private sector and SENEGAL food security and nutrition and strengthen their resilience. In 2018,
other non-governmental decision makers are also able to make more Mboya Ka, 50 FAO together with partners and communities, launched pilots in
years old, fetches
informed decisions that, with appropriate policy incentives, can further water at the
Senegal and the Niger. In Senegal, 16 cisterns – each measuring
protect biodiversity and conserve and enhance carbon stocks. cistern with her 15 m3 – were constructed for families and three cisterns – each
watering can. She measuring 50 m3 – for agricultural production at community level,
is the mother and
SAHEL grand-mother of reaching a total of 360 beneficiaries. In the Niger, FAO constructed
Water cisterns give hope to a family who has five family cisterns and six community cisterns, reaching a total
been identified
Sahelian farmers as vulnerable and of 500 beneficiaries. Family cisterns cover household drinking
Inspired by a similar programme implemented benefited from the water needs during the entire dry season, and can also be used for
construction of a
in Brazil through its“Fome Zero”programme, cistern. micro-gardening, while community cisterns cover water needs for
the“1 million cisterns for the Sahel”programme ©BENEDICTE
agricultural production during recurring dry spells during the rainy
aims to give access to safe drinking water to KURZEN/NOOR season and ensure an additional production cycle for 0.5 ha of land.
FOR FAO
millions of people across the Sahel and to provide them with sufficient The project contributes to providing safety nets as local communities
water for household agricultural production in order to improve their also receive cash in exchange for work to build the cisterns using

72 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.3
NAT U R A L R E SOU RC E S U N DE R PR E SSU R E: BIODI V E R SI T Y A N D WAT E R

local materials. In the coming three years, the project is expected to

reach an additional 10 000 women in Senegal, 5 000 in the Niger and 5
000 in Burkina Faso. Resource mobilisation is ongoing to increase the
number of beneficiaries and the countries involved in the initiative.

GLOBAL
Protecting biodiversity through sustainable
soil management
The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was established in December
2012 to enhance collaboration and synergy of efforts for
sustainable soil management. According to FAO’s Status of the
World’s Soil Resources report (2015), soil organic carbon and soil
biodiversity are crucial to increasing food availability and the soil’s
ability to buffer against climate change effects. The GSP strives
to raise awareness of the role of sustainable soil management in
safeguarding biodiversity, highlighting that soils are a key reservoir
of global biodiversity. It is sustained by the FAO Soil Charter (1981)
and the endorsement of World Soil Day on 5 December every year,
by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the proposed
Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management.
FAO manages the Secretariat of the GSP, with 194 countries
actively participating in all meetings. Nine regional soil partnerships
are well established and have consolidated implementation plans.
They work in close collaboration with FAO regional and national
offices in establishing an interactive consultative process with
national soil entities. Since 2012, the GSP has delivered capacity
development in over 100 countries through activities such as BANGLADESH around the world. It allows users to analyse the status of
monitoring soil biodiversity; maintaining or enhancing soil organic A man checks diversity of livestock breeds on national, regional and global
matter levels; regulating authorization and use of pesticides in the quality of red levels, including breeds’ risk of extinction.
wiggler worms
agricultural systems; using nitrogen fixing leguminous species; and at the Mahilata
By late 2018, more than 8 800 breeds had been reported
restoring plant biodiversity and crop rotation. Organic Fertilizer from 182 countries covering 38 species. This number
Production Farm. included 7 745 local breeds (i.e. reported in only one
©FAO/
GLOBAL MOHAMMAD country), 511 regional transboundary breeds (reported in
Monitoring livestock diversity around the world RAKIBUL HASAN more than one country of one region) and 547 international
Many livestock breeds possess unique characteristics that transboundary breeds (reported in more than one region).
contribute to building people’s resilience and meeting various Maintained and developed by FAO, with regular
challenges such as those related to climate change. Yet, updates from national coordinators nominated by
indiscriminate cross-breeding and use of exotic breeds, together countries, DAD-IS provides countries with the means
with unprofitable local breeds and weak policies are combining to to meet international obligations for reporting on
place the world’s remaining livestock diversity at risk. Supporting the status of animal genetic resources. Countries are
countries in making informed decisions and in taking action to obliged to report on the status of the genetic diversity
protect livestock breeds from extinction, the Domestic Animal of domesticated animals within the framework of the
Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) offers a database of Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) as well as under
breed-related information and photos for animal genetic resources the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 73

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

74 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.4

T R A NSFOR MING
FOOD SYST EMS

I
TAJIKISTAN n our increasingly interconnected world,
Rural women selling strengthened agriculture and food systems have
fruit and vegetables
on the roadside.
a critical role to play in achieving the targets of the
Sustainable Development Goals of eliminating poverty and
©FAO/MUSTAFA
COSKUN hunger and increasing our resilience to climatic and economic shocks.
Food systems encompass all the stages of keeping us fed:
growing, harvesting, packing, processing, transforming,
marketing, consuming and disposing of food.
Agricultural and food systems influence the availability,
affordability, sustainability, diversity, quality and safety of food
and agricultural products and they are undergoing dramatic
changes. They are becoming increasingly globalized, concentrated,
industrialized and science and capital-intensive. Rapid urbanization
and increases in income levels are also driving changes in
consumer preferences. Although these developments can provide
immense opportunities, they can also give rise to challenges
including: growing malnutrition (micronutrient deficiency,
overweight and obesity); increased incidences of food safety
issues and transboundary animal and plant disease outbreaks; the
misuse of antimicrobials that results in antimicrobial resistance;
and significant levels of food loss and waste. Other more global
challenges include environmental degradation and climate change.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 75

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

“W E M UST PROMOT E A PA R ADIGM In addition, those segments of society that traditionally

have less access to education, resources and capital, namely
SH I F T TOWA RDS FOOD SYSTEMS women, youth, urban and rural poor, indigenous peoples, and
THAT DELIVER HEALTHY FOOD, smallholders, face barriers to participate in global value chains.

A RE MORE I NC LUSI V E A N D Likewise, small-scale farmers, herders and fisherfolk, and small-
and medium-sized agro-enterprises are increasingly dependent on
ADA P T ED TO C LI M AT E C H A NGE.” dominant actors further downstream in value chains. Also, poorer
countries that may be relatively minor players in the global market,
JOSÉ GR A ZIANO DA SILVA risk exclusion from new market opportunities.
Food systems are crucial for addressing problems of food
insecurity, malnutrition, and diet-related health problems. Many
countries, communities and even households face situations where
undernutrition exists side by side with the fast-growing problem of
overweight, obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases.
The problems and their causes are complex and evolving fast. New
challenges arising from demographic changes, climate change, and
globalization further add to the complexity.
It is critical to go beyond a focus on agriculture and production
to consider the interlinked nature of livelihoods and food systems
and the implications for building climate resilience as part of
SEVERE FOOD INSECURITY a wide-ranging transformation of food systems for improved
nutrition and sustainable healthy diets.
FAO believes that ensuring access to decent farm and non-farm
Severe food insecurity is higher in 2017 than it was in 2014 with employment for the rural poor in food systems is critical to realize
notable increases in Africa and Latin America. sustainable food systems. That is why FAO is committed to:
„Promoting agricultural and food security policies that are
sensitive to working conditions and able to implement protective
AFRICA coping mechanisms against shocks, taking into account gender
and age differentiations.
„Enabling the adoption of sectoral codes of conduct that embed
decent rural employment aspects.
„Supporting the implementation of the principles for responsible
investment in agriculture and food systems which favour
employment generation and foster decent work.
LATIN
„Supporting governments in developing specific employment
WORLD AMERICA
ASIA creation investments plans. 
NORTH
AMERICA & THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
EUROPE TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

G
lobalization, rapid urbanization and
changing consumer preferences have
2014 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016 2017
created opportunities for agricultural and
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. food systems. Rapid demographic, social and
economic changes in many low- and middle-income countries

76 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.4
TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

have led to changes in food systems, lifestyles and eating

habits. As a consequence, dietary patterns have shifted
IT IS PAR AMOUNT THAT WE
toward increased consumption of processed foods that are FIND SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO
often energy-dense, high in saturated fats, sugars and salt, C U LT I VAT E, PRODUC E A N D
and low in fibre. Such changes bring with them a shift in
the profile of nutritional status and diet-related diseases.
CONSU M E SA F E A N D H E ALT H Y
In pre-transition conditions, the nutritional problems FOODS W H I LE PRESERV I NG
that predominate among the more vulnerable population
groups are undernutrition and nutrient deficiencies. The
OU R PL A N ET’S RESOU RC ES.
transition gradually brings about increased intake of calories
in the population, including among the more vulnerable.
Under such conditions, undernutrition and some nutrient
deficiencies begin to decline, while the excessive consumption
of energy-dense, processed foods high in fats, salt and
sugars becomes a major issue. These consumption habits
lead to increasing rates of overweight and diet-related non-
communicable chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular
disease and diabetes.
How can we enable our food systems and natural resources
to cope with feeding a growing global population if dietary
patterns change and if we lose or waste a third of our food
today? How can we mitigate and adapt to changing climatic
KEY MESSAGES
patterns that wreak havoc on our fragile food systems and the
livelihoods of our poorest citizens? Fuelling these questions
and more is a growing awareness that a paradigm shift is „ Continuing population growth and „ FAO provides assistance and capacity
sorely needed if, collectively, we are to transform our food urbanization are projected to add building to countries to improve access
systems for the better. 2.5 billion people to the world’s urban to international markets, and to meet
If we are to feed a population of about 10 billion in 30 years’ population, which means that by international standards for food safety, plant
time, a substantial part of the increase in food production must 2050, 2/3 of people will live in urban health and animal health.
areas and 90% of this increase will
come from current agriculture production areas with enhanced
take place in Asia and Africa. „ FAO supports countries and their sub-
food systems, ones that are more productive and efficient.
national and local governments to
We must learn to produce more food with less resources „ Roughly one in three people develop strategies, policies and regulatory
and do so under much harsher conditions. As volatile climatic worldwide work in the agri-food system. frameworks that support efficient and
patterns increase, competition will inevitably intensify over inclusive agricultural and food systems.
natural resources. „ Approximately three- quarters of
Meeting global food demand in a sustainable way is the world’s agricultural value-added „ FAO assists countries to mobilize and
achievable, but requires adequate institutional systems, policies activities take place in developing improve public and private sector
and practices in the agriculture, crop, livestock, forestry, countries. The increasing demand for investment in agricultural and food systems,
fisheries and aquaculture sectors. high-value products on international to strengthen the technical and managerial
The vision of FAO for sustainable food and agriculture is and domestic food markets provides an capacity of stakeholders along agri-food
one where food is nutritious and accessible for everyone and opportunity for developing countries to value chains and facilitate their access to
generate economic growth and gainful finance, and to improve the sustainability,
where natural resources are managed in a way that maintain
employment. efficiency and inclusiveness of these chains.
ecosystem functions to support current as well as future
human needs. Through its Strategic Programme 4 (“Enable SOURCE: FAO. 2019.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 77

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems”), FAO CROATIA chain. The causes of food loss and waste in low-income countries are
seeks to address the many challenges across the value chain that Damaged fruit mainly connected to financial, managerial and technical limitations in
awaiting disposal
small producers and small economies face. The Organization helps at the Opuzen harvesting techniques, storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic
develop necessary tools such as analytical information for sound Fruit Packing conditions, infrastructure, packaging and marketing systems.
Facility.
policies; building capacities at the institutional and individual Given that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live
levels; and helping to fight food losses and waste. ©IAEA/LOUISE on the margins of food insecurity, a reduction in food losses could
POTTERTON
be translated to an increase of their income, which in turn has an
REDUCING FOOD LOSS AND WASTE immediate and significant impact on their livelihoods. In 2011, FAO

F
launched Save Food, a global initiative promoting awareness and the
ood loss and waste contributes to food and exchange of ideas and best practices on preventing and reducing food
nutrition insecurity, squanders precious natural loss and waste. Since then, FAO has developed methodologies for
resources, unnecessarily increases greenhouse identifying food losses, their causes and potential sustainable solutions
gas emissions, and generally slows economic along the entire food value chain – from production, storage and
and social development. Food waste predominantly occurs processing to distribution and consumption.
at the retail and consumption stage, whereas food losses arise from The methodology has been implemented on various value chains in
inadequate infrastructure, technologies and practices along the value more than 40 developing countries, providing substantial evidence on

78 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.4
TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

hot spots for losses and feasibility analysis of solutions, supporting

governments in formulating effective policies and action plans
FAO H AS DE V ELOPED
to reduce food losses. As custodian agency for SDG target A COM MON V ISION
12.3, FAO has developed a Food Loss Index for measuring and A N D AN INTEGR ATED
quantifying post-harvest losses up to retail, facilitating monitoring
and reporting against 12.3. FAO is also working with the UN APPROACH
Environment Program in developing an Index for Food Waste at TO SUSTAINABILIT Y
retail and consumer level.
The Organization has also partnered with the International
AC ROSS AGR IC U LT U RE,
Food Waste Coalition to develop the first educational materials FOREST RY A N D F ISH ER I ES.
on food waste for school children of all ages, including supporting
manuals for teachers. It organized numerous regional and global
awareness raising and advocacy campaigns on the issue. The pilot
testing of the materials has been ongoing in Italy, France and the
United Kingdom, and the success of the results have generated
more interests from other countries. Recognizing FAO’s technical
leadership in addressing the issue of food loss and waste, member
countries have requested the Organization to develop codes of
conducts for food loss and food waste to be submitted to the next
session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) in 2020.

URBAN AGRICULTURE FACTS & FIGURES

U
rban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA)
can be defined as the growing of plants „ 55% of the world’s
and the raising of animals within and population resides in urban
around cities. UPA is practiced worldwide and areas
provides employment and income for poor women and other „ 70% of all food produced
disadvantaged groups. Urban vegetable growers spend less is destined for consumption
on transport, packaging and storage, and can sell directly in cities
through street food stands and market stalls. More income
„ 60%+ of primary energy
goes to them instead of middlemen. Consumers – especially
demand and 70 percent of
low-income residents – enjoy easier access to fresh produce,
CO2 emissions stem from
greater choice and better prices.  cities
With specific care and methods, UPA can make an
important contribution to household food security, especially „ 34% of the global
population lives in small cities
in times of crisis or food shortages. Produce is either
or towns
consumed by the producers, or sold in urban markets, such
as the increasingly popular weekend farmers’ markets found „ 30% of all greenhouse gas
in many cities.  emissions stem from food
The food provisioning system of any city across the globe, production and distribution
whether small or large, is always a hybrid food system, combining „ 80%+ of urban dwellers are
different modes and sources of food provisioning and consumption exposed to air quality levels SOURCE: FAO FRAMEWORK FOR THE URBAN FOOD
(institutional, retail, street foods). Some cities are mainly, though that exceed WHO limits AGENDA. 2018.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 79

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

not exclusively, fed by urban, peri-urban and nearby rural farms and BRAZIL FAO Framework for the Urban Food Agenda
food processors, while other cities rely largely, though not entirely, on Fruit vendors at the Fostering resilient and economically prosperous food systems,
the São José Slow
food produced and processed in other countries or continents. Food Market in Rio integrated across landscapes and based on multi-stakeholder, multi-
Rapid urban growth, growing urban food and nutrition insecurity de Janeiro. scalar and multi-sector collaboration, is key to supporting more
and unbalanced food availability, distribution and access are challenging ©FAO/GIUSEPPE sustainable urbanization processes through safeguarding ecosystems
BIZZARRI
traditional thinking on how cities are fed. The year 2015 marked services and provision of goods. Urgent and coordination action is
the signing of the first international protocol by cities calling for required to help national and local governments to make food systems
development of more sustainable and resilient urban food systems. The more efficient, inclusive and resilient to price volatility, weather shocks
protocol, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, has been signed to date by and climate change in time of rapid urbanization.
over 180 cities in the Global North and South and pledged to develop In 2019, FAO published its Framework for the Urban Food Agenda,
actions and strategies to improve their urban food system.   responding to demands for a holistic approach to food insecurity and
FAO supports the transformation of UPA into a recognized malnutrition across the rural–urban continuum. It aims to support
urban land use and economic activity, integrated into national governments in tackling the complex food security and nutrition
and local agricultural development strategies, food and nutrition challenges and opportunities created by urbanization through
programmes, and urban planning.  It helps national and regional sustainable food system development.
governments and city administrations optimize their policies and As a result of an inclusive consultative process, the Framework
support services for urban and peri-urban agriculture, and improve articulates guiding principles, purposes and targeted outcomes,
production, processing and marketing systems.  compatible with the objective of the 2030 Agenda. Its overall goal is to

80 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.4
TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

guide FAO’s work in supporting decision makers at global, national, territorial

and urban levels to recognize the role of cities and sub-national governments
FAO PROV I DES ASSISTA NC E TO
as key strategic sites and actors to address the complex socio-economic and EN H A NC E T H E I NC LUSI V EN ESS
ecological issues that constrain food security and nutrition. OF FOOD A N D AGR IC U LT U RE
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS SYST EMS BY ENGAGING
SMALLHOLDER PRODUCERS

B
y addressing economic, institutional and financing
barriers, FAO works to create enabling conditions for
AND ECONOMICALLY SMALL
sustainable production systems. In this way, resources are COUNTRIES.
used more efficiently, and we create an environment that supports
diversification and natural resources conservation. Farmers can also better
adapt to and mitigate climate change. FAO’s programmes reflect an integrated
approach that takes into account the complex linkages and competition
that exist among the users of resources and the natural environment. More It provides an operational framework for strengthening efforts to end
integrated approaches ensure that trade-offs and synergies of the impacts of hunger and eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide, including
decisions in one sector are looked at in conjunction with other sectors, while through nutrition-sensitive disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation
taking food and nutritional security aspects into account. policies and programmes to strengthen the resilience of people’s livelihoods
With a holistic approach to agriculture, wise choices can be made for and food systems for healthy diets. FAO works with countries, UN sister
inclusive and sustainable practices. Since 2014, FAO has supported 245 agencies and other partner organizations, in particular the World Health
initiatives in 89 countries in sustainable agricultural production practices using Organization (WHO), to achieve sustainable food systems for healthy diets
participatory approaches, including over 80 initiatives in Africa alone. Out of and improved nutrition.
89 countries, 41 percent were able to reduce the gap in crop yields and over In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, different food
half of the countries had reduced the area of natural vegetation and protected systems that could provide answers in terms of sustainability, resilience and
ecosystems lost to agriculture. environmental management are considered in a more integrated manner.
FAO promotes Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) as an approach that can It is within this global debate for sustainable food systems that indigenous
transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development food systems have gained international recognition.  Using local
and ensure food security in a changing climate. The approach, in practice, indigenous knowledge and merging it with novel cultivation practices, small
pursues the triple objectives of: family farm households who cultivate Neglected and Underutilized crops
„Sustainably increasing productivity and income; could benefit from stronger food production systems, which can improve
„Adapting to climate change; and food security, increase income-generating opportunities, and enhance
„Reducing GHG emissions, where possible. coping mechanisms against climate change.
FAO supports countries to enhance the evidence base and strengthen
policies and planning for the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture at the ENABLING INCLUSIVE AND EFFICIENT
farm, landscape and national level. At field level, FAO works on capacity AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS
development with producers adopting CSA practices through Farmer Field
Schools and other advisory services. As an active member of the Global Assisting countries to benefit from trade
Alliance of Climate-Smart Agriculture and regional CSA alliances, FAO New and existing trade and trade-related agreements and mechanisms
fosters knowledge and supports collaboration to enhance the scale of CSA play a key role in facilitating the development of enabling trading systems
implementation. that are important to the functioning of food systems and food security.
Furthermore, the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition is a commitment FAO assists countries in building capacities to better understand rapidly
by United Nations Member States to undertake ten years of sustained and changing international markets, trade rules and the potential consequences
coherent implementation of policies, programmes and increased investments of these changes, including the threats and opportunities of opening to
to eliminate malnutrition in all its forms, everywhere, leaving no one behind. trade, and potential strategies to address them. FAO works with countries to

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 81

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

MEASURES TO IMPROVE FOOD ENVIRONMENTS

THAT SUPPORT HEALTHY DIETS
facilitate neutral dialogue on issues related to the formulation
FOOD of trade agreements and promote the use of evidence in the
SUBSYSTEMS MEASURES formulation and adoption of such agreements. It also supports
the strengthening of national systems and their adaptation to
Agricultural • Encourage policies and investments that support diversification and the international norms and standards in order to take advantage of
production production of nutrient-rich foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables and legumes).
• Promote value chain development for nutrient-rich food crops trade agreements.
• Ensure that agriculture research investments focus not only on staples but also
on nutrient-rich crops Developing inclusive and efficient value chains
The increasing demand for high-value products in
Food storage, • Invest in transport and cold-chain infrastructure in order to reduce food loss
• Encourage domestic trade, rural-urban linkages, short food supply chains international and domestic food markets is an opportunity for
transport and
trade (where feasible) for nutrient-rich foods, especially for vegetables, fruits, legumes developing countries to generate economic growth and gainful
and nuts employment. However, modernizing agro-industries and agri-
• Lower tariff and non-tariff trade barriers for fruits and vegetables, especially food chains also pose risks in terms of equity, sustainability
during off-season periods, or increase import tariffs on foods high in fats,
and inclusiveness, particularly for smaller-scale farmers and
sugars and/or salt
agro-enterprises thus underscoring the need for policies and
Food • Encourage food reformulation laws strategies that address these risks. FAO works with countries
transformation • Take measures to introduce food and nutrition labelling laws to formulate and implement agro-industry, agribusiness and
• Support the establishment of investment funds for start-up Small and Medium
value chain development strategies and platforms, in tandem
Enterprises that produce nutrient-rich foods
• Create incentives for processing techniques that reduce costs and increase the to providing related policy guidance, knowledge generation
nutritional value of foods and capacity development. The Organization also works to
strengthen the capacities of producer organizations, promote
Food retail and • Support policies to improve food safety in informal and wet markets effective policies on decent job creation, entrepreneurship,
provisioning • Offer price incentives to encourage street vendors to use ingredients of better
nutritional quality while ensuring food safety standards and incentives for innovation and investment, especially for
• Impose taxes to discourage the consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and/or women, whose work is often key along the value chain.
salt, such as sugar-sweetened beverages
• Support the review of food subsidies, to cover foods such as fresh fruits, Ensuring policy supportive of food system
vegetables and legumes and make them affordable to consumers
• Implement planning regulations and investments to support wholesale markets, development
wet markets and informal retailers that provide fresh produce to consumers There is growing recognition by decision makers that policies
especially low-income populations need to be monitored and evaluated in order to become more
• Establish social protection policies and programmes to ensure that nutrient-rich effective and to achieve national objectives.
foods can be accessed by vulnerable populations – e.g. school food and
nutrition programmes that provide nutrient-rich foods, or conditional cash The way policies interact can support or hinder the
transfers to facilitate access to fresh fruits and vegetables efficiency and development of agricultural and food systems
• Introduce legislation to ensure institutional procurement from local smallholder and, as a result, agricultural sector growth. Unstable policy
farmers environments and volatile prices due to rapidly evolving
• Apply zoning for fast food outlets, especially around schools
international as well as domestic market forces have affected
• Introduce strategies and actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding production decisions, consumption levels and marketing/
Other
• Control the marketing of foods and beverages targeted at children trade options in most developing countries. Understanding
• Introduce mandatory regulation of advertising to children, and of other forms the factors that lead to price volatility particularly in domestic
of marketing of food and beverages to children
markets and the drivers of policy/institutional instability
• Support mass media informational campaigns and social marketing
campaigns encouraging healthy eating will help decision makers and other stakeholders make
• Support education reforms to introduce food and nutrition education into better-informed decisions and adopt evidence-based risk
school curricula management strategies and tools. FAO supports countries
in policy monitoring and evaluation for improved price and
SOURCE: WHO, 2010; FAO, 2016; FAO, 2017; GLOPAN, 2016; HLPE, 2017; WHO, 2016; WHO/UNDP 2018
market incentives. The specific areas of support range from

82 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.4
TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

THE 5 KEY PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

PRINCIPLE 1 PRINCIPLE 3
„ Increase „ Improve
productivity, livelihoods and
employment foster inclusive
and value economic
addition in growth
food systems
PRINCIPLE 4
PRINCIPLE 2 „ Enhance
„ Protect and the resilience
enhance of people, PRINCIPLE 5
natural communities „ Adapt governance to new
resources and ecosystems challenges

improving national data collection, to developing relevant indicators, to THERE IS NO FOOD SECURITY WITHOUT
analysing and disseminating them and to enhancing evidence-based FOOD SAFETY

R
policy dialogue.
eady access to safe and nutritious food is a
Nutrition and food systems basic human right. Yet every year around the world,
Malnutrition affects all countries and one in three people. It takes over 420 000 people die and some 600 million people
many forms, from chronic hunger, to micronutrient deficiency, and – almost one in ten – fall ill after eating contaminated
from child stunting to obesity. Nutrition starts with what we eat. food. The increased globalization of the world’s food supply means
Protecting and promoting healthy diets should be a central objective populations worldwide are more exposed to food hazards. In fact,
of food system and agricultural policies. Crop production, fisheries, food-borne hazards are known to cause over 200 acute and chronic
livestock, and forestry provide the diverse, safe and nutritious foods diseases from digestive tract infections to cancer. Regardless of where
we need. Enhancing their impact on nutrition requires attention at the food is produced, consumers have the right to expect that the
all stages in the value chain: from the promotion of healthy soils and food they buy is safe and of the expected quality. FAO works with
protection of biodiversity; the choice of inputs and what we produce; to governmental authorities, with local industry and other relevant
how we store, transport, transform and market foods.  stakeholders to ensure that this expectation is met.
Access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food must be framed as a human
right, with priority given to the most vulnerable. Policies that promote Protecting health and facilitating trade
nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems are needed, with special Internationally agreed standards on plant health, animal health and food
attention to the food security and nutrition of children under five, school-age safety make a critical contribution to the safety and quality of food, thereby
children, adolescent girls and women in order to halt the intergenerational protecting consumers. Countries need support to implement and enforce
cycle of malnutrition. FAO calls for changes in policies to incentivize the the relevant regulations and standards and value chain operators must
provision and consumption of healthy diets, including marketing regulations have the ability to comply with the food standards prepared by FAO and
and economic incentives. FAO also facilitates high-level dialogue between WHO, namely Codex Alimentarius. Codex covers the entire production
governments and their partners to develop common norms and approaches chain, allowing governments to establish science-based, internationally
for sustainable food systems and healthy diets. acceptable standards in order to establish criteria for food to ensure safety

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 83

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

SCIENCE-BASED INITIATIVES
TO SUPPORT FOOD SAFETY

„ The Joint FAO/WHO risk assessment on

Expert Committee pesticide residues.
on Food Additives The JMPR has met
(JECFA) has been annually since 1963
meeting since to conduct scientific
1956 to provide evaluations of
scientific advice pesticide residues in
on food additives, food, providing advice
contaminants and on the acceptable
residues of veterinary levels of pesticide
drugs in food as residues in food
well as principles traded internationally.
and guidance for
safety assessment of „ Joint FAO/WHO
GUATEMALA and harmonize food trade, taking into account emerging challenges and
chemicals in food. Expert Meetings on
Strengthening the opportunities. The Codex Alimentarius has been recognized by the World Trade
Nutrition (JEMNU) School Feeding
„ The Joint FAO/WHO was established in Program in the Organization since 1995 as the benchmark standards for national food safety
Expert Meetings on 2010 to strengthen framework of the regulations and the basis for international food trade – they are science-based
Hunger-Free Latin
Microbiological Risk the role of FAO and America and
standards, adopted through global consensus.
Assessment (JEMRA) WHO in providing the Caribbean
began in 2000 scientific advice Initiative.
©PEP BONET/ „ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 3, CHAPTER 3.3: CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
as an international on nutrition to NOOR FOR FAO
scientific expert Member States and
group that evaluates bodies such as the Safe food is underpinned by science
different aspects Codex Alimentarius Science is central to the work of FAO on food safety and quality along the
of microbiological Commission and supply chain. In close collaboration with WHO, FAO provides neutral and
hazards in the food in particular the
independent scientific advice as the essential basis for the international food
supply. Codex Committee for
safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice established by the Codex
Nutrition and Foods
„ The Joint Meeting on for Special Dietary Alimentarius Commission, and for supporting the development of modern
Pesticide Residues Uses (CCNFSDU) food control systems by national authorities such as whole genome sequencing
(JMPR) is an expert ad with a view to set for epidemiological surveillance for food-borne pathogens. Better data is
hoc body administered appropriate health- needed to understand far-reaching impacts of unsafe food.
jointly by FAO and protective and
WHO to harmonize trade-inclusive global Food safety requires shared solutions
the requirements and nutrition standards. Food safety and human health are closely interlinked with the health of
animals and the environment around us. FAO promotes a “One Health”
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. FAO’S WORK ON FOOD SAFETY. approach as an integrated way of preventing and mitigating health

84 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

threats across the Animal–Human–Plant–Environment interface. MALI two-way exchange of information and opinions between all involved is
This is clearly demonstrated by transmission of microorganisms Moukuna, plant key in restoring confidence and protecting people’s quality of life.
used to enrich
to people through food – from fruit and vegetables contaminated the soil in azot,
FAO assists countries in building food safety emergencies
with soil and from animal-sourced foods. Farmer Field Schools growing alongside prevention and management systems to strengthen country resilience
(FFS) have proved to be an effective vehicle for enabling farmers sorgo, and used to food chain crises. In order to promote and facilitate the rapid
to feed animals.
to understand and adhere to good practices. FFS are developed ©FAO/ exchange of information during food safety related events, FAO and
to fully integrate food hygiene with production issues such as SWIATOSLAW WHO coordinate the International Food Safety Authorities Network
WOJTKOWIAK
integrated pest management techniques. (INFOSAN). Operating in its 15th year, INFOSAN has facilitated
With regards to animal food-borne diseases, FAO promotes communication across borders, and between network members, during
practices that decrease the likelihood of live animals carrying hundreds of food safety emergencies.
pathogens transmissible to people and prevent the transfer of
contaminants from the environment to foods. The Organization REGIONAL INITIATIVES

F
encourages food production practices that reduce the use of
antimicrobials; enhance food hygiene and sanitation during AO seeks to help address the many challenges
processing to limit cross-contamination; and monitor progress in across the value chain that small producers,
producing food that is free from antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. and even small economies face. Food and
agricultural systems need to increase inclusiveness by
Food safety in emergencies linking smallholder producers with agribusiness enterprises and
Outbreaks of food-borne illnesses and food recalls can have wide- supply chains for effective and sustainable participation in rapidly
reaching consequences and impact consumer confidence in the changing markets. To do this, FAO helps develop necessary
safety of the food supply. This calls for enhanced food safety risk tools such as analytical information for sound policies; building
communication with consumers among all stakeholders in the agri- capacities at the institutional and individual levels; and helping to
food chain, beginning with risk managers and decision makers. This fight food losses and waste.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 85

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

Latin America and the TONGA enabling rural families to become more resilient before economic
Caribbean: sustainable family Vegetable market and natural shocks.
at Nuku‘alofa,
farming and inclusive food Tongatapu Island.
systems ©FAO/ANTON
Africa: sustainable production
This Regional Initiative aims at improving GLAESER intensification and value chain
access of poor people to productive assets development
(land, water, energy, facilities) as well as Following the “Malabo Declaration on
financial (credit, savings, insurances) and non-financial (technical Accelerated Agricultural Growth and
assistance, innovation, knowledge) rural services. FAO works Transformation for Shared Prosperity and
to strengthen producers’ organizations and promote rural Improved Livelihoods”, this Regional Initiative
communities’ participation in sustainable development strategies, addresses bottlenecks along value chains through which production
focusing on building inclusive, efficient, resilient and nutrition- increases resulting from actions to sustainably intensify production
sensitive food systems. FAO promotes the strengthening of value and increase productivity. Improved management of value chains will
chains and public supply systems, and the increase of fresh and contribute to market and agribusiness development with specific attention
healthy food while reducing country dependency on imports and to providing opportunities and services that cater to women and youth.

86 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 Value chains for food security GEORGIA Agri-food trade and market integration
and nutrition in the Pacific Workers in Europe and Central Asia
Islands processing Through its Regional Initiative, FAO assists
anchovies
The declining export competitiveness according to countries in creating a supportive policy
of farmers and fishers, coupled with food quality and environment for trade in agriculture and food
safety standards
increased dietary dependence on as part of an FAO commodities. The Organization develops capacities
imported food, has led public and project designed to design and implement trade agreements and
to strengthen
private stakeholders in the Pacific to prioritize improving the capacity in fish analyse market opportunities. FAO also works in building capacity on
capacity of their agri-food sectors to meet their domestic food landing and WTO issues, prevention and control of risks to animal health, plant health
processing
needs. Since 2014, the Inter-regional Initiative on SIDS – Pacific techniques to
and food safety, trade facilitation and dispute resolution. The application of
Component aims at developing local value chains for food meet standards modern methods of risk analysis and standards from Codex Alimentarius,
and nutrition security. It focuses FAO efforts to strengthen for export to International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and World Organisation
international
the capacities of local food producers, to supply more food to markets. for Animal Health (OIE) is central. In addition, FAO supports country
domestic and tourist markets, to meet demands for a balanced ©FAO/KHATIA capacities in short value chains, local food production, use of Geographical
GOGOLADZE
and nutritious diet, and to reduce food and feed imports. This Indications and organic agriculture to promote sustainable production
includes supporting the development of policy and regulatory methods, increase food quality and as a branding tool. Beneficiaries
frameworks, which rely on improvements in capacity to include civil servants, scientists and food producers with a focus on small
assemble, integrate, analyse and disseminate information on and medium-sized enterprises. It further supports countries in their
food, nutrition and natural resources. strategies to reduce Food Losses and Waste.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 87

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

88 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.5

TOWA RDS
SUSTA INABLE FOREST
M A NAGEMEN T

F
MALAYSIA orests are more than just a cluster of trees, they are
Throughout the an ecosystem full of life. Forest areas cover around 30
centuries, people in
Malaysia have learned
percent of global land area and include about 80 percent of the
to understand the forest Earth’s biodiversity. They are home to more than 80 percent of
in such an intimate all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects, and around a third of
way that trees have
become an important the world’s population (or 2.4 billion people) make use of wood to provide
and natural extension of basic energy services such as cooking, boiling water and heating. Since its
their own culture. When
members of the Penan foundation, FAO has worked hard to respond to the needs of the evolving
tribe – an indigenous forestry sector and ensure its contribution to sustainable development. As
nomad population –
walk through the forest, the United Nations organization with the mandate for forests and forestry,
they leave behind FAO fulfills the global responsibility of supporting its Members to protect,
numerous footprints
to guide those who
conserve and manage the world’s forests in a sustainable way.
follow after. Together, Seventy years ago, when FAO completed its first Global Forest
these footprints form a Resources Assessment (FRA), the major concern was whether there
network of signs that
shows where they have would continue to be sufficient timber to satisfy global demand. Since
been. It is a symbolic then, the broader global relevance of our forests and trees has been
and codified language.
In the suffocating heat increasingly recognized, not only for timber extraction but also for the
of the forest, before the well-being of the people and the planet. Forests bolster livelihoods,
rain of autumn, Andrés
Oudaou is looking for they provide clean air and water, protect our soils and help respond
wood to build a simple to climate change by stocking carbon in their biomass. Furthermore,
shelter where he can
sleep at night.
they provide many products and services that contribute to the
socio-economic development of millions of people in rural areas,
©FAO/ JULIEN
COQUENTIN including food, medicines and fuel.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 89

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO H A R N ESSES Today, there is increasing evidence showing the profound

interlinkages that exist between forests and the goals of the 2030
FORESTS’ POTENTIAL Agenda for Sustainable Development, which enables policymakers
AS A KE Y ELEM EN T I N T H E to incorporate a forestry approach in the pathways to sustainable
development. In 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted the first ever
F IGH T AGA I NST H U NGER A N D UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030, which includes goals and
POV ERT Y FOR AC H I E V I NG T H E targets closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
SUSTA I NABLE DE V ELOPM EN T other international commitments related to forests, such as the climate
objectives under the Paris Agreement and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
GOALS.
FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

T
ime is running out for the world’s forests,
whose total area is shrinking by the day. From
1990 to 2015, forest land has decreased in 93 countries with a
total net loss of some 129 million hectares, which represents
FOREST AREA AS A PROPORTION OF TOTAL a decrease from 31.6 percent of global land area to 30.6 percent. This
LAND AREA IN 1990, 2010 AND 2015 percentage may seem insignificant, but a loss of one percent of the total
land area represents more than 100 million hectares.
Halting global deforestation, particularly when caused by
agriculture, is one of FAO’s key objectives and requires immediate
action. The world’s population is projected to increase from around
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
7.6 billion today to close to 10 billion people by 2050, and the
EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA corresponding global demand for food – estimated to grow by 50
percent during this period – is placing enormous pressure on our
EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST ASIA
natural resources. This not only threatens the livelihoods of forest
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA communities and Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs),
but also results in a loss of valuable habitats for plants and animals, land
LATIN AMERICA AND
THE CARIBBEAN degradation, soil erosion, a decrease in clean water, and the release of
CENTRAL AND SOUTH ASIA carbon into the atmosphere affecting everyone.
As part of its new framework for more coherent and effecive actions
in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, FAO helps countries to manage
OCEANIA* their forests sustainably, focusing on balancing social, economic and
NORTH AFRICA AND WESTERN ASIA
environmental goals aimed at conserving and maintaining forest
ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations – a major
WORLD component of Strategic Programme 2 (“Make agriculture,
forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable”).
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Although agriculture and forestry are often considered as competing
PERCENTAGE land uses, forests and trees support sustainable agriculture, as they
contribute to soil and climate stabilization, regulate water flows, provide
1990 2010 2015
a habitat for pollinators and the natural predators of agricultural pests,
NOTE: *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. and increase soil productivity.
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS. Since 1990, more than twenty countries, including China, Chile,
Costa Rica, India, the Gambia and Viet Nam, have increased their food

90 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C A P Í T U LO 1. 4
P R O T E G E R Y C O N S E R VA R L O S B O S Q U E S D E L M U N D O

VIET NAM
Researchers for the
National Forest
Assessment (NFA)
measuring tree
diameters to assess
forest status and
monitor development
over time.
©FAO/JOAN
MANUEL BALIELLAS

security levels while increasing or maintaining their forest area.

They have demonstrated that it is not necessary to cut down trees
in order to produce more food. Their experience shows that it
SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
is possible to create stronger synergies between agriculture and
forestry through integrated approaches, including favourable
economic conditions, appropriate financing and resolving land Sustainable forest management forests provide multiple economic, social and
(SFM) is the practice of meeting environmental benefits, and emphasized that
tenure rights, among other factors. Recognizing and acting on the
forest resource needs and sustainable forest management contributes
profound interlinkages that exist between forests and agriculture
values of the present without significantly to sustainable development and
will enable policymakers to speed progress towards the goals and compromising the future. This means poverty eradication. The resolution lists the
targets of the 2030 Agenda. a land stewardship ethic that integrates the following seven elements of sustainable forest
reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing management: (1) extent of forest resources;
THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA and harvesting of trees for useful products with (2) forest biological diversity; (3) forest health

C
the conservation of soil, air and water quality, and vitality; (4) productive functions of forest
ollecting, compiling and disseminating wildlife and fish habitat and aesthetics. resources; (5) protective functions of forest
information in order to support the resources; (6) socio- economic functions of
development of forest policies is a In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly forests; and (7) legal, policy and institutional
fundamental part of FAO’s work. The Organization recognized that forests and trees outside framework.
is one of the key sources of global forest statistics and has been
compiling data on forests and forests products since 1946. For SOURCE: FAO. 2018. STATE OF THE WORLD’S BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE.

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

DATA COLLEC TION AND In 2010, only 45 countries worldwide were able to assess changes in
forest area and characteristics through consecutive, systematic national
ANALYSIS IS A KE Y ST EP TO forest inventories, suggesting a serious gap in information. FAO has
U N DERSTA N DI NG T H E STAT E OF created a new set of guidelines to help governments develop strong

OU R FORESTS A N D LE V ER AGI NG forest monitoring systems to collect more and better national data
regarding trends and outlook in the forestry sector and monitor progress
T H EI R CON T R I BU T ION. towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Global Forest Resources Assessment

Collecting national forest data is extremely important for the FAO
Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA). Since the first FRA was
published in 1948, FAO has reported periodically on the situation of
decades, governments in developing countries have considered long-term the world’s forests, serving the international community with the best
information on forest resources and ecosystems to be of lesser importance information available. Today, FRA is published every 5 years, and the
compared to other national information. However, the forest sector faces wealth of data is provided directly by the countries through a well-
increasingly diverse information needs regarding land use and forest established, consolidated, transparent and traceable reporting process.
resources. National information needs on forests have grown considerably FRA’s secretariat analyses the information and converts national data
in recent years, evolving from assessments focusing on availability of into regional and global estimations, in order to provide a comprehensive
timber to covering all aspects of sustainable forest management, such as review of the state of our world’s forests and resources and explain how
the role of forests in conservation of biodiversity and the provision of other they are changing.
ecosystem services. In this sense, it is essential to strengthen countries’ In September 2015, FAO launched the thirteenth issue of FRA
capacities to collect, compile and analyse data, and establish national forest during the XIV World Forestry Congress “Forests and people: Investing
monitoring systems (NFMS). in a Sustainable Future”in Durban, South Africa. The report included
information on forest cover, forest management and uses for all countries
and territorie of the world. FRA 2015 notes that, in the 2010–2015 period,
the global forest area decreased at a rate of 3.3 million hectares per
OPEN FORIS, A DIGITAL TOOL FOR DATA year, particularly in Africa and South America. However, the report also
highlights that the net annual rate of forest loss has slowed down by 50
COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS percent between the periods 1990–2000 and 2012–2015, and attention
paid to sustainable forest management has never been higher. For
instance, 96 percent of forests in the world are governed by policies that
Nearly 80 percent of developing measure, monitor and report on forests support sustainable forest management, and the area of forests under
countries find it difficult to collect and land use, offering unparalleled access forest management plans has also increased.
and use basic information about to granular satellite data and computing In March 2018, coinciding with FRA’s 70th Anniversary, FAO
their forest resources. FAO’s Open power and paving the way for improved launched an innovative online platform to improve governments’
Foris consists of a set of free and open- climate change mitigation plans and better reporting process for FRA, which will be used for the 2020 Global Forest
source software tools that leverages technical informed land-use policies. It allows users to Resources Assessment.
partnerships with Google to facilitate flexible query and process satellite data quickly and
and efficient data collection, analysis and efficiently, and swiftly produce sophisticated Forest sector statistics
reporting. One of its newest components and relevant geospatial analyses. As of June Every year, FAO compiles and publishes statistics on the production,
is the System for Earth Observation Data 2018, SEPAL had over 1 000 registered and
trade and consumption of forest products. Statistical information is
Access, Processing and Analysis for Land active users representing 225 organizations in
based primarily on data provided to the FAO Forestry Department by the
Monitoring (SEPAL). SEPAL helps countries 85 countries.
countries, through questionnaires or official publications. In the absence
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. FAO DIGITAL SERVICES PORTFOLIO: OPEN FORIS AND SEPAL. of official data, FAO makes an estimate based on the best information

92 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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available. The need for reliable global statistics on forests and forest products Protecting our soil and water
is increasing, for example to indicate the progress being made in achieving the Forest and land degradation also affect negatively soil protection
SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change. and the water cycle, undermining agriculture and productive
The year 2018 marked the 70th anniversary of the Yearbook of Forest ecosystems and threatening the livelihoods of millions of
Products, a milestone in international cooperation and collaboration people. The uncontrolled felling of trees causes soil erosion and
between international organizations on international statistics. This edition desertification, which in turn contributes to a decline in soil nutrient
is particularly remarkable, signifying over 70 years of collaboration with levels and crop yields. In response to this, FAO established the
governments and international statistical entities to gather forest sector Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism in 2014, which
statistics. It includes annual data on the production and trade of forest supports countries in meeting the Bonn Challenge of reforesting
products, including data on quantity and value. An important foundation for 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested land in the
evidence-based forest policymaking, the yearbook is used to set milestones for world by 2020. The Mechanism has already shown results in three
socio-economic development in many countries. continents. In Africa, FAO and partners organized an investment
forum to promote investments in forest and landscapes, including
LEVERAGING climate change mitigation and adaptation. In Lebanon, innovative
FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES restoration models have helped reduce erosion accelerated by
intense weather events. In Uganda, the integration of restoration
Forests against climate change activities in the national forest investment programme allows for
One of forests’ benefits is the potential to absorb carbon emissions from the greater climate change mitigation action.
atmosphere: they absorb the equivalent of roughly 2 billion tons of carbon Forest cover loss also impacts water availability. Degraded soils
dioxide each year. All elements of the forest, including plants, trees, and soils reduce water infiltration, soil water storage capacity and ground
act as carbon sinks. As such, when forests are felled, they can become major water recharge. While three-quarters of the globe’s accessible
sources of green-house gas emissions (GHG), and the carbon they stock freshwater comes from forested watersheds, research shows that
escapes back into the air. Globally, it is estimated that deforestation and
forest degradation accounts for 11 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions.
As concern about impacts of climate change has grown throughout the
world, forests’ role in climate change mitigation and adaptation has also
become a major focus of FAO’s work.
In this regard, afforestation, sustainable forest management and
FOREST AREA MANAGED FOR
the reduction of deforestation are making forests one of the most cost- SOIL AND WATER PROTECTION
effective and immediate solutions to curb climate change. FAO has
partnered for almost ten years with UN Environment and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support developing
countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and 71
forest degradation (REDD+) and enhance carbon squestration through
conservation, management and expansion of forests. Over 64 countries
33
PERCENTAGE

have benefited from FAO support for REDD+ in a number of key areas,
25
including their capacity in national forest monitoring and setting forest 21
emissions reference levels. 12
8 9
Moreover, FAO has developed e-learning courses supporting countries
to build a sustainable national GHG inventory and to assess emissions
from the forest sector. Thanks to its support, some 34 governments have AFRICA ASIA EUROPE NORTH & OCEANIA SOUTH GLOBAL
CENTRAL AMERICA
been able to submit critical baseline data on forest carbon stores and forest- SOURCE: FAO. 2015. GLOBAL FOREST AMERICA
related GHG emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on RESOURCES ASSESSMENT.
Climate Change (UNFCCC).

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 93

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

40 percent of the world’s 230 major watersheds have lost more

than half of their original tree cover. Despite this, the area of
forests managed for soil and water conservation has increased
globally over the past 25 years, and in 2015 a quarter of forests were
managed with soil and/or water conservation as an objective.
The publication Forests and Water: A Five-year Action Plan
marks the transition from discourse to action for an international
process known as the Forests and Water Agenda, which has
been promoting the role of forests in the water cycle and water
supply since the Shiga Declaration on Forests and Water in 2002.
More than 25 organizations (including FAO), institutions and
other stakeholders have engaged in the process, including the
development of the five-year action plan.
It is a collaborative workplan that aims to consolidate and shape
projects and activities related to forest–water interactions with a
view to developing effective strategies for conserving, managing
and restoring water-related environmental services. As part of
its commitment to implementing the action plan, in 2016 FAO
developed a new programme on forests and water.
For two decades FAO has also played a leading role in the
sustainable development of mountain regions, which are beset
by high levels of forest degradation threatening vital global water
supplies. Their populations, including many indigenous people,
have high rates of poverty and food insecurity, and these regions
are amongst the most threatened by climate change. Through
the Mountain Partnership, FAO has played a key role in securing
inclusion of mountain issues in the SDGs, and is tracking the state
of mountain ecosystems through the Green Cover Index.

Urban and peri-urban forests

Coupled with climate change, accelerated urbanization is
increasingly threatening cities’ abilities to respond to the needs For many years, FAO has played an active role in raising ETHIOPIA
of urban dwellers. In view of this, trees, parks and forests are a awareness of the importance of the sound management of Dorze woman
traveling through
must for planners designing the sustainable cities and peri-urban forests and trees in and around cities. In 2016, FAO published the the mountains
landscapes of the future. Given that it removes pollution, offers Guidelines on Urban and Peri-urban Forestry, aimed at providing with a heavy load
shade and contributes to numerous health benefits, greenery is guidance on the planning, design and management of urban and of eucalyptus
branches and
crucial for the well-being of city people, who globally outnumber peri-urban forests and trees to national and local authorities. The leaves to sell at
those living in rural locations. Many cities, such as New York, Organization also fosters dialogue, collaboration and exchange the local market.
The livelihoods of
Vienna, Bogotá, Tokyo and Johannesburg, obtain a large share through international fora and meetings. It co-organized the first indigenous women
of their drinking water from protected forests. In addition, the World Forum on Urban Forests that was held in Mantova, Italy, depend on forests.
integration of green space and tree cover in urban planning is also in November 2018. The aims of the Forum were to strengthen ©FAO/TSIGIE
BEFEKADU
associated with a reduction in levels of both obesity and crime, existing international networks, support the implementation
which highlights the contribution of trees to many of the goals and of the New Urban Agenda and promote the potential of urban
targets of the 2030 Agenda. forests in the achievement of SDGs.

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Making a difference in food security and nutrition

Forests and trees provide many goods of biological origin other than wood
derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests, known as
non-wood forest products (NWFP). It is estimated that NWFP – such as edible
nuts, fruits, spices, fibres, and plant and animal products used for medicinal,
cosmetic or cultural purposes – provide food, income, and nutritional diversity
for an estimated one in five people around the world, notably women, children,
landless farmers and others in vulnerable situations. Since trees, other forest
plants and wildgame (if hunted sustainably) are often more resilient to adverse
weather conditions than agricultural crops, forest-based food items contribute
to household resilience by serving as an important safety net in times of crises
and emergencies.
Another important contribution of forests to food security is the provision of
woodfuel for cooking, for instance. According to FAO, globally around 2.4 billion
people use woodfuel to cook their food. Woodfuel is equally important for boiling
and sterilizing water, and is often the only available means that forest-dependent
communities have to ensure safe water for drinking and food processing.

PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD
INCOME FROM NON-WOOD
FOREST PRODUCTS (NWFP)

PERCENTAGE

80
CONGO BASIN

SAHEL
70

SUDAN
FORESTS, TREES AND LIVELIHOODS NORTHERN
BURKINA FASO

SOUTHERN
MOZAMBIQUE

B
60

ETHIOPIA
GHANA

esides providing key ecosystem services that

BENIN

SOUTH AFRICA
50 NORTHERN

ZAMBIA
support life on Earth, forests also contribute to ETHIOPIA
BANGLADESH

40
reducing poverty and hunger, and provide basic energy
MALAWI

services to one third of the world’s population. Evidence 30

points to around 40 percent of the extreme rural poor – around 250 20
million people – living in forest and savannah areas. Access to forest
10
products, goods and services is vital for the livelihoods and resilience
of the poorest households, as these contribute directly to food security 0
by providing food and dietary diversity, supplying wood energy for
cooking food, and enhancing the resilience of the ecological and social SOURCE: FAO. 2018. STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS.
systems surrounding agricultural lands.

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

T H E LI V ELI HOODS A N D Woodfuel is also used in food preservation (e.g. smoking, drying), which
extends the supply of food into non-productive periods.
FOOD SEC U R I T Y OF M A N Y OF For the first time ever, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), at
T H E WORLD’S RU R AL POOR its 41st Session in 2014, requested the High Level Panel of Experts on Food

DEPEN D ON FORESTS A N D Security and Nutrition to conduct a study on“sustainable forestry for food
security and nutrition”. The report was launched in June 2017 as a major
T REES, W H IC H A RE IMPORTANT contribution to the 44th Session of the CFS.
SOURCES OF FOOD, ENERGY The CFS formally recognized forestry’s role in“making a difference in food
security and nutrition”and, in October 2017, it adopted recommendations to
AND INCOME DURING support the integration of policies and action on food security and nutrition
HARD TIMES. across the agriculture sectors. The recommendations centred on the need for
an integrated policy approach to forestry, agriculture, water and food security
and nutrition by reinforcing cross-sectoral coordination. Tenure of land and
other resources was identified as key in the recommended approach, with
the CFS acknowledging the greater role that the Voluntary Guidelines on
the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the
Context of National Food Security could play.

„ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 3, CHAPTER 3.6: GUIDELINES ON LAND, FISHERIES

AND FORESTS TENURE.

Role of forests in household economy

HOW CAN WE INCREASE THE Forests and trees are also vital sources of income, livelihoods and well-being
for rural populations. Income from the forest sector helps people buy food.
SUSTAINABILITY OF When the formal sector’s indirect and induced effects are accounted for,
WOODFUEL income from forests amounts to an estimated total of 45.15 million jobs
PRODUCTION AND USE? globally and labour income in excess of USD 580 billion per year.
The potential for income generation from timber, NWFPs, and payments
for environmental services is high, but local communities need support
to strengthen their capacity for organizing, managing, marketing and
„ Developing transfer and promoting their products. The Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), created in 2012
policies to efficient, well- by FAO, IUCN and Agricord, provides direct support to more than 100 local
encourage long- regulated trade. organizations and aims to strengthen forest and farm producer organizations,
term investment in
wood energy. „ Encouraging
+ improve market access for small forest enterprises, facilitate links with
providers of financial services, promote inclusive value chains and increase
the use of clean,
producers’ income. In Myanmar, for instance, the FFF has led to greater
„ Sharing cheap, efficient
economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs, helping them develop as
information with stoves.
policymakers and business managers and negotiate access to credit from financial institutions.
the public. „ Increasing Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) representing 177 community forest

-
the area of user groups also received grants for further business development. In Viet
„ Supporting sustainably Nam, the FFF has developed businesses involving 295 forest and farm
technology managed forests. households and raising their incomes.
Furthermore, key for rural forest economies to prosper is the resolution
SOURCE: FAO. 2017. FORESTS AND ENERGY. of tenure and natural resource rights. Another factor is the creation of

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enabling conditions for smallholder and community-forestry to thrive Sustainable wildlife and protected area management
over the some 732 million hectares of the world’s forest estate where FAO’s work on wildlife and protected area management has a twofold aim: first,
these are the dominant land use types. FAO is leading global efforts to conserve native faunas together with their habitats; second, to improve the
to address these challenges through the VGGT mentioned above, livelihoods of rural communities in developing countries through normative
but also through disseminating tested national assessment tools for work, capacity building and field programme activities, in collaboration with
forest tenure and community-based forestry. If acted on, these could major international partners.
appreciably improve the livelihoods of the millions of impoverished Millions of forest-dependent people rely on wild meat for food and
people living in forests, advance ecosystem restoration, and better income. If hunting for wild meat is not managed at sustainable levels, then
protect forest biodiversity. wildlife populations will decline and rural communities may suffer rising
levels of food insecurity. To respond to this challenge, in 2017, FAO and
partners launched the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme,
which is a seven-year initiative involving African, Caribbean and Pacific
Group of States (ACP). It is funded by the European Union and implemented
by a consortium of partners including FAO, the French Research Centre for
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS International Development (CIRAD), the Center for International Forestry
OF PUBLICLY-OWNED FORESTS Research (CIFOR) and the Wildlife Conservation. The aim is to tackle
unsustainable levels of wild meat hunting, conserve their biodiversity and
natural heritage, and to strengthen people’s livelihoods and food security.
Moreover, human–wildlife conflicts (HWC) have become more frequent
100% and severe, particularly in Africa, due to increasing competition for land in
3% previously wild and uninhabited areas. Wildlife and people will continue to
9% 12%
90% 15% share landscapes and resources with conflicts likely to worsen unless actions
are taken. In view of this, FAO, CIRAD and other partners developed an HWC
80%
toolbox that provides effective measures to help resolve, prevent and mitigate
70%
the growing problem of conflict between humans and wild animals.
The need to address wildlife issues in a coordinated manner has led to
60% collaboration with conservation organizations and conventions in efforts to
maintain biodiversity. For instance, the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable
50% 95% 89% 86% 82% Wildlife Management (CPW) – a voluntary partnership of 14 international
organizations, including FAO – serves as an important forum to promote
40% sustainable use and conservation of wildlife worldwide.
30%
Sustainable wood and fuel
20%
Wood is unquestionably forests’ main product. It is harvested in the form of
sawlogs, pulplogs, wood chips etc., which are in turn converted to boards,
10% planks, paper and energy, among others. Harvesting is often done by
professional forest workers on dedicated forest land, both on natural forests
0% and planted forests. As the world population – expected to reach 9.8 billion by
1990 20 0 0 20 05 2010 2050 – and incomes increase, demand for wood harvesting is also expected to
rise. In this context, sustainable forest management is set to play an ever more
PUBLIC PRIVATE
ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS COMMUNITIES OTHER important role. Using wood more efficiently to meet this demand (doing “more
with less”) is crucial to achieving a more resource-efficient, circular and bio-
SOURCE: FAO. 2015. GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT. based economy. Planted forests are becoming ever more important in the global
wood supply, and in many countries they form the basis for the forest sector.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 97

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

GOOD FOREST GOVERNANCE often in the wrong hands or made badly. Much depends on ‘tenure’
– or who owns and controls the forests and trees. The owners may
GUA R A N T EES LEGI T I M AT E be those who need the forests and look after them well or those
T EN U RE R IGH TS A N D PRE V EN TS who degrade them with no regard for the well-being of others.
The right of stakeholders to be consulted during the
I LLEGAL LOGGI NG. development and implementation of forest-related policies,
programmes and plans should be formalized to account for the
needs of forest users and other stakeholders. To the contrary, an
absence of good governance is often at the root of illegal logging.

FAO–EU FLEGT
Well-managed planted forests can provide various forest goods and services The FAO–EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)
and help to reduce the pressure on natural forests. Farm forestry including Programme seeks to reduce and eventually eliminate illegal logging.
trees outside forests can also be a major source of food and wood products, With the support of its donors, the Programme funds projects created
while they fulfil a fundamental protective role. by governments, civil society and private sector organizations in Latin
In addition, forests supply about 40 percent of global renewable energy America, Africa and Asia to improve forest governance.
in the form of woodfuel – as much as solar, hydroelectric and wind power FAO–EU FLEGT aims to reduce illegal logging by strengthening
combined. Emphasis must now be on using woodfuel more sustainably sustainable and legal forest management, improving governance
to reduce forest degradation, as well as more cleanly and efficiently to and promoting trade of legally-produced timber. In 2016–2017, the
improve the health of millions of people, particularly women and children. programme supported 25 countries, with a new focus on private
According to FAO, up to seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions sector engagement, improving national timber-tracking and
caused by humans come from the production and use of fuelwood and control systems to monitor timber products along the supply chain.
charcoal. This happens largely due to unsustainable forest management and Overall, FLEGT has supported more than 200 projects in some 40
inefficient charcoal manufacture and fuelwood combustion. tropical timber-producing countries.
Changing the way wood is sourced and charcoal is made offers a high
potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A shift from traditional Forest concessions
kilns or furnaces to highly efficient modern kilns could reduce greenhouse Over 70 percent of forests in the tropics used for harvesting timber and
gas emissions resulting from carbonization of wood by 80 percent. At the other forest products are state-owned or public; most of the public forests
end-use level, a transition from traditional stoves to improved stoves could are managed through concessions that governments give to private
reduce emissions by around 60 percent. entities or local communities.
Finally, improved forest law enforcement and governance can help Forest concessions can be poorly managed due to a lack of
increase government revenue collection and investments in sustainable adequate skills in tropical forest management; weak governance;
forest management and efficient wood conversion technologies. One of the over-complicated rules and expectations; focus on short-term
key messages of the Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World conference, benefits, leading to overharvesting; inadequate benefit sharing,
convened by FAO and partners in late 2017, is that environmentally infringement and lack of recognition of local people’s rights; and no
friendly, socially responsible and economically sound wood value chains are economic returns.
crucial for transitioning to sustainability. In May 2018, FAO launched the first voluntary guidelines for
forest concessions in the tropics, which provide a set of principles to
EFFECTIVE AND FAIR FOREST GOVERNANCE be respected by all stakeholders during the full cycle of concessions:

F
governments, concession-holders, local communities, donors, and
orest governance – or who is allowed to decide what non-governmental organizations. They offer suggestions on how to
about forests and how – is a matter of life and death for shift from short-term harvesting objectives, which can lead to forest
millions of people around the world and is profoundly degradation or even deforestation, to long-term forest management,
relevant for us all. But decisions about forests and trees are building the case for true sustainable forestry in the tropics.

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STORIES FROM THE FIELD

FAO IN ACTION
Improving livelihoods of improve their livelihoods. Capacity-building workshops have
indigenous women in Nicaragua taught the women how to improve product quality and equipped
In the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve in them with market knowledge, while also helping to preserve their
Nicaragua, indigenous women have culture. At the same time, the FFF helps Mayangna women gain
rediscovered the tuno tree, with which they social and economic empowerment by strengthening the position
have a historical relationship. The tree, of women’s producer organizations.
from which they made their clothes until In 2015, the FFF collaborated with the Mayangna Nation’s
the arrival of Spanish colonizers, today provides them with raw board of directors and Mayangna women’s organizations to
material for their handicrafts. Mayangna women extract the bark strengthen their engagement in policy processes. Together, they
of the native tuno tree to craft bags, folders and wallets. They are addressed issues such as food security, domestic violence, and
an example of how forests contribute to preserving the culture the improvement of production systems. Meetings were also
and improving the livelihoods of millions of communities, held in each Mayangna territory to discuss strategies to improve
particularly strengthening the economy of thousands of the position of women’s organizations. Increasing internal unity
indigenous women. and organization were identified as priorities, as was the need to
The Forest and Farm Facility partnership (FFF), hosted by increase the participation of these women in public institutions
FAO, has supported Mayangna women to sell local products and and decision-making.

National Forest Inventories in

Bangladesh and Papua New
Guinea
THREE PILLARS FOR For more than 50 years, FAO has been
supporting countries to collect forest
GOOD FOREST GOVERNANCE information that meets national and
international needs – because better
information leads to improved decisions, which leads to more
„ Pillar 1. „ Pillar 2. „ Pillar 3. effective action in the forest sector and beyond. Today, FAO is
Policy, legal, Planning and Implementation, supporting multipurpose national forest inventories (NFIs) in 20
institutional and decision-making enforcement countries. National forest inventories under way in Bangladesh
regulatory frameworks processes – and compliance and Papua New Guinea are integrating biodiversity and socio-
– the long-term the degree of – the extent economic, field and remote sensing information to enable
systems of policies, transparency, to which the informed decision-making on forest management and use.
laws, rules and accountability and policy, legal, In both countries, this is the first time that such comprehensive
regulations within inclusiveness of key institutional
NFIs have been undertaken. The Bangladesh Forest Department is
the forest sector and forest governance and regulatory
leading Bangladesh’s NFI process, which is the first to fully deploy
in other sectors that processes and frameworks are
impinge on forests. institutions. implemented. the free, open-source inventory tools developed by FAO. In Papua
New Guinea, the Forest Authority is responsible for implementing
SOURCE: FAO. 2013. IMPROVING GOVERNANCE OF FOREST TENURE. the NFI, which, among other things, is systematically assessing the
A PRACTICAL GUIDE. country’s forest biodiversity.

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FACTS AND FIGURES

The NFIs are going beyond measuring timber volume and estimating
carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions to examine various other
important aspects of forests. In Bangladesh, there is an emphasis on
understanding socio-economic dimensions and the valuation of the spiritual,
cultural and recreational roles of forests. And in Papua New Guinea, the NFI
is the first in the country’s history to integrate a full set of forest biodiversity
indicators in each sample plot – assessing the biodiversity of trees, other plants,
invertebrates and vertebrates.

„ Forests cover one redistributing up to 95 air temperature between Blazing a trail for timber traceability
third of the world’s total percent of the water 2 and 8 percent. in Benin
land area. they absorb to where it’s Every year, the National Timber Office of Benin
needed most. „ Trees can reduce air
(ONAB) produces around 50 000 cubic metres
„ Forest loss has conditioning needs by 30
slowed down by 50 „ Trees are a great carbon percent and help to save of logs from 14 000 hectares of state plantations.
percent between the sink, with the world’s forests energy used for heating Local businesses buy the timber, mainly teak,
periods 1990–2000 removing an estimated by 20–50 percent. before processing and exporting much of it to
and 2012–2015. 2.1 gigatonnes of carbon international markets. However, since 2013 businesses have struggled to
dioxide annually. This „ Urban trees are export timber to the European Union (EU) – one of the world’s largest
„ In the 2010–2015 plays a fundamental role in excellent air filters, single importers of wood – following the entry into force of the EU Timber
period, forest area helping to combat climate removing harmful Regulation, which works to minimize the risk of illegally harvested timber
decreased 3.3 million change. pollutants in the air.
entering the EU market.
hectares per year.
„ Around 2.4 billion „ Of the world’s 370 For developing countries such as Benin, one of the fastest ways to
„ Forests and trees people worldwide use million indigenous people, open EU doors is to get certification that timber has been legally produced
provide a livelihood woodfuel for cooking the preponderance live in – a process that starts with a solid traceability system, ONATRACK. This
to about 1.6 billion meals, drinking and and around forests. assigns a unique identifying code to individual trees, so that timber can
people in the world and heating their households. be traced back to its origin throughout the processing chain – from felling
play an important role in „ Forests are home to and storage to transport, and sometimes even as far as a finished product.
biodiversity conservation. „ Forests have an more than 80 percent
When ONAB’s existing paper-based traceability system was found
abundant supply of of all terrestrial species of
„ About 76 percent nutritious foods, such animals, plants and insects. to be unreliable, the office sought support from the FAO–EU FLEGT
of global forest area is as nuts, fruits, seeds Programme to switch to a barcode system as a first step towards
publicly owned. and even insects, which „ Around 1.6 billion certification. ONATRACK comprises a software programme to generate
are rich in protein and people depend on forests unique barcodes for trees and their stumps and logs, and a smartphone
„ Illegal logging important minerals.  for their livelihood. This application for scanning and recording information in the field. Even
accounts for 10–30 includes some 70 million when workers deep in the forest are unable to get a phone signal, data
percent of the global „ Woodfuel provides 40 indigenous people. is stored and automatically updated in a central database when they are
wood market. percent of today’s global
back within range.
renewable energy „ Of the world’s various
„ A quarter of all supply and demand for habitat types, between By providing real-time information, the system not only discourages
modern medicines come bioenergy is soaring. 11 and 23 percent total fraudulent actions in the numbering, transport and marketing of state
from tropical forest plants.  area of each of the timber but also works as a decision-making tool for ONAB in its efforts
„ The strategic world’s temperate, tropical to manage state plantations sustainably.“Apart from its original function
„ Trees in forests placement of trees in and boreal forest biomes of establishing the ‘pure traceability’ of our wood products, ONATRACK
are natural aqueducts, urban areas can reduce are in protected areas. has enabled us to devise new working procedures directly related to
SOURCES: FAO. 2018. TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT FORESTS; improving the profitability of our plantations,” says Clément Kouchadé,
UNCCD. 2017. GOAL 15: LIFE ON LAND- FACTS AND FIGURES, TARGETS, WHY IT MATTERS. Director General of ONAB at the time.

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FAO’S FORESTRY TIMELINE

1945 „Founding of the Mountain

Partnership, with secretariat
2011 2014
„First Session of the FAO „The International „Forest and Landscape
Conference recognizes the in FAO. Year of Forests in 2011 Restoration Mechanism
importance of forestry both “Forests for People” was a established.
for the production of goods 2005 celebration of the central „Sustainable Forest
and services and their „FAO’s third Ministerial role of people in the Management Toolbox
relation to agriculture. Meeting focuses on management, conservation (SFM) released.
international cooperation to and sustainable development „First State of the World’s
1946 prevent and control forest fires;
its declaration is adopted by
of the world’s forests. Forest Genetic Resources.
„Establishment of the FAO
Division of Forestry and ministers and senior officials „Open Foris, providing 2015
Forest Products, with Marcel from 127 countries. online access to FAO open- „Fourteenth World Forest
Leloup as its first Director. „Launch of FRA 2005, source tools for forest data Congress celebrated in
„Ninth World Forestry
1959 Congress in Mexico City,
covering six themes collection and analysis, is Durban, South Africa, on
1947 „African Forestry
with the theme “Forest
of sustainable forest launched. “Forests and People: Investing
„European Forestry Commission and North management: extent of in a Sustainable Future.”
resources in the integral
Commission (EFC) established. American Forestry
development of society.”
forest resources, forest 2012
„Publication of the first Commission established. health, biological diversity, „Launch of Voluntary
„Advisory Committee on productive functions of
issue of Unasylva, the
international forestry review Pulp and Paper established. 1995 forest resources, protective
Guidelines on the
Responsible Governance
„First State of the World’s functions of forest resources,
of FAO’s Division of Forestry of tenure of Land, Fisheries
and Forest Products. 1964 Forests report, subsequently
published every two years.
socio-economic functions of and Forests in the Context
„FAO’s Forest Products „Advisory Committee forest resources. of National Food Security
on Wood-Based Panel „First Ministerial Meeting
Statistics Programme promote secure forest
formally approved by the Products established. on Forests, attended
by over 30 ministers
2006 tenure rights as a means
third FAO Conference. „Publication of voluntary of eradicating hunger and
1969 responsible for forests from guidelines for responsible poverty and supporting
different countries.
1948 „FAO Conference management of sustainable development. „FRA 2015 used pre-
„Latin American and approves establishment planted forests, and filled forms, eliminated
Caribbean Forestry of the FAO Forestry 1996 voluntary guidelines „The United Nations some difficult variables,
Commission (LACFC) is Department. „At the first World Food for fire management, General Assembly and introduced the
established. Summit, FAO Members both prepared through proclaimed 21 March Collaborative Forest
„First global forest 1972 pledge to promote the collaborative processes. the International Day Resources Questionnaire,
inventory compiled (Forest „First meeting of the sustainable production and of Forests (IDF) in 2012. developed with regional
Resources of the World). Committee on Forestry use of forest products to 2008 The Day celebrates and data collection partners
(COFO), FAO’s highest enhance food security. „Launch of the United raises awareness of the to help reduce countries’
1949 forestry statuary body. Nations Collaborative importance of all types forest-related reporting
„Asia-Pacific Forestry 1999 Programme on Reducing of forests. On each burden.
Commission (APFC) is 1978 „FAO Conference Emissions from Deforestation International Day of Forests,
established. „Eighth World Forestry approves the FAO Strategic and Forest Degradation in countries are encouraged 2018
Congress held in Jakarta, Plan for Forestry. developing countries (REDD+). to organize activities „Launch of new online
1951 Indonesia. It emphasizes „Second Ministerial involving forests and trees. platform for reporting
„FAO Conference requests forests’ social benefits and Meeting on “Sustainability 2010 on the status and
that FAO collect and publish their importance for people. Issues in Forestry, „FRA 2010 added 2013 trends of the world’s
information on the forest National and International the seventh theme „International Conference forest resources.
resources of all countries of 1985 Challenges.” of sustainable forest on Forests for Food The platform enables
the world at five-year intervals. „International Year of management (legal, Security and Nutrition. countries to increase the
Forests declared by the 2002 policy and institutional „Collaborative Partnership efficiency of their reporting
1952 FAO Council in 1984; the „FAO is lead agency for framework) and was on Sustainable Wildlife process and improve the
„Near East Forestry theme for the year was the International Year of supplemented by a Global Management (SWM) consistency, reliability and
Commission (NEFC) established. Forestry and Food Security. Mountains. Remote Sensing Survey. established. transparency of forest data.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 101

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

102 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6

SA F EGUA RDING OUR

OCE A NS AND F ISHER IES

O
MOZAMBIQUE ceans and seas support livelihoods
A fisherman returning and whole communities, providing
to shore after
mooring his boat nutritious food and potential for
after a day of fishing prosperity for hundreds of millions of
in the Indian Ocean.
people around the world. Covering more than 70
©FAO/PABALLO
THEKISO
percent of the surface of our planet, oceans and seas
provide half of the world’s oxygen, sequester carbon, and serve
as home to 80 percent of life on Earth.
A stand-alone goal in the form of SDG 14, which aims to
conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development, clearly illustrates their
crucial role for human well-being and the health of our planet.
International recognition of the importance of conserving
our ocean resources is helping build global momentum
around this issue. However, SDG 14 goes far beyond
conservation to focus on the people and coastal communities,
particularly those in developing countries, who rely on these
marine resources.
Oceans, along with coastal and marine resources, play an
essential role in human well-being and social and economic
development worldwide. They are particularly crucial for
coastal communities, who represented 37 percent of the

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 103

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

global population in 2010. Oceans provide livelihoods and and technical capacities of member countries to improve
tourism benefits, as well as subsistence and income. conservation and utilization of aquatic resources.
Fisheries sustain millions of jobs, and fishers often pass
down traditions and knowledge from generation to generation. FAO’S ROLE AS CUSTODIAN
Fish is among the most widely traded food commodities, at a FOR SDG 14 INDICATORS

I
value of USD 145 billion annually. Sixty percent of the volume
of fish trade originates in developing countries, providing n March 2017, the UN Statistical
opportunities to workers in the fisheries and aquaculture Commission endorsed 230 indicators to
sectors. Moreover, fish has the potential to help meet the monitor the SDG's 169 targets. These global
demand for nutritious food of the nearly 10 billion projected indicators will help countries measure the progress
to live on earth in 2050. Healthy oceans and seas are more they are making towards achieving objectives, learn from
important than ever, and FAO's Strategic Programme 2 aims experiences and understand which areas to prioritize.
to strengthen global governance as well as the managerial Although FAO is actively involved with all aspects of SDG

WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION (MILLION TONNES) 1

CATEGORY 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.

PRODUCTION
Capture
Inland 10.7 11.2 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.6
Marine 81.5 78.4 79.4 79.9 81.2 79.3
TOTAL CAPTURE 92.2 89.5 90.6 91.2 92.7 90.9
Aquaculture
Inland 38.6 42.0 44.8 46.9 48.6 51.4
Marine 23.2 24.4 25.4 26.8 27.5 28.7
TOTAL AQUACULTURE 61.8 66.4 70.2 73.7 76.1 80.0
1 Excludes aquatic
mammals, crocodiles,
TOTAL WORLD FISHERIES
alligators and caimans,
AND AQUACULTURE 154.0 156.0 160.7 164.9 168.7 170.9 seaweeds and other
aquatic plants.
UTILIZATION 2
2 Utilization data
Human consumption 130.0 136.4 140.1 144.8 148.4 151.2 for 2014–2016 are
Non-food uses 24.0 19.6 20.6 20.0 20.3 19.7 provisional estimates.
Population (billions)
3
7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.4 3 Source of population
Per capita apparent consumption (kg) 18.5 19.2 19.5 19.9 20.2 20.3 figures: UN, 2015.

104 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS AND FISHERIES

14, it has a special role to play working with the following

indicators for which FAO acts as custodian:
SIX T Y PERCENT OF
THE VOLUME OF FISH
„ 14.4.1 Proportion of fish stocks within
biologically sustainable levels
TR ADE ORIGINATES
FAO’s analysis of assessed stocks concludes that the IN DEVELOPING
share of stocks within biologically sustainable levels has COUNTRIES, PROV I DI NG
exhibited a downward trend, declining from 90 percent
in 1974 to 66.9 in 2015. Thus, 33.1 percent of stocks in
OPPORT U N I T I ES TO WOR KERS
2015 were fished at biologically unsustainable levels and I N T H E F ISH ER I ES A N D
therefore overfished. AQUAC U LT U RE SEC TORS.
„ 14.6.1 Progress by countries in the degree of
implementation of international instruments
aiming to combat illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing
Two years after its entry into force, significant progress in
adherence to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES AND
is being made. Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
implementation questionnaires indicate numerous
AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION
countries have developed and implemented national plans
of action to combat IUU fishing.
180

„ 14.7.1 Sustainable fisheries as a percentage 160

of GDP in Small Island Developing States
AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION
(SIDS), least-developed countries and all 140
CAPTURE PRODUCTION
countries
Access to relevant data on the value of fisheries within 120
MILLION TONNES

the national economy offers an opportunity to examine

the comparative success of specific country policies 100

on fisheries management and economic development,

80
providing valuable insights for fishery-dependent
countries, including SIDS. 60

„ 14.b.1 Progress by countries in adopting 40

and implementing a legal/regulatory/policy/
institutional framework that recognizes and 20
protects access rights for small-scale fisheries
0
The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-
Scale Fisheries includes specific chapters on the responsible 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015
governance of tenure and on value chains, post-harvest and
trade, providing an important tool for achieving SDG 14.b.1. NOTE: Excludes aquatic mammals, crocodiles, aligators and caimans, seaweeds and other aquatic plants.
FAO supports countries and regions actively engaged in the SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.
implementation of these Voluntary Guidelines.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 105

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

CONTRIBUTION OF FISH
TO ANIMAL PROTEIN SUPPLY
(AVERAGE 2013–2015)
THE SPECIAL ROLE OF FISH IN
HUMAN NUTRITION

S
eas and oceans have the potential
to help meet the demand for
nutritious food of the almost ten
billion people projected to live
on Earth in 2050. As recognized at the Second
International Conference on Nutrition in 2014, fish has
an important role to play in human nutrition. More
than 3.1 billion people around the world depend on
fish for at least 20 percent of their total animal protein
intake. Population growth and economic development
will increase demand for fish as part of a healthy diet.
Fish is not only a source of protein and healthy
FISH PROTEINS
PER CAPITA PER DAY fats, but also a unique source of essential nutrients,
including long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, iodine,
<2g 4−6 g vitamin D, and calcium. The multiple benefits of fatty
> 10 g > 20% contribution
fish high in omega-3s and small fish eaten whole,
2−4 g 6−10 g No data
of fish to animal protein supply which contain nutrients in the skin and bones, clearly
illustrate seafood’s irreplaceable nutritional value.
An increased focus on fish and nutrition aids
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.

both developing countries and the developed world.

FISH: NATURE'S “SUPERFOOD” In many developing countries, fish is the main or
only source of animal protein, and is essential to
providing micronutrients. Dietary patterns are also
shifting in developed and middle-income countries,
and an increasing emphasis on non-communicable
diseases and overall health has led to an increased
demand for fish.
LONG- IODINE VITAMIN D IRON CALCIUM, Furthermore, fish plays a crucial role in a child’s
CHAIN Seafood is in Another During ZINC, healthy development. Expectant women throughout the
OMEGA-3 practice the only nutrient crucial pregnancy, OTHER world face demanding nutritional needs. The so-called
FATS natural source for mental iron intake is MINERALS 1 000 day window of a child’s life – from pregnancy to
Mainly found of this crucial development, crucial so Diets without
the child’s second birthday – is now recognized as a
in fish and nutrient. Iodine this vitamin that the mother dairy products
key time to promote proper nutrition for development.
seafood, these serves several also regulates can often lack
fatty acids are the immune produce calcium, Fish consumption by expectant mothers aids their
purposes like
essential for aiding thyroid system additional and zinc children’s neurodevelopment, from promoting optimal
optimal brain function. It is function and blood for deficiency brain development to ensuring strong bone growth and
development. also essential is essential for herself and slows a child’s providing sufficient levels of iron and zinc.
for neuro- bone health. the baby. development. Sustainable fisheries management practices that
development. safeguard our fisheries resources for future generations
are more crucial than ever.

106 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS AND FISHERIES

HOW FAO CONTRIBUTES TO ACHIEVING SDG 14

THE CODE OF CONDUCT
FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

„ What it is: A negotiated instrument. The Code represents a State Measures Agreement, the Catch Documentation Schemes,
global consensus on a wide range of fisheries and aquaculture and the Blue Growth Initiative.
issues. Member countries and all those involved in fisheries and
„ What it does: Lays forth principles of sustainable fisheries aquaculture have been working to implement the Code through
and aquaculture management their policies. FAO is responsible for monitoring implementation
„ Since: 1995 and supporting countries in their efforts to implement the Code,
providing capacity support when necessary.
Over 20 years after its approval, the Code of Conduct for Back in 1995, FAO Members drafted, negotiated and adopted a
Responsible Fisheries remains more relevant than ever. forward-looking instrument that seized upon the growing global
Throughout its two decades, the Code’s principles have given interest in sustainable development.
rise to various instruments that seek to improve the conservation, The Code, which consists of a collection of principles, goals
management and development of the fisheries and aquaculture and elements for action, took more than two years to elaborate,
sector. These include technical guidelines and plans of action, involving representatives from FAO Members, inter-governmental
ecosystem approaches to fisheries and aquaculture, the Voluntary organizations, the fishing industry and non-governmental
Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, the Port organizations.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

Provides principles and standards applicable to the conservation,

management and development of all fisheries, including:

Relationship with Implementation Requirements of Fisheries Fishing

other international and monitoring developing management operations
instruments countries

Aquaculture Coastal area Post-harvest Trade Fisheries

development management research
SOURCE: FAO. 2018.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 107

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

At the time, the fisheries and aquaculture coast guards and navies to strengthen
sectors were experiencing enormous inspections and control procedures
changes. The high production levels at ports and on vessels. Under the
in the fisheries sector and increasing terms of the treaty, vessels must
concerns in the early 1990s about the request permission for port entry.
risks of overfishing, shifted the debate Port entry and port services must
from greater production to sustainable be denied to offending vessels
production. after regular inspections, and
In 1991, FAO’s Committee on international ports must exchange
Fisheries (COFI) first called on FAO for information about suspect vessels.
the development of new concepts for On 5 June 2016, the Port State
responsible, sustainable fisheries. The Measures Agreement officially
International Conference on Responsible entered into force as an international
Fishing held in Cancún, Mexico, in 1992 treaty. This was a tremendous achievement,
followed up on this process. The process and one that could only have been reached in this
was further boosted by the United current environment of international collaboration on
Nations Conference on Environment oceans. Positive momentum to end IUU fishing worldwide
and Development, the Earth Summit, later advances, as countries continue to accede to or ratify this
that year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Earth important treaty.
Summit positioned sustainable development The Agreement itself recognizes the special requirements
high on the international agenda, paving the way for of developing states and includes provisions to establish funding
negotiations and adoption of the Code. mechanisms for implementation to countries that have become Party
This responded to the need to better integrate conservation and to the Agreement. These mechanisms are intended to be directed
environmental considerations into fisheries management and to towards developing and enhancing capacity for monitoring, control
ensure food security for future generations. and surveillance and compliance activities relevant to port state
measures, as well as training for port managers, inspectors and
FAO PORT STATE MEASURES AGREEMENT enforcement and legal personnel.
TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE
ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, AND UNREGULATED „ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 3, CHAPTER 3.5: LEGAL INSTRUMENTS FOR
FISHING RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

„ What it is: A negotiated international treaty GLOBAL RECORD OF FISHING VESSELS,

„ What it does: Prevents illegally caught fish from entering REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT VESSELS AND
international markets through ports SUPPLY VESSELS
„ Since: 2016
„ What it is: A state-certified repository of vessels involved in
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is believed to fishing operations
represent 20 percent of total catches per year. Estimates place the cost „ What it does: Provides a tool for eliminating illegal fishing
of illegal fishing between USD 10–23 billion annually. „ Since: 2017
In 2009, a key measure designed to prevent illegally caught fish
from ever entering international markets through ports was adopted The Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport
by FAO Members: The Port State Measures Agreement to Prevent, Vessels and Supply Vessels emerged from a process begun in 2005
Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. The with the adoption of the Rome Declaration on illegal, unreported and
Agreement promotes collaboration between fishers, port authorities, unregulated (IUU) fishing.

108 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS AND FISHERIES

The Global Record is a single tool in which state authorities and

regional fisheries management organizations compile information
FAO MON I TOR I NG AC T I V I T I ES
about all vessels authorized for fishing operations in their A N D I NST RU M EN TS, BOT H
countries or regions. Each vessel is registered into the database BI N DI NG A N D NON-BI N DI NG,
with a unique vessel identifier (UVI), which remains with a vessel
throughout its lifespan, regardless of change of the vessel’s name, PL AY A N IMPORTANT ROLE
ownership or flag. IN ACHIEVING THE
The database is crucial for the work of inspectors, port state
authorities and flag state authorities, making it easier to identify
OBJECTIVES OF SDG 14.
vessels not regularly identified and registered by the proper
national and regional authorities.
Combined with the Port State Measures Agreement and
catch documentation schemes, the Global Record forms part of a
powerful set of instruments and measures aimed at eliminating
illegal fishing, and ensuring consumers that the fish reaching their
plates can be legally traced from the moment of harvesting and
along the value chain leading to its purchase. process. These Guidelines are considered the standard to which
new catch documentation schemes at the national, regional
THE VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES FOR CATCH or international level will adhere. Additionally, because the
DOCUMENTATION SCHEMES guidelines call on countries to comply with existing international
laws as well as agreements established under the World Trade
„ What it is: Negotiated voluntary guidelines Organization, relying on them to develop catch documentation
„ What it does: Provides better and more harmonized schemes will allow countries to avoid unwanted trade.
traceability of fish along the value chain
„ Since: 2017 VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES FOR SECURING
SUSTAINABLE SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES IN
The Voluntary Guidelines for Catch Documentation Schemes THE CONTEXT OF FOOD SECURITY AND
are aimed at combating illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) POVERTY ERADICATION
fishing. Catch documentation schemes are tracking and tracing
systems that monitor the fish from the point of catch through the „ What it is: Negotiated voluntary guidelines
whole supply chain to its final destination, thereby documenting the „ What it does: Recognizes and supports the important role
legality of the seafood catch. of small-scale fishing communities
A five-year negotiation process led by FAO successfully carried „ Since: 2014
out the task set out for it in the Fisheries Resolution adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly in December 2013, calling upon In 2014, FAO’s Committee on Fisheries adopted an
FAO Members to elaborate, in accordance with international law instrument negotiated by FAO Members – the Voluntary
and agreements established under the World Trade Organization, Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in
guidelines for catch documentation schemes that would help to the Context of Food security and Poverty Eradication. The
guarantee ‘sea to plate’ traceability of all seafood products. Guidelines are the first internationally agreed instrument for the
The guidelines were unanimously approved in 2017 by a member small-scale fisheries sector.
country-driven FAO technical committee, and officially adopted by the This ground-breaking instrument recognizes the key role
FAO Conference at its Fortieth Session in July 2017. small-scale fishing communities – comprising more than
Although voluntary, the Guidelines enjoy a high level of buy- 90 percent of the world’s capture fishers and fish workers – play
in by governments after the lengthy and participatory negotiation in contributing to poverty alleviation and food security.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 109

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

The Guidelines support investing in health, literacy, and

education, eradicating forced labour, promoting social security
WORLD EMPLOYMENT FOR FISHERS AND protection, mandating gender mainstreaming, and building fisheries’
FISH FARMERS BY REGION (THOUSANDS) resistance to climate change and extreme weather events.
FAO supports countries as they work towards implementing the
Voluntary Guidelines in their national policies and programmes.
REGION 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Over four decades ago, the Government of Norway and FAO
FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE began a collaboration, alongside Norway’s Institute of Marine
Africa 5 027 5 250 5 885 6 009 5 674 5 992 5 671 Research, to create a marine research partnership that was far ahead
of its time. In the 1970s and 1980s, before environmental awareness
Asia 49 345 48 926 49 040 47 662 47 730 50 606 50 468
was widespread, scientists on the Nansen embarked on survey
Europe 662 656 647 240 394 455 445 voyages around the globe, measuring the health of our oceans.
Latin America 2 185 2 231 2 251 2 433 2 444 2 482 2 466
and the Caribbean EAF-NANSEN PROGRAMME
North America 324 324 323 325 325 220 218
„ What it is: A marine research programme, which includes a
Oceania 124 128 127 47 46 343 342 research ship
Total 57 667 57 514 58 272 56 716 56 612 60 098 59 609 „ What it does: Conducts marine research for the benefit of
FISHERIES developing countries
„ Since: 1974
Africa 4 796 4 993 5 587 5 742 5 413 5 687 5 367
Asia 31 430 29 923 30 865 29 574 30 190 32 078 31 990 The only marine research vessel to fly the UN flag, the R/V
Europe 560 553 544 163 328 367 354 Dr. Fridtjof Nansen has carried out its research primarily in
Africa but also in Asia, in some of the least observed waters on
Latin America 1 937 1 966 1 982 2 085 2 092 2 104 2 085
and the Caribbean the planet. And in over forty years of conducting this marine
research for the benefit of developing countries and global
North America 315 315 314 316 316 211 209 ocean research, the successive Nansen vessels have sailed the
Oceania 119 122 121 42 40 334 334 impressive equivalent of sixty times around the globe.
Total fishers 39 157 37 872 39 411 37 922 38 379 40 781 40 339 Nansen surveys provide a platform for many developing countries
that lack the proper infrastructure to conduct such marine research
AQUACULTURE
independently. Without these resources, many of these countries
Africa 231 257 298 267 261 305 304 would face challenging obstacles in assessing their fisheries resources,
Asia 17 915 18 373 18 175 18 088 17 540 18 528 18 478 a crucial step to make sound fisheries management decisions. All
of the collected data are input into a dedicated database and made
Europe 102 103 103 77 66 88 91
available to the countries and regions. This unique partnership allows
Latin America 248 265 269 348 352 378 381 many developing countries to achieve their efforts of managing
and the Caribbean sustainable fisheries and to obtain critical information key to their
North America 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 reporting on SDG 14 achievements.
Oceania 5 6 6 5 6 9 8 Over the years, the Nansen has welcomed aboard hundreds
of scientists from around the world, but primarily those from
Total fish 18 512 19 015 18 861 18 794 18 235 19 316 19 271 developing countries. A robust gender policy ensures that many of
farmers
these young scientists and researchers are women. Many of these
marine researchers may not have had the opportunity to conduct
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.
research at sea before setting sail on the Nansen. Yet they join the

110 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

international crew with great enthusiasm, sharing their areas WEST AFRICA BLUE GROWTH INITIATIVE
of expertise and local knowledge, and absorbing the knowledge Above, the ship
sailing through the
of the other scientists on board. At journey’s end, the scientists waters of West
„ What it is: Programme and overarching policy
return to their countries to apply their newly acquired Africa. Below, left „ What it does: Supports sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
knowledge and experience within their universities, research to right: Amphipod development and SDG 14
collected in the
institutes and ministries. stomach of a fish. „ Since: 2013
The newest Nansen vessel, the third since the start of this Photo taken during
programme, was launched in Oslo’s harbour 24 March 2017. a research trip FAO launched its Blue Growth Initiative in 2013 and it has featured
on the coast of
The new Nansen is the most advanced marine research vessel Dakar. And finally, in high-level fora such as the Global Action summit in the Hague, the
of its kind. New laboratories facilitate research in climate image taken during Netherlands. It grew from the“blue economy”concept that emerged
the Nansen Boat
change and the study of marine plastics in addition to its exploration in the
from the Rio+20 Conference in 2012, and emphasizes the three pillars
fisheries management research activities. The new Nansen waters of Ghana. of sustainable development – economic, social and environment. Blue
began its marine research off the coast of northwestern Africa © IMR/REIDAR Growth prioritizes the sustainable management of natural aquatic resources,
TORESEN. DEBORAH
in May 2017, has since operated in the waters of over 25 CATENA. HINDE fully taking into consideration environmental, social and economic needs.
ABDELOUAHAB
countries and will continue to carry out its research in support / EAF-NANSEN
Blue Growth emphasizes efficient resource use in capture fisheries and
of SDG 14 in 2019. PROGRAMME aquaculture, ecosystem services, trade, livelihoods and food systems.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 111

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

BLUE GROW TH PR IOR I T I ZES T H E The approach minimizes environmental degradation,

biodiversity loss and the unsustainable use of resources,
SUSTA I NABLE M A NAGEM EN T while maximizing the economic and social benefits that
OF NAT U R AL AQUAT IC build strong communities. The approach also aims at

RESOU RC ES, F U LLY TA K I NG creating an enabling environment for workers involved

in fisheries and aquaculture, and those workers along the
I N TO CONSI DER AT ION entire seafood value chain, to act not only as resources
EN V I RON M EN TAL, SOC I AL A N D users, but also to play an active role in protecting and
safeguarding these natural resources for the benefit of
ECONOM IC N EEDS. future generations.
The Blue Growth Initiative and the objectives of
SDG 14 are complementary. The activities undertaken
in countries to achieve SDG 14 and to mainstream
Blue Growth into national and regional policies and
programmes are important steps forward in conserving
GLOBAL TRENDS IN THE STATE OF THE ocean resources and strengthening coastal communities.
WORLD'S MARINE FISH STOCKS
THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND
100
AQUACULTURE

„ What it is: An FAO flagship publication

OVERFISHED
„ What it does: Presents and analyses latest
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.

80 official fisheries and aquaculture statistics and trends

major exporters
„ Since: 1994

60 In 1994, FAO began publishing its flagship

PERCENTAGE

MAXIMALLY SUSTAINABLY FISHED publication for fisheries, The State of World Fisheries
and Aquaculture. This premier advocacy document is
published every two years to provide policymakers,
40 civil society and those whose livelihoods depend on the
sector a comprehensive, objective and global view of
capture fisheries and aquaculture, including associated
policy issues.
20 The report is the only publication synthesizing
UNDERFISHED information on global fisheries and aquaculture,
covering a range of topics relevant to the sector. Each
issue presents the latest official statistics on fisheries and
0 aquaculture to evaluate a global analysis of trends in
1975 1980 1985 1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 fish stocks, production, processing, utilization, trade and
consumption. It also reports on the status of the world’s
BIOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE BIOLOGICALLY UNSUSTAINABLE fishing fleets and analyses activities related to the people i
nvolved in all stages along the fish value chain.

112 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS AND FISHERIES

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES

AND AQUACULTURE 2018
The State of World Fisheries policymakers, civil society and those STORIES FROM THE FIELD
and Aquaculture is the flagship whose livelihoods depend on the sector
publication of the FAO Fisheries
and Aquaculture Department.
a comprehensive, objective and global
view of capture fisheries and aquaculture, TEN EXAMPLES
This premier advocacy document is
published every two years to provide
including associated policy issue.
FROM AROUND
THE WORLD
THESE SHORT STORIES DESCRIBE PROJECTS AND
PROGRAMMES IN DIFFERENT AREAS ACROSS THE
GLOBE IN WHICH FAO AND PARTNERS ARE ALREADY
SUPPORTING COUNTRIES TO ACHIEVE SDG 14 AND
MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES OF THE 2030 AGENDA.

Improving the efficiency

of Thai trawl fishing fleets
The profitability of the global
commercial fishing fleet is
presently challenged by volatility
in oil prices, despite recent global
reductions in the price of oil.
Coupled with concern over greenhouse gas emissions
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE.

THE STATE OF THE WORLD FISHERIES

from the combustion of fossil fuel, greater focus is
AND AQUACULTURE
www.fao.org/publications/sofia/en/ also now being placed on energy-intense fisheries
and the application of fuel-saving practices to fishing
vessels and fishing gear. One FAO activity in Thailand
focuses attention on the issue of fuel use and links to
greenhouse gas mitigation from the capture fisheries
sector. The Thai context is fairly typical of the fishing
industry in the Southeast Asia region – labour costs
in Thailand are generally low and fuel consumption
comprises a full 70 percent of costs for Thai trawl
fishing operations. Reducing fuel use provides multiple
economic and environmental benefits. An energy
audit was carried out to systematically evaluate the
potential cost and environmental impacts of fuel
saving practices in fisheries. Interviews carried out for
this audit showed that the captains generally did not
understand the important role they play in lowering
fuel consumption. Implementing changes to lower
the fuel consumption of Thai trawl fishing vessels can
help the industry decrease greenhouse gas emissions,
thereby lowering the carbon footprint.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 113

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

Supporting maritime fishing nation [ABOVE LEFT]

Morocco to develop aquaculture THAILAND
With its long coastline, Morocco possesses a strong Decreasing fuel
consumption can
tradition of maritime fisheries. Its national fisheries help the fishing
production totalled 1.3 million tonnes in 2014, industry decrease
greenhouse gas
making it the largest maritime fisheries producer in emissions.
Africa and the twenty-fifth in the world. Fisheries © FAO/P.
SUURONEN
contribute 2.3 percent to the GDP. It is estimated that 3 million people in
Morocco depend on fisheries for their livelihoods. Despite this generally [ABOVE RIGHT]
positive outlook, Morocco is concerned about how to meet increased MOROCCO
demand for fish products, particularly in light of challenges related to Fishermen
preparing to leave
climate change, without placing additional strain on its marine resources. the fishing port of
For this reason, Morocco is working with FAO to sustainably expand its Dikky.
aquaculture sector. Morocco and FAO believe that aquaculture can be a © FAO/A. SENNA

solution to meeting increasing internal demand for fish as part of a healthy

diet, and crucial to expanding trade. Additionally, aquaculture activities
have a strong potential to contribute to improving the living standards of
all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable manner.

114 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C A P Í T U LO 1. 5
PROTEGER LOS OCÉANOS Y LA PESCA

[ABOVE] Training women boat builders the new vessels, and private-sector companies are already showing
GEORGIA
in Somalia interest in purchasing boats directly from the boat yards. This
Circular fishing Rebuilding the fisheries sector in Somalia, success bodes well for men and women trainees, as it is expected to
nets used to
catch quality following years of conflict, is crucial for generate longer-term employment in the sector.
anchovies in the strengthening food security and nutrition
Port of Poti in the
Black Sea. among the Somali population. In Somalia
© FAO/R. URBANI today, over one million people face severe Boosting fish trade in Georgia
food insecurity. Generating employment in the fisheries sector is This country in the Caucuses enjoys
[LEFT]
SOMALIA key. A Norwegian-funded component of the fisheries programme significant fish resources. Along its Black
developed with FAO has focused on the need to build better and Sea coastline, annual catch of anchovies
Training a new
generation of safer vessels for small-scale Somali fishers, replacing the unsafe totals 60 000 tonnes. Most of that is
Somali women boats currently being used by the majority of coastal fishers. sold fresh to neighbouring countries or
boat builders.
The new vessels are being constructed in Mogadishu, Berbera processed into fish oil. Georgia would
© FAO/M.
SAVINS and Bossaso entirely by Somalis. The boat building project like to export directly to the world’s largest fish importing
has experienced a great deal of enthusiasm from the trainees market, the European Union (EU), to earn higher revenues, but
themselves, who are eager to put their new skills to work. Among it does not yet meet a number of EU criteria for fish inspection,
these trainees are women who were selected to learn valuable certification, laboratories and related legislation. FAO is providing
vessel building skills. The success of the sea trials of these boats support to Georgia, assessing its landing sites, factories and fish
built to FAO safety standards has generated significant interest in markets with an eye to meeting EU requirements, training its

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 115

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

fish inspectors and, alongside Georgia’s National Food

Agency, reviewing all aspects of EU regulations on
traceability and labelling, including checklists to be
completed at each inspection. This important work in
partnership with the Georgian Government, will help
build capacity for Georgia’s fisheries production and
provide the country with greater trade opportunities
and revenues in the future.

Building back better after

Typhoon Hainan in the
Philippines
In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan damaged
30 000 fishing boats, comprising
two-thirds of the assets of Filipino
fishing communities. The typhoon
also resulted in massive destruction to forests that
shelter fisheries and provide boat building materials for
the traditional wooden Filipino vessels, called bancas.
In order to minimize the environmental stress while
building back the fleet with better and safer vessels, FAO
developed a hybrid banca vessel. This new fishing vessel,
which local workers were trained to build, is constructed
with a fibreglass keel rather than the traditional wooden
structure. However, the vessel’s new and improved
design preserves the traditional boat form, while still
being built to full FAO safety standards. This creates a
safer, more efficient vessel, while still staying faithful to
traditional designs. Innovation that minimizes resource
use must still appeal to tradition and be accepted by the
local fishing communities.

Transforming women’s
lives in Côte d’Ivoire
PHILIPPINES through simple
Local ship technologies
builders are
trained to Smoked fish is extremely popular
construct a in western Africa. Women in
hybrid banca
fishing vessel. Côte d’Ivoire handle all tasks
© FAO related to fish smoking over traditional smoking ovens,
which have adverse effects on their health and the
health of their children, who are often nearby as they

116 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS
AND FISHERIES

smoke. These women spend long hours over these ovens, often [ABOVE LEFT] over the past two decades, the Convention on International Trade
in poorly ventilated areas, as they smoke the fish. Adopting CÔTE in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) now lists
simple and relatively inexpensive technologies can often D’IVOIRE the Napoleon fish among its protected species. The inclusion of
revolutionize the lives of these women. FTT-Thiaroye ovens A woman smoking the Napoleon fish on the CITES listing calls for strict management
fish on a oven in
were developed jointly with FAO and introduced in 2014 in the suburban area conditions to be put in place that would not be detrimental to the
Côte d’Ivoire as a simple, but efficient, alternative to traditional of Port-Bouet. sustainability of remaining stocks. As local fishers in Indonesia’s
© FAO/S.
fish smoking. The ovens are cleaner and require less wood for KAMBOU Anambas and Natuna islands witnessed the decline of Napoleon
smoking. Benefits for women have proved to be numerous: fish in their reefs, they began to adjust to what is being called
[ABOVE RIGHT]
healthier working environment, lower instances of respiratory capture-based aquaculture. FAO has been working with the
problems, better quality of products that also fetch higher prices, INDONESIA Government of Indonesia, CITES and partners to review the
The Napoleon
and extra time to attend literacy clases. fish in the coral interesting and innovative fisheries management experiment
reefs. currently under way in these Indonesian islands. The fishing
© FAO/Y. communities collect large numbers of the juvenile fish when they
SADOVY
Experimental capture-based are 2–3.5 centimetres over a short harvest period, transferring
aquaculture of Napoleon fish in them to culture nets where they feed them and wait for them to
Indonesia ‘grow-out’ to market size, preferably 600 g – 1 kg. This can take
The humphead wrasse is an iconic reef fish, the slow-growing Napoleon fish from 3 to 5 years. Although
more commonly known as the Napoleon still in the early stages, this Indonesian example is proving a
fish, that is found in shallow, tropical waters promising attempt to merging the livelihoods requirements of the
of the Indian and Pacific Oceans where it fishing communities with conservation efforts that will allow the
can grow to the size of a large man. With its numbers decreasing Napoleon fish to return in greater numbers to Indonesia’s reefs.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 117

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

Pacific fisheries key to food security, SAMOA production from the small-scale fisheries sector to supply safe and
improved livelihoods and nutrition Locally caught fish nutritious fish for domestic consumption is one solution and can help
There is growing concern by Pacific Island at the market in to support more nutritious diets. These opportunities complement
Apia, Samoa.
leaders that the present trend towards low © FAO/T. successful offshore fisheries where most fish is destined for sale and
rates of economic growth experienced CALLAGHAN consumption in foreign markets. For many Pacific island countries
in many Pacific Island countries over the and territories, tuna and other oceanic species are also readily
last decade will continue. And with the accessible to coastal communities. Together with other key regional
majority of Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) facing a partners, FAO and the Pacific SIDS are working collaboratively on
growing “triple burden” of malnutrition, in which undernutrition, a new coastal fisheries supply chain project aimed at increasing the
micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition co-exist within the same sustainable and safe supply of fish for domestic consumption and
populations, a new collaborative effort between FAO and the Pacific livelihood improvement.
Community has begun. Efforts aim at enhancing the contribution
made by sustainable fisheries to food security, nutrition and livelihood
improvement. In the Pacific, coastal fishing contributes the bulk of Prioritizing Blue Growth in
locally consumed fish. Local consumption of fish is estimated to Cabo Verde
be 2–3 times that of global averages and is especially high in atoll This African archipelago Small Island
nations, and is thought to provide 50–90 percent of dietary animal Developing State is surrounded by
protein in coastal communities in the Pacific. Currently, many coastal ocean. Working with FAO, Cabo Verde
shallow water resources are depleted. Supplementing shallow water decided to harness the potential of the
coastal resources with tuna and other oceanic species by growing seas surrounding it by designing and

118 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.6
SAFEGUARDING OUR OCEANS AND FISHERIES

implementing a Blue Growth Charter. Adopted in 2015,

this Blue Growth Charter prioritizes environmental,
economic and social development of ocean-related
priorities. These priority activities include climate change
research, conservation of sharks, developing marine-
protected areas, strengthening fisheries communities,
improving sanitation and quality of fish products through
better practices and storage, favouring local fish products
in tourism and empowering women’s groups to market
their fish directly to restaurants and hotels, developing
ecotourism, improving marine transport networks to
facilitate tourism and exploration of other islands, and
creating jobs for young people who are too often forced
to seek work abroad. Blue Growth policies and activities
cut across ministries and jurisdictions, and a cohesive
approach allows Cabo Verde to prioritize Blue Growth
activities for the benefit of its people.

Reducing bycatch in Latin

America and the Caribbean
In recent years, the bycatch –
the fish or other marine species
caught unintentionally when
targeting different species – of
fishery resources has become a
growing concern. Public scrutiny has grown alongside a
heightened interest in conservation issues and concerns
about the magnitude of food loss and waste. The levels of
bycatch can vary tremendously from industry to industry.
[ABOVE]
For example, on average, the quantity of bycatch for a
SURINAME
tropical shrimp trawl can reach a level from 3 to 15 times
Tropical shrimp.
higher than the targeted species. About 1.9 million tonnes ©FAO/ TOMAS
of bycatch is discarded annually from shrimp trawlers WILLEMS
alone. FAO work in Latin America and the Caribbean
[RIGHT]
is addressing these concerns by reducing bycatch and
CABO
promoting more responsible fisheries practices. Brazil, VERDE
Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Suriname and Trinidad Women vendors
and Tobago are six countries participating in an prepare to
sell fish.
initiative aimed at reducing food losses and encouraging © FAO/J.
sustainable livelihoods by improving the management of CATANZANO
bycatch and minimizing discards and sea-bed damage. In
this way, the project aims at transforming bottom trawl
fisheries into responsible fisheries.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 119

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

CHAPTER 2.7

CONF LIC T AND

FOOD SEC U R I T Y

INVESTING IN RESILIENCE AND FOOD COLOMBIA

SECURITY NOT ONLY FIGHTS HUNGER, Over 250 000
people were
BUT ALSO SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE PEACE killed and millions
displaced in

F
Colombia’s
or more than a decade, the number of 52-year armed
violent conflicts around the world has conflict. A peace
deal was signed
been increasing significantly, hitting rural in 2016, with
communities the hardest. This surge in conflict more and more
displaced farmers
is driving greater food insecurity, fuelling violence and creating returning.
new tensions. The situation has also deteriorated in some
peaceful settings, particularly those affected by economic ©FAO/Marco
slowdowns. A number of countries heavily dependent on de Gaetano
commodity exports have suffered dramatically reduced
export and fiscal revenues in recent years, which has affected
both food availability through reduced import capacity and
food access through reduced fiscal potential to protect poor
households against rising domestic food prices.
The proportion of undernourished people is almost three
times as high in countries experiencing conflict and protracted
crises as in other developing countries. Malnutrition tends
to affect children the most and, when it happens within the
first 1 000 days of a child’s life, may cause lifelong mental and
physical handicaps. Conflict has lasting, multigenerational
impacts on human development.

120 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 121
 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FOOD I NSEC U R I T Y
C A N E X AC ERBAT E
CONFLIC T DRIVERS
AND TENSIONS.

CONFLICT AND HUNGER

LED TO WIDESPREAD
DISPLACEMENT OF TENS
OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
IN 2016

Number of displaced people due

to conflict in the six largest global
food crises in 2016 (in millions).

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

4.8M

IRAQ
3.1M

YEMEN CENTRAL Food insecurity can exacerbate conflict drivers and tensions:
3.2M AFRICAN sharp increases in food prices in many countries in 2008 –
REPUBLIC
SOUTH SUDAN accompanied by cuts in food and fuel subsidies – reduced people’s
On the road from
3M Bossangoa to incomes, especially in urban areas, and triggered food riots in many
Bouca. Farmers are countries. Dispossession of assets, such as land or cattle, or other
suffering from the
NORTHEAST NIGERIA effects of conflict threats to food security can also fuel conflict. Reduced access to food
2.1M and unable to may compound other forms of grievance and discontent, such as
resume agricultural
SOMALIA activities. poverty, unemployment or marginalization.
2.1M ©FAO/BURGEON
Conflict and violence have also led to the displacement of millions
of people, causing and protracting food insecurity in host communities.
SOURCE: FAO. 2017. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND For example, the civil war in the Syrian Arab Republic has caused some
NUTRITION IN THE WORLD. 6.6 million people to flee their homes to other locations within the
country and another 5.6 million to other countries.

122 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 FOOD PRICE RISES TRIGGERED
FOOD-RELATED RIOTS AND PROTESTS
IN 2008 AND 2011
For decades, FAO has worked in and across both the
humanitarian and development spheres to protect, save and
restore livelihoods, reduce food insecurity and malnutrition, FOOD PRICE INDEX
and improve resilience of livelihoods and agricultural systems. Algeria (4), Saudi Arabia (1 )
Haiti (5), Egypt (3), Mauritania (1), Sudan (1), Yemen (300+)
260 Côte d’Ivoire (1 )
FAO supports investments in capacity at the local, national, Somalia (5) Oman (2), Morocco (5)
Sudan (3) Tunisia (1) Egypt (800+) Iraq (29), Bahrain (31)
regional and global levels to reduce poverty and build Syrian Arab Republic (900+)
240 Cameroon (40) Libya (10 000+ )
sustainable food and agricultural systems. Yemen (12) Tunisia (300+) Uganda (5)
Supporting agriculture-based livelihoods, ensuring
220 India (1),
effective coverage of social protection systems, addressing Mozambique (6) Sudan (1)
issues of land tenure and of access to natural resources, and Mozambique (13)
200 Mauritania (2)
fostering employment opportunities for youth can effectively
contribute to sustaining peace and post-conflict recovery. They India (4)

can also help people stay on their land when they feel it is 180 Somalia (5)
safe to do so, and create conducive conditions for the return of
refugees and the internally displaced. 160
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
acknowledges these challenges and recognizes peace as a vital 140
threshold condition for development, as well as a development
outcome in its own right. The first two Sustainable Burundi (1 )
120
Development Goals focus on the eradication of poverty
and hunger, and on achieving food security and making
agriculture sustainable. The 2030 Agenda sees achievement
of these goals as critical to achieving the further objective of 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
ensuring the establishment of peaceful and inclusive societies.
Recognizing that preventing crises and sustaining peace
NOTES: Time dependence of FAO Food Price Index from January 2004 to May 2011. Red dotted vertical lines
are shared Charter-based responsibilities across the entire correspond to beginning dates of “food riots” and protests associated with unrest in North Africa and the Near East.
UN system, the 2030 Agenda opens the way to new and Overall death toll in parentheses. Price data are FAO Food Price Index from 2004 to 2011.
collaborative approaches that integrate humanitarian assistance SOURCE: FAO. 2017. THE STATE OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION IN THE WORLD.
and conflict-prevention through resilience-building efforts.
The UN system must work in an integrated and coherent
manner to provide timely humanitarian assistance, build
resilience to reduce risk, mitigate and prevent conflict, and FAO’S CONTRIBUTIONS
sustain peace. FAO and its partners have a key role to play TO SUSTAINING PEACE

I
on all of these fronts, with successful experiences to build on.
Peace dividends, particularly at the local level, can be derived t is critical to harness international assistance to
from conflict-sensitive interventions supporting agriculture boost resilience, overcoming the divide between humanitarian
and food security. and development investments. Targeted goals should be food
Reducing armed conflict and extreme poverty – and security and the protection of rural livelihoods. Investment in
addressing their consequences – are key to ending hunger. agriculture, in particular around natural resource management and
Along with the eradication of hunger, peace is essential for access, also helps improve the prospects for local peace. Through its
achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Strategic Programme 5 (“Increase the resilience of livelihoods to
Food security and agriculture have a meaningful and threats and crises”), FAO works in a number of ways around the world
often unnoticed contribution to make in addressing this to create the conditions for peace and food security. By bringing together
global challenge. humanitarian and development actions, the Organization strives to

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 123

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

both meet the immediate needs of those impacted by crises, while NIGER challenges and constraints, Syrian farmers produced 2 million metric
simultaneously addressing root causes of hunger and seeking to open Women returning
tonnes of wheat.
new opportunities tailored to local livelihoods and agri-food systems. home with bags
of improved millet Managing information for early action
and green bean
Maintaining food security during conflict seeds from an FAO Informing stakeholders and building technical consensus on the
FAO activities improve household food security and nutrition, ease distribution centre. severity of food insecurity is vital, particularly during conflicts
pressures on host communities and help reduce tensions in conflict ©FAO/ISSOUF when humanitarian access may be compromised. Together with
SANOGO
situations where food supplies and markets are severely strained. For 13 partners, including UN agencies, international NGOs, donor-
instance, despite conflict during 2016, agricultural production was still related bodies and regional intergovernmental bodies working on
possible in many parts of the Syrian Arab Republic. Even amid the food security, FAO promotes a common approach and standards
violence, FAO was operating in 13 of the country’s 14 governorates, for food security analysis through the Integrated Food Security
working to help families stay on their land (when safe to do so) and Phase Classification (IPC). IPC is a set of standardized tools
continue producing food to feed themselves, their communities currently used in over 30 countries to generate evidence and
and the country. With improved seeds from FAO, farmers were information on the severity and causes of food and nutrition crises
able to make the most of cultivable areas. In 2017, despite enormous as well as persistent food insecurity. FAO plays a fundamental

124 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 6
KEY MESSAGES MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS
C O N F L I C T A N D F TOWARDS
OOD SECURITY
SUSTAINING PEACE
UN headquarters – FAO Director-General José
Graziano da Silva speaks at a side event during the
„ Most conflicts mainly „ Causal effects of the UN General Assembly in September 2018.
affect rural areas and conflict–food security ©FAO/KEVIN DOWNS
their populations. This is nexus vary across conflict
particularly true for civil zones, but common
conflicts, nowadays the features are disruption of
most common form of food production and food
armed conflict. systems, plundering of
crops and livestock, loss
„ Conflict has strong and of assets and incomes and
unambiguous adverse threats to food security
effects on food security (including sudden food
and nutrition. It is the price increases), but in
major driver of food conjunction with other
insecurity and malnutrition, forms of grievance and
both acute and chronic. discontent.

„ Conflict has lasting impacts „ Food insecurity can be a

on human development source of conflict, but it is New FAO Corporate ensuring they are practical and
as a result of increased never the only catalyst. Framework can become embedded across the
malnutrition, which tends In 2018, FAO published its Corporate Organization.
to affect children the „ Building resilience Framework to support sustainable peace
most and leave lifelong through peace building in the context of Agenda 2030. The UN Security Council Resolution
physical and/or mental efforts is critical for food objective of the framework is to guide the 2417
handicaps. security and nutrition. Organization ensuring that its work on food In May 2018, the UN Security Council
security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture unanimously adopted a landmark resolution
seeks in a deliberate manner to have a on preventing hunger in conflict zones.
transformative impact on sustaining peace. Resolution 2417 is an unambiguous
role in sounding the alarm and in mobilizing global and national
Following April 2016 Security Council condemnation of starvation as a tool
responses when conflicts impact food security.
and General Assembly resolutions on of war. It calls on all parties to armed
peace-building, the concept “sustaining conflict to comply with their obligations
Supporting rehabilitation and reintegration peace” encompasses activities aimed under International Humanitarian Law to
When families are displaced by armed conflict, communities become at preventing the outbreak, escalation, minimize the impact of military actions on
resource poor, and livelihood opportunities and food sources become continuation and recurrence of conflict, civilians, including on food production and
limited. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) including addressing root causes and distribution, and to allow humanitarian
programmes aim to support the voluntary disarmament and discharge moving towards recovery, reconstruction access in a safe and timely manner to
of combatants from armed groups. FAO works closely with UN peace- and development. civilians needing life-saving food, nutritional
building and peacekeeping actors reintegrating former combatants in and medical assistance.
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and the Philippines. Since FAO–Interpeace Partnership
2005, FAO has been actively engaged in the rehabilitation of agriculture- To help operationalize its Corporate A panel discussion at the UN General
Framework, FAO has sought to harness Assembly in September 2018 –
and fisheries-based livelihoods in conflict- and disaster-affected areas in
the expertise of the international peace- opened by the UN Secretary General
Mindanao (Philippines). DDR helps former combatants both by replacing
building organization, Interpeace, made and including senior officials from FAO,
lost productive assets and by supporting interventions geared towards available through the International Peace- IFAD, WFP, the European Commission,
sustainable farming practices. building Advisory Team (IPAT). The two the Government of the Netherlands
organizations signed a Memorandum of and the head of Action Contre la Faim
Controlling disease, contributing to peace Understanding in September 2017 and – focused on how to operationalize
Conflict has profound implications for animal health, and for access to milk, are developing and testing tools tailored Resolution 2417, promote investments
meat and blood, and livestock ownership. These impacts directly affect to and rooted in FAO’s work that will in food security that sustain peace,
food security and nutrition. FAO vaccination campaigns offer an important enable more systematic and robust and improve access to quality data on
channel through which to build social trust and establish intercommunity conflict-sensitive programming – while hunger in fragile contexts.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 125

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

dialogue, which contribute to improved prospects for local peace. For instance,
WORKING FOR PEACE eliminating Rinderpest in 2011 would not have been possible without a conflict-
sensitive approach to animal health, as the last vestiges of the disease were
AS A VITAL CONDITION FOR harboured in communities plagued by revenge cycles of violent livestock raids.
ACHIEVING ZERO HUNGER In East Africa, community-based animal health workers negotiated peace pacts

AND THE SDGs between rival pastoral groups, both in order to gain access to vulnerable herds
and as a pre-condition for Rinderpest vaccinations.

Mitigating and preventing pastoralist conflict

„ FAO has long been Democratic Republic of The cross-border pastoralist communities of Kenya and Uganda have been
concerned by the impact the Congo, Mali and the conflict hotspots for many years. The conflicts are mainly linked to cattle raiding
of war on food security Philippines. among the Pokot tribe in Kenya and the Karamojong in Uganda. This has
and with how hunger
helps drive instability „ Most conflicts mainly affect
and conflict, but the those living in rural areas,
Organization also knows where food is produced.
that actions to bring about Agriculture accounts for two- CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY
food security can help
prevent crises, mitigate their
thirds of employment and
one-third of GDP in countries
FACTS AND FIGURES
impacts and promote post- in protracted crises.
crisis recovery and healing.
„ The proportion of „ Areas where conflict and
FAO’s experience on the „ Supporting agriculture –
undernourished people living climate shocks interact to drive
ground shows that investing helping the most vulnerable
in food security helps fight through social protection in countries in conflict and food crises have very high to
hunger and builds peace. and building up their protracted crises is almost three high prevalence rates of acute
resilience, addressing times higher than that in other malnutrition in children under five
„ FAO plays a fundamental issues of land tenure and developing countries. years of age – these include
role both in warning access to natural resources, „ Post-conflict countries with high Darfur in the Sudan (28 percent),
when conflicts impact and creating employment food insecurity are 40 percent South Sudan (23 percent), the
food security and opportunities for youth – more likely to relapse into conflict Lake Chadr egion (18 percent),
mobilizing global and can contribute effectively within a ten-year timespan. Yemen (10–15 percent), the
national responses. For to peace-building. Diffa region of the Niger
example, in the Syrian „ Since 2000, 48 percent of civil (11 percent), the Democratic
Arab Republic, FAO is „ The 2030 Agenda for conflicts have been in Africa Republic of the Congo (8–10
working with partners Sustainable Development where access to rural land percent), and Afghanistan (9.5
to strengthen the food recognizes that peace underpins the livelihoods of many, percent).
security and resilience of is a vital condition for and in 27 out of 30 interstate
conflicts in Africa, land issues „ 56 percent of the population in
those who remain on their development by focusing
played a significant role. countries affected by conflict live
land, most of whom are on eradicating hunger,
women and children. FAO poverty and malnutrition to in rural areas.
„ Civil strife caused a loss of 438
has also worked closely achieve peaceful societies Kcal in average per capita daily „ 74 million people in
with UN peace-building that leave no one behind. food-energy intake in Somalia, 18 conflict-affected countries
efforts to reintegrate about 20 percent of minimum experienced acute hunger
former combatants in the daily food requirements. in 2017.

SOURCE: FAO. 2016. PEACE AND FOOD SECURITY; FAO. 2018. FAO’S
SOURCE: FAO. 2016. PEACE AND FOOD SECURITY. CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINING PEACE.

126 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.7
CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY

been compounded by consecutive years of drought. FAO has

been strengthening the capacity of pastoral communities most
vulnerable to drought by setting up Pastoralist Field Schools (PFS)
IMPACT OF LATE 20TH CENTURY CIVIL WARS
not only as a way to help reduce and prevent inter-community ON HUNGER IN TERMS OF AVERAGE PER
conflicts, but also as a means to promote a learning environment CAPITA LOST FOOD ENERGY
where community members exchange information and best
practices and learn about grass-roots ways of coping with drought
risks and related challenges.

Promoting sustainable land conflict resolution

FAO contributes to reducing land-based disagreements through
its role in Participatory Negotiated Territorial Development (PNTD)
projects. PNTD is a confidence-building, facilitated dialogue approach SOMALIA ETHIOPIA
that brings together to the negotiating table different and often 438 kcal LIBERIA UGANDA
opposing stakeholders to discuss and seek solutions to issues around lost
362 kcal
land tenure, customary land rights and the sustainable use of natural lost
resources. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, land 56 kcal
120 kcal lost
disputes represent 80 percent of all conflicts in the eastern part of the lost
country. A joint UN Habitat-FAO-UNDP project using the PNTD
has brought together the main contesting parties – for example, land
SOURCE: FAO. 2016. PEACE AND FOOD SECURITY.
administration and customary authorities, farmers, private actors and
armed groups – to engage in a participatory territorial analysis to help
identify the underlying causes of issues surrounding natural resource
access. As a result of the PNTD, land disputes related to refugee return CORRELATION BETWEEN
and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have decreased.
VIOLENCE AND HUNGER
Strengthening resilience amid conflict
FAO’s promotion of fuel-efficient mud stoves since the 1990s 63% 29.5%

Colombia
Violence index 26,1%
provides a sustainable, multifaceted solution for improving 2,75 55,6% Hunger percentage 2,54
nutrition and reducing disease risk in conflict-affected and 2,53
2,50 42,8%
protracted crisis situations. Fuel-efficient stoves reduce fuel 14,6%
2,25 2,1 2,46
1,60
consumption per meal and cut smoke emissions from traditional

Yemen
2,00 1,95

Nicaragua
1,82 26,8%
fires. The materials used to make the stoves are available locally, 1,75

Peru

Afghanistan
supporting replicability and cost-efficiency. Local production and 1,50
sales of fuel-efficient stoves become an income-generating activity 1,12 54,5% 31,6%
1,25 1,39
8,8%
for women. The use of fuel-efficient stoves confirms that they have
Angola

1,00
Sierra
Leone
Rwanda

1,09
numerous cross-sectoral benefits, including supporting resilient 0,75
28,9%

livelihoods, improving nutrition and health, contributing to forest 0,50

0,61

conservation and environmental protection, and fighting climate 0,25 0,52

0,27
change by reducing carbon emissions. From a human security 0,1
0,22 7,5%
14,2%
perspective, this kind of approach decreases the risks of sexual and 0,05
22,3%
gender-based violence women face when collecting fuelwood, and 22,3% 16,6%

helps reduce conflict over scarce natural resources between host SOURCE: FAO. 2016. PEACE AND FOOD SECURITY.
communities and displaced people.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 127

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

FAO’S WORK IN
CONFLICT ZONES
FAO IS PRESENT AND ACTIVE ON THE GROUND IN COUNTRIES
FACING THE MOST SEVERE FOOD SECURITY CRISES.

Yemen
FAO has remained in Yemen throughout
the escalation of the current conflict – from
2015 onwards – which has precipitated the
world’s largest food security crisis.
In 2018, as part of its Emergency Livelihoods
Response Plan (ELRP), FAO mobilized
USD 52 million to provide agricultural livelihood inputs and services
to more than 436 465 of the most vulnerable and
food-insecure households (3.1 million people). In 2019, FAO’s ELRP
requires USD 135 million to support 990 900 households (7 million
people) over a 12-month period in the districts with high levels of food
insecurity as classified by the IPC. YEMEN JFFLS have increased school enrolment, performance and attendance
The overall objective of the 2019 ELRP is to accelerate Women prepare of vulnerable children in primary schools, and helped to improve the
livelihoods recovery for sustained food security and income raw milk to sell diet of children who usually could not grow or buy vegetables. They have
at the local
opportunities for the most vulnerable households through market in also helped participating children become role models and develop self-
improved availability and access to food, economic empowerment, Al Hudaydah. confidence, knowledge and skills to take greater control of their lives.
agricultural infrastructure improvement, capacity development and ©FAO/MOAYED
ALSHAIBANI
effective coordination of interventions. Sudan and South Sudan – Abyei
Administrative Area
Uganda An FAO intervention from July 2015 to June
In Uganda, FAO and its partners have 2017 in the contested Abyei Administrative Area
implemented Junior Farmer Field and Life between the Sudan and South Sudan reduced
Schools (JFFLS) to address the immediate the risk of natural resource-based conflicts and
needs of vulnerable children living in rural enhanced community resilience. Abyei Area is a
communities affected by conflict. The grazing hub in which historically both the Dinka Ngok and the Misseriya
project has targeted boys and girls aged 12 tribal communities interact, sharing natural resources such as grazing
to 18, from the following households: those that have haven been land and water. However, in recent years, natural resource use has been
displaced, or directly or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS; those with an increasing source of confrontation, leading to frequent outbreaks of
severely disabled parents; those with children in and out of school; violence between the communities.
or those with children otherwise in distress. Planned around the local FAO identified a window of opportunity by providing community-
agricultural calendar, the programme has enabled children to develop based animal health veterinary services to both communities. This
agricultural, entrepreneurial and social skills through classroom-based allowed wider natural resource use issues to be addressed. In June 2016,
studies and practical sessions in the field, complemented by life-skills as a direct result of this work, a community-level peace agreement over
sessions, local theatre, art, dance and music. natural resource use was signed between the Misseriya and Dinka Ngok.

128 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.7
CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY

MALNU TRITION TENDS

TO AF FECT CHILDREN
MOST A N D C A N C AUSE
LI F ELONG M EN TAL A N D
PH YSIC AL H A N DIC A PS

CHILD LABOUR IN
AGRICULTURE IN PROTACTED
CRISES, FRAGILE AND
HUMANITARIAN CONTEXTS

One in four children in protracted crises, and

grows up in an area humanitarian contexts. The
North-eastern Nigeria
affected by conflict or guidance aims to ensure that
FAO and the World Food Programme
natural hazards. Each children are not engaged
(WFP) launched a joint effort in July 2018 to year, these conditions push in activities that could
support conflict-affected people in north-eastern children into agricultural work negatively affect their health,
Nigeria to increase their food production and that is unsuitable for their age development or education,
reduce dependence on food assistance. Using a as they seek to provide for and are not employed
‘twin track’ approach, FAO focused on providing themselves and their families. in hazardous working
enough seed and fertilizer to produce up to eight months’ worth of food Around the world, millions conditions. It makes the case
during the 2018 rainy season, with WFP covering the food needs of of children are trapped in
that agriculture, food security
households until the crucial harvests in September. exploitative and dangerous
and nutrition programming
“Families in north-eastern Nigeria have been affected by conflict work that affects their physical
in the aftermath of a crisis
for years, and many have gone through terrible times. We need to work and mental development
can potentially have both
harder and together to put people back on the track of self-reliance, to and deprives them of the
opportunity to learn. positive and negative effects
rebuild their livelihoods and to restore their dignity. This joint assistance on children. It also provides
by FAO and WFP is a step in that direction,” said WFP Representative in recommendations and
FAO’s ’Child labour in
Nigeria, Myrta Kaulard. examples to address situations
agriculture in protacted crises,
“FAO is assisting both the growing number of farmers who have of child labour in agriculture in
fragile and humanitarian
returned to their villages to resume production, as well as the many still contexts’ guidance note these contexts.
forced to live in camps,” said FAO Representative in Nigeria, Suffyan provides technical and
Koroma.  “In addition to distributing inputs like seed, we are expanding operational guidance SOURCE: FAO. 2017. CHILD
LABOUR IN AGRICULTURE IN
our farmer field schools and savings and loans programmes in the to stakeholders in the PROTRACTED CRISES, FRAGILE
region to strengthen both farming skills and access to finance for agri- agriculture, food security and AND HUMANITARIAN
business development.” nutrition sector intervening CONTEXTS. PILOT VERSION.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 129

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO AND THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES ALLIANCE

The FAO-Nobel Peace The Alliance is supporting FAO’s management and peace-building, as
Laureates Alliance for Food initiatives for food security in situations well as highlighting FAO’s technical
Security and Peace was such as in the Central African Republic leadership in agricultural and food
established by the FAO and Colombia, garnering political security policies and actions that
Director-General in May 2016 commitment for previously opposing promote peace, rural development and
to enhance the role of food security in factions to join forces to improve nutrition, food security.
peace-building efforts, while ensuring access to food, local food systems,
that peace-building reinforces food land tenure security or other contextually FAO-Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance
security. The Alliance is an advocacy relevant aspects. At the same time, these members include: Betty Williams
group of Nobel Peace Laureates efforts contribute to reducing the potential (Ireland), Mairead Maguire (Ireland),
ITALY [ABOVE] From left to right: Professor Muhammad
that aims to contribute to creating the for conflict and instability. Adolfo Pérez Esquivel (Argentina), Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank, FAO Director-General
necessary political will to eradicate Oscar Arias Sánchez (Costa Rica), José Graziano da Silva, and Ms Tawakkol Karman,
hunger within our generation and With the support of FAO Members, Frederik Willem de Klerk (South Africa), former Member of the UN Post-2015, during the launch of
the Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance for Food Security and
to build sustainable peace. It gives the Alliance is raising awareness and Graça Machal (South Africa), José Peace at FAO headquarters.
visibility to the work of the Organization championing global and country- Ramos-Horta (Timor-Leste), Muhammad [BELOW] Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos
in post-conflict countries in the context level activities promoting the links Yunus (Bangladesh), Tawakkol Karman (left) shakes hand with FAO Director-General José
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable between food security, agriculture- (Yemen), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia) and Graziano da Silva (right) and European Commissioner
for International Cooperation and Development,
Development. based livelihoods, natural resource Juan Manuel Santos (Colombia). Neven Mimica.

SOURCE: WWW.FAO.ORG/NOBEL-FOR-FOODSECURITY-PEACE/EN/

130 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.7
CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY

During the rainy season spanning June to September, FAO conflict took a heavy toll on rural livelihoods and industries, as
assisted 1 million people or more to become more food secure well as the food supply and agribusiness value chain on which
through farming. The Organization distributed disease and smallholders depend for their daily subsistence.
drought-tolerant varieties of crop seed and fertilizer using a kit FAO, with support from the Government of Belgium,
system. In Kit 1, FAO distributed maize, millet or sorghum delivered assistance to help returning and displaced farmers to
alongside cowpea seed and fertilizer. Kits 2 and 3 were solely re-establish their livelihoods and food security. With a
for female-headed households and contained vegetable and USD 500 000 contribution from Belgium through the FAO-
cash crop seed, respectively. The vegetable kit featured okra and SFERA (Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation
amaranth, a green leafy vegetable. Income-boosting groundnut Activities), FAO distributed rice, corn and vegetable seeds,
and sesame, relished by women for their good market prices, fertilizer, farming tools and broiler chicken production packages
rounded out Kit 3. to 4 949 farming families in Marawi, Lanao del Sur and
Maguindanao.
Central African Republic FAO’s emergency and recovery response to the Marawi crisis
FAO is implementing a project funded by focused on rehabilitating the agriculture and fisheries sector,
the Government of Italy entitled “Support restoring the food supply chain in affected communities, and
for the Establishment of a Pilot Centre for helping farmers reclaim their lost livelihoods so that they can
Training and Socio-economic Integration begin rebuilding their lives.
of Conflict-Affected Youth”. The project
targets 1 500 people, 70 percent of whom are Colombia
unemployed young people affected by the crisis and who come from By the end of the internal armed conflict in
the two main religious communities in the country. In the short Colombia in 2016, some 4.9 million people
term, the direct beneficiaries will be the young people who will were in need of humanitarian assistance
participate in the first training cycles from 2017 to 2019. in Colombia, of whom 2.3 million required
The project was made possible thanks to the initiative of FAO’s food assistance. FAO designed a work
Director-General, through the FAO Nobel Peace Laureates Alliance strategy for Colombia to help support the
for Food Security and Peace. According to the FAO Representative implementation of the country’s momentous peace agreement,
in the Central African Republic, “only the resumption of which is firmly rooted in agricultural development.
development in all agricultural sectors will give hope for a better The three-year FAO Resilience Programme in Colombia,
future and thus work constructively towards the stabilization of launched in 2017, is working to strengthen the technical
the country, better social cohesion and long-term peace “. With a capacities of institutions and communities to protect livelihoods;
total cost of USD 2 million, the project is being implemented by address the management of agro-climate and social crises;
FAO in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, support vulnerable rural communities; generate strategies for the
the Italian Government, the Yunus Foundation, the Karman inclusion of small-scale vulnerable farmers in family agriculture
Foundation and the Holy See. It will support groups in organizing markets; support historical memory by fostering traditional
and implementing community savings and loan schemes as well as methods of production and consumption; and ensure the human
promoting social cohesion and inter-religious dialogue. right to food.
The programme is also helping to strengthen social cohesion
Philippines by using training methods based on active participation by
Communities in Marawi City and outlying communities, as well as to create a space for humanitarian
municipalities in the Provinces of Lanao action in areas where illegal armed groups are still present.
del Sur and Maguindanao have started Direct beneficiaries include four government institutions, five
on the road to recovery following the departmental governments, 13 municipal councils, as well as
destruction left by the Marawi crisis that 2 600 families participating in implementation of interventions
lasted from May to October 2017. The on the ground.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 131

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

132 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8

COM BAT ING RU R AL

POV ERT Y AND
PROMOT ING
FA MILY FA R MING

A
KYRGYZSTAN lthough progress has been made in reducing
Farmers harvesting
corn. Small-scale
the number of the poor in the past decades,
community-based about 736 million people continue to live
agriculture to in extreme poverty, and inequalities are still
enhance and
diversify agricultural pervasive between economic classes, rural and urban areas,
production and rural regions, ethnic groups and between men and women. Most of
livelihoods.
the world’s extremely poor people, about 80 percent, live in rural
©FAO/SERGEY
KOZMIN areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and food
security. Yet, they are often constrained by limited access to
resources, services, technologies, markets, social protection and
economic opportunities, as well as lack of support to manage risks
and shocks, which lower agricultural productivity and income in
rural areas. In many low- and middle-income countries, poverty
and its consequences – malnutrition and hunger – are aggravated
by global challenges such as fast population growth, conflict and
climate change, which exacerbate the vulnerability of poor people
and hinder rural development.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 133

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

“BY SUPPORTING FAMILY Evidence shows that in low-income countries, investing in the

FAR MING WE CAN TR ANSFOR M agricultural sectors – especially in small-scale agriculture – has a
greater impact on reducing poverty than investing in other sectors. But
A SEC TOR T H AT H AS BEEN reducing rural poverty requires a multisectoral approach that addresses
N EGAT I V ELY ASSOC I AT ED TO social, economic and political change. FAO works to achieve inclusive
and sustainable growth to improve rural livelihoods with a coherent
T H E PROBLEM OF H U NGER I N TO and comprehensive approach. As part of its mandate, and through its
BEI NG PA RT OF T H E SOLU T ION”. Strategic Programme 3 (“Reduce rural poverty”), FAO supports
countries to achieve the goals of poverty reduction by making ongoing
processes of structural and rural transformation more pro-poor and
JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA, FAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL inclusive, ensuring that no one is left behind.

CHARACTERIZING THE RURAL EXTREME POOR

E
xisting knowledge points to some distinctive
features of the rural extreme poor, who are more
dependent on agricultural income and on natural resources
for their livelihood, and are more likely to live in forests and
savannahs. While they are not always smallholders, the extreme poor
often have very few assets and engage in low-quality and low-paid labour,
often seasonal or temporary. Hunger and malnutrition are often critical,
as the rural extreme poor are usually the most affected by food price
FACTS & FIGURES shocks. They are also more likely to suffer from social exclusion based on
ethnicity, gender and religion. Extreme rural poverty is specific, however,
to the context in which people live, and it is influenced by different levels
„ Most of the world’s poorest people – of urban linkages, population density and agro-ecological conditions, as
80 percent – live in rural areas and well as by social and political exclusion dynamics at local level.
depend on agriculture for their livelihoods
and food security. Extreme poverty and hunger often go hand in hand,
reinforcing the intergenerational transmission of poverty
„ More than 90 percent of farms worldwide
Extreme poverty is a key determinant of hunger and nutritional
are run by an individual or a family
and produce about 80 percent of the status, affecting the ability of individuals and households to access
world’s food. Supporting the development „ Agricultural and other rural livelihoods food through purchase or production. According to available studies,
of family farming presents an opportunity are responsible for over 38 percent there is a correlation between living in ultra poverty (defined as
to boost local economies – especially of employment in low- and middle- those living on less than 50 cents a day) and living in ultra hunger
when combined with policies aimed at income countries. (those consuming fewer than 1 600 kcal a day). Moreover, extreme
social protection and the well-being of poverty is linked to minimal or inadequate access to essential
communities. „ Some 40 percent of the rural health services and basic infrastructure, which are fundamental for
extreme poor live in forests adequate food utilization.
„ Growth in agricultural production has and savannahs, but the
been between three to five times more contribution of fisheries and forestry Extreme poor people are often located in remote or
effective in reducing poverty than to rural household incomes is often
isolated rural areas, which are poorly connected to
growth in industrial and service sectors. unreported.
surrounding rural areas
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. Half of the world’s population resides within or in proximity to small

134 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 8
COMBATTING RUR AL POVERTY

cities and towns, with 35 percent living in or near larger cities and the VIET NAM national household survey data. Extreme poverty and
remaining 15 percent residing in the rural hinterland, located more A worker weeding moderate poverty are defined as the bottom 20 percent
than three hours of travel time from any urban centre. The hinterland an Acacia tree and 20–40 percent of the income distribution, respectively.
nursery. Acacia
tends to be connected across a range of dimensions – including seedlings are The results also find that smallholders are not necessarily
services, roads, Internet access or the availability of cellphones – with grown within six extreme or moderate poor.
months in the
sparse populations. However, investments in infrastructure and basic nursery before
services often do not reach the more isolated areas, which tend to being sold for Forestry and fishing are important to livelihoods
planting in the
be more disaster prone, thus lowering the poverty-reducing effect of forest. Once for the rural extreme poor
income growth for more marginal areas. planted, it takes Some 40 percent of the rural extreme poor – around
five years before
the trees are cut
250 million people – live in forest and savannah areas. In
Not all rural extreme poor are smallholders and converted absolute numbers, Africa represents the greatest amount,
Being a smallholder farmer is not necessarily associated with extreme to lumber for with 159 million people living in those areas. In relative
construction and
poverty. The extent to which these two categories overlap varies manufacture of terms, most of the rural extreme poor in Latin America
according to the definition of smallholder and the poverty measure furniture. live in forested areas. Fisheries is also an important source
used. The FAO Smallholders Data Portrait defines smallholders as ©FAO/JOAN of livelihood for the rural extreme poor. In 2002, FAO
MANUEL
those households with less than the median-size landholding from BALIELLAS estimated that the 5.8 million fishers living on under

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 135

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

USD 1 a day represented 20 percent of the world’s fishers at the

time (using 2001 poverty data, and 1990 fishers’ data). After
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND FAO adding the 17.3 million extreme poor people working in related
upstream and downstream fishing activities (e.g. boat building,
marketing and processing), the number of extreme poor fishers
totalled 23 million, excluding their family dependants.

Extremely poor people are often landless or have

insecure tenure rights over land and other natural
resources
Given that “land dependency” affects the types of livelihoods
and economic opportunities that rural people have, being
landless, or having limited access to forested areas and pastures,
can be a determining factor of poverty and inequality. Policies
that secure tenure rights for the poor and vulnerable – including
indigenous people, landless farmers, pastoralists, rural women
and youth – could contribute to eradicating extreme poverty.

The rural extreme poor lack supporting

mechanisms, such as social protection and access
to finance and insurance mechanisms, to cope with
and manage risks
Extremely poor people are more vulnerable to climate shocks
and weather events, yet they are the most unprotected and have
There are more than 370 of Free Prior and Informed Consent
the least access to coping mechanisms. In low-income and lower
million indigenous peoples (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples.
middle-income countries, where most of the extreme poor live,
in the world, speaking more
people tend to have limited access to social protection, insurance
than 4 000 languages and Since 2010, the FAO Interdepartmental
living in 90 countries. Despite working group of Indigenous Peoples and other instruments – like labour programmes – which can
being five percent of the population, has been working across the world help mitigate risks and build adaptive capacity. The lack of these
indigenous peoples represent 15 on indigenous issues, resulting in FAO mechanisms increases the probability that shocks will push
percent of the poor. And while their releasing more than 70 publications on households into extreme poverty, keep them in extreme poverty
ancestral territories encompass only indigenous peoples in the past decade. or contribute to the transmission of poverty across generations.
22 percent of the land’s surface,
they host 80 percent of the planet’s Moreover, in 2015, FAO called another The extreme poor often experience social
biodiversity. caucus of indigenous representatives marginalization
to draft a joint workplan organized The extreme poor are highly affected by social exclusion. The
In 2007, the General Assembly adopted around seven pillars of work. Indigenous symptoms of social exclusion are most often manifested through
the UN Declaration of the Rights of Leaders reaffirm the importance of
unequal access to resources, unequal participation, and denial of
Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). FAO, indigenous peoples' food systems and
opportunities. Differences along educational attainment, health
along with other UN organizations, FPIC. FAO aligned itself with the main
called a caucus of indigenous peoples UN organizations and donors, such as care, nutrition, infrastructure and employment opportunities
from the seven sociocultural regions the Green Climate Fund and the Global are symptomatic of many rural groups – indigenous people,
in 2010 to draft the FAO Policy on Environmental Facility, by incorporating rural women, youth, people with disabilities, and so on. These
Indigenous Peoples. This policy FPIC into FAO’s safeguards and into the differences are often accompanied by a lack of voice in political
reinforces the centrality of the importance project cycle. participation and civic life.

136 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8
COM BAT I NG RU R A L POV E RT Y A N D PROMOT I NG FA M I LY FA R M I NG

A MULTISECTORAL APPROACH FOR

POVERTY REDUCTION FAMILY FARMERS ARE KEY TO
REDUCING RURAL POVERTY

I
n the context of the Sustainable Development
Agenda, FAO promotes an approach that addresses the
potential trade-offs that come when simultaneously facing FAMILY FARMING IS VITAL TO LOCAL ECONOMIES
the challenges of poverty reduction, sustainable food and
agriculture (e.g. as a response to climate change), and migration.
This recognizes not only the interlinkages between different
development goals but also the lack of programmatic approaches
and strategies across sectors.
FAO assists governments in the design of multisectoral policies
More than 90 percent Family farms Family farms produce Due to the variety of
and programmes that promote the economic inclusion of the of farms are run occupy around about 80 percent of food they produce,
rural poor – including the poorest – through agricultural and by an individual or 70–80 percent of the world’s food family farmers also
rural transformation. This is achieved by combining a minimum a family and rely farm land strongly contribute to
set of investments in both social and productive policies that primarily on family food security
labour
reach the poor, while promoting the participation of local actors
and strengthening the capacities of local governments and rural
organizations for rural poverty reduction. WHY IS FAMILY FARMING IMPORTANT?
The Organization provides assistance to countries in developing
and implementing broad-based multisectoral approaches
that include options for the multiple pathways out of poverty:
emphasizing the need for a theory of change related to poverty
reduction; enhancing countries’ capacities to reach all vulnerable
groups in rural areas, including the poorest, rural women,
Family farming Especially when combined Largest share of
indigenous people and youth, in addition to small-scale producers; represents an opportunity with specific policies investment in agriculture
and considering the broader linkages between poverty reduction to boost local economies aimed at social protection comes from farmers
and sustainable development. and the well-being of
communities
PROMOTING FAMILY FARMING

M
ost of the rural poor are smallholders and FAMILY FARMING IS KEY TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
family farmers who depend on agriculture
for their food and income. They produce about
80 percent of the world’s food value but, paradoxically,
are often poor and food insecure themselves.
In spite of that, family farmers hold the potential toward playing a
key role in the establishment of sustainable food systems. Due to its
multidimensional nature, family farming plays a key role in contributing Agriculture is responsible Agriculture Agriculture
for 70 percent of global conserves produces valuable
to food security and nutrition, managing natural resources, ensuring the
freshwater biodiversity ecosystem services
cohesion of rural communities and preserving cultural heritage. withdrawals worldwide
Family farmers provide healthy, diversified and culturally-
appropriate diets. They are major investors in the agricultural sector and SOURCE: FAO. 2017. STRATEGIC WORK OF FAO TO REDUCE RURAL POVERTY.
the foundation of business and economic structures in rural areas. They

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

IYFF 2014 AND THE DECADE ON

FAMILY FARMING
create on- and off-farm job opportunities, significantly contributing to the
endogenous growth of the rural economy.
They enhance socio-economic inclusion, improve rural livelihoods,
In recent years, FAO has been United Nations General Assembly, in its
working with governments and 72nd Session, proclaimed the UN Decade provide inclusive services and create innovative market solutions that
other relevant actors to put family farming of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF) link urban and rural areas. They are custodians of biodiversity for food
at the center of the international debate to serve as a framework for countries to and agriculture, guaranteeing the reproduction of natural resources while
on agriculture and food security.The develop public policies and investments increasing synergies between crops, livestock and trees for sustainable,
International Year of Family Farming to support family farming from a holistic resilient and nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems.
– IYFF 2014, led by FAO, repositioned perspective, including eradicating rural They link past, present and future, transmitting local and traditional
family farming at the centre of agricultural, poverty in all its forms and dimensions, by knowledge, identity, cultural heritage and social values, and promote
environmental and social policies in national unleashing their transformative potential social equity and community well-being. For the reasons above,
and international agendas. The IYFF fuelled to contribute to achieving the Sustainable supporting smallholders and family farmers is key to simultaneously
a robust process of political dialogue Development Goals (SDGs). contribute to the economic, environmental, social and cultural
among the 197 Members of FAO, involving
sustainability of agriculture and rural areas, boost local economies and
all relevant actors and resulting in national FAO and IFAD have been called to jointly
accelerate progress towards a world free of poverty and hunger. However,
and regional policies, programs, activities lead UNDFF implementation. The UNDFF
and institutional arrangements in support of contributes to healthy and sustainable food to play a key role in the establishment of sustainable food systems, family
family farming. systems as it mobilizes global commitment farming needs an enabling policy environment that turns its whole
and actions towards attaining sustainable potential into reality and tackles current challenges. This is why FAO
Family farming was included in the follow-up development across its three dimensions – acts through a multidimensional approach to address the challenges
to the Zero Hunger Challenge launched by economic, social and environmental. It does that poor family farmers face in their daily lives and increase their
the United Nations Secretary-General in this in a balanced and integrated manner income-generating capacity with a view to reducing rural poverty and to
2012 and in the preparation for the United and promotes integrated actions supported reveal family farmers’ potential toward achieving the SDGs.
Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda. by coherent, cross-sectoral policies, which FAO works with governments and key ministries to shape pro-
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address the environmental, economic and poor poverty reduction policies, strategies and programmes that target
recognize the central role played by family social dimensions of rural development, smallholders and family farmers, promoting their empowerment and
farming throughout many different goals while placing people and their livelihoods
increasing their access to resources, services, pro-poor technologies
and targets, constituting an integrated, at the centre.
indivisible set of global priorities that stresses and markets. FAO also supports countries to tailor investment plans for
their central importance as key actors in The UNDFF focuses on enabling family agriculture and rural development that increase the yields and income of
the 2030 Agenda, and calls for actions farmers as a key driver to fully achieve the poor family farmers, while helping them adopt sustainable agricultural
towards their reinforcement. SDGs, specifically focusing on innovation, practices, reduce production costs and adapt to climate change. Finally, the
knowledge sharing, capacity building and Organization also works with family farmers to support their participation
The Family Farming Knowledge Platform technology access and transfer as the basis in policy dialogue and decision-making processes that affect their
– FFKP, the world’s largest digital collection to formulate impactful actions and strategies livelihoods, and supports capacity development to improve their access
of material on family farming, represents to achieve the 2030 development Agenda. to resources, services, markets, technologies and economic opportunities
one of the most important legacies of the through agricultural, organizational and entrepreneurial skills.
IYFF 2014. The FFKP provides a single The Global Action Plan of the UNDFF
access point for information related to family envisages collective and coherent EMPOWERING MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
farming to assist policymakers and other actions to support family farmers, with a

B
stakeholders by facilitating policy discussion, comprehensive approach designed around
policy design and decision-making on seven mutually reinforcing pillars of work:
y banding together in formal groups,
family farming. a series of context-specific, interconnected smallholders and family farmers, as well as self-
actions from the local to the global level help groups, can gain joint access to resources, set up small
Considering the achievements of the Year which place family farmers at the centre enterprises and work their way out of poverty. Producer
and as result of the following IYFF+10 and be implemented through bottom-up, organizations contribute to increasing food production through
campaign, on 20 December 2017, the participatory and inclusive processes. economies of scale. Getting poor rural people organized increases the

138 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

chances of long-lasting poverty reduction through collective action, GUATEMALA BOOSTING INVESTMENTS FOR RURAL
cooperatives, producer organizations and networks. Poor rural people As part of the EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

A
can improve their bargaining power, through access to markets FAO project
“Strengthening the
and participation in decision-making processes and influencing the School Feeding griculture is central to structural
formulation of national policies. Porgram in the transformation; however, in many developing
framework of the
FAO promotes farmer-to-farmer exchanges among small- Hunger-Free Latin countries the sector has been losing traction
scale producers and communities and promotes knowledge on America and as an engine of growth and investments
the Caribbean
sustainable agricultural practices – putting rural people in ‘the Initiative 2025”,
continue to be insufficient, particularly in those countries
driver’s seat’. Investing in agriculture and related rural off-farm the food that where a considerable part of the population works in agriculture.
activities fosters inclusive economic growth, and cross-country students receive Over 38 percent of employment in low- and middle-income
at this school
evidence shows that growth in agricultural production has been near Los Vados countries is in agriculture, making agricultural production and its
between three and five times more effective in reducing poverty is prepared by related sectors a potential source of jobs, particularly for the poor.
volunteer mothers
than growth in industrial and service sectors. Expanding access to who have been FAO promotes a broader understanding of the agricultural sector,
markets can increase productivity and demand for products – thus trained in various fostering the development of other sectors linked to the whole food
subjects, including
boosting production and fostering economies of scale. nutrition, handling system. As the rural poor and extreme poor also diversify into
FAO encourages investments in agriculture and supports the and preparation other non-agricultural activities, engaging in wage labour and self-
of food and good
design of pro-poor development strategies and programmes that hygiene practices.
employment activities, non-agricultural jobs allow them to better
address the structural constraints faced by poor households in manage risks and overcome market failures.
©PEP BONET/
rural areas. This includes access to, control over, and sustainable NOOR FOR FAO In rural areas, high levels of unemployment
management of natural resources as well as access to rural (and underemployment) prevent poor households from
advisory and extension services, markets, technologies and diversifying their income and moving out of poverty in a
inclusive finance, particularly for rural women and youth. sustainable manner. Rural areas lag behind urban areas in terms of

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 139

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

basic public investments in infrastructure social protection in rural

and services, which are necessary for areas plays a crucial role
attracting private investments that can in helping households
create employment and increase growth. In manage risks and
addition to limited access to credit, markets shocks, fundamental for
and productive resources, unemployment agricultural production
is often a consequence of limited access to and rural livelihoods
education, entrepreneurial and work skills, more broadly. It also
all of which lower poor people’s ability to facilitates economic transition,
work and earn an income. These trends are providing a minimum income
worrying as an additional 1 billion young for the poorest and helping
people will enter the job market in the next them to transition into jobs and
decade and 600 million new jobs will be income-generation opportunities
needed over the next 15 years to maintain by relaxing insurance and credit
current employment rates. Higher population constraints – through, for example, cash and
will give rise to more intense competition for asset transfers or targeted subsidies.
increasingly scarce resources and employment FAO recognizes that all people, including the
opportunities. This is likely to weaken the already extreme poor, have an innate capacity and desire to
fragile capacity of rural people to move out of poverty, escape poverty. Consequently, they require, in addition
causing widespread social and political instability. to social policies, economic opportunities to improve their lives.
Extending inclusive investments to reach the rural poor and The poor are often excluded from economic investments, including
extreme poor, rural youth and women, particularly those living in agriculture. A lack of policy coherence and coordination among
in remote areas, requires adaptive strategies that can overcome ministries perpetuates the disconnection between agricultural,
obstacles, including low skills, lack of assets and access to basic nutritional, environmental and social assistance interventions
services, as well as other cultural and behavioural factors. In and broad economic development strategies. These gaps highlight
addition to a basic income through social protection schemes, the need to better articulate agricultural, food and environmental
pro-poor investments should build on people’s own assets and policies with social protection and work promotion strategies.
skills, strengthening their capacities and survival strategies, while The approach promoted by FAO in Cash Plus programmes
creating new opportunities for income generation. combines social assistance interventions, such as cash transfers,
with productive assets, inputs or technical training and extension
BUILDING ON SOCIAL PROTECTION TO services to enhance livelihood capacities of extremely poor
ENABLE ECONOMIC INCLUSION households in rural areas, as a key first step to a more medium-

A
term strategy of economic inclusion. Productive interventions in
bout 73 percent of the world’s population isolation often disregard the fact that the extreme poor have low
doest not have access to adequate social levels of education and face fundamental impediments for adopting
protection. In low-income countries the figures are new technologies and/or transitioning towards more productive
even worse – more than 80 percent are not covered by or sustainable practices. Cash Plus programmes, integrated into
any social protection, insurance or other instruments (like labour broader economic inclusion strategies, can provide the support that
programmes), and the majority of these people are informal is needed to break these barriers. FAO also supports investments for
workers, mainly in agriculture. Indeed, less than 20 percent of economic inclusion that emphasize the empowerment of the rural
agricultural workers have access to basic social protection which extreme poor and develops adequate approaches, particularly for
improves the use and ownership of productive investments (such supporting extremely poor women, youth, indigenous peoples, the
as modern inputs, livestock, etc.) at the household level, leading disabled and migrants (including refugees and internally displaced
to increased production. Developing and expanding adequate persons). Strengthening the social and economic institutions,

140 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 8
COMBATTING RUR AL POVERTY

organizations and communities of the rural extreme poor will be key NEPAL change and depletion of natural resources due to environmental
for developing collective action around their rights to economic and Village of degradation, and poor governance and conflicts. The drivers
social policies and access to programmes and markets. Narapani, near and impacts of rural migration are closely linked to FAO’s goals
Sandhikharka.
Female farmers, of fighting hunger and achieving food security, reducing rural
members of poverty and promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
FAO-sponsored
MIGRATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT groups, gather Indeed, FAO has a unique role to play in reducing rural migration,
to discuss and in view of its experience in supporting the creation of better
compare the
A growing global reality results of their
conditions and resilient livelihoods in pastoral areas. Together with
Migration is an expanding global reality, one that allows millions work after its partners, the Organization has committed to further expand
of people to seek new opportunities. In short, migration is the experimenting its work towards strengthening the contribution that migrants,
with new
movement of people, either within a country or across international farming refugees and IDPs bring to poverty reduction, food security and
borders; it includes all kinds of movements, irrespective of the practices. nutrition, as well as the resilience of rural households.
drivers, duration or nature (voluntary or involuntary). The word ©CHRIS STEELE-
PERKINS/
‘migration’ covers economic migrants, distress migrants, internally MAGNUM FOR Migration and poverty reduction
displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and asylum seekers, returnees FAO Migration and poverty are closely interrelated. While migration is a
and people moving for other purposes – such as those seeking key livelihood diversification strategy for poor households, it is not
education or family reunification. The causes of migration are an alternative available to all. Migration can benefit poor households
many but often include rural poverty and food insecurity, lack through remittances, and knowledge and skills transfers. It can also
of employment and income-generating opportunities, social contribute to social mobility of disadvantaged groups, especially in the
inequality (and limited access to social protection), climate long term through capital accumulation and investments in education.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 141

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

ALMOST 40 PERC EN T OF
I N T ER NAT IONAL REM I T TA NC ES
A RE SEN T TO RU R AL A RE AS,
SUGGEST I NG T H AT A
SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF
INTERNATIONAL MIGR ANTS
COME FROM RUR AL AREAS.

In the short term, remittances can contribute to diversifying risk, overcoming

losses and better responding to shocks, as increasingly demonstrated in the
context of environmental and climate change.
On the other hand, migration can increase inequality and the exclusion
of the extreme poor. As the extreme poor are the least likely to migrate
abroad, those who live in non-migrating households may become further
marginalized. Even among migrating households there may be reinforcing
effects of social exclusion as, due to pre-migration conditions, the positive
impact of remittances on poor households may be limited compared to
better-off households. Forced migrants may also face situations of social
exclusion and disadvantage that can push them into poverty even though it
was not a pre-migration condition. For example, migration to access low-
paid, occasional jobs, reduces the potential for migration to move out of
poverty or can even increase the risk of being further pushed into it.
Rural migration will continue to be an essential element of economic and
social development, but designing clear and coherent policies is essential for
a successful process of development that can benefit migrants, their areas EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN AND YOUTH

F
of origin and their areas of destination. Investments can influence people’s
decisions about whether to migrate, and public policies can maximize the AO’s Pan-regional Initiatives such as ongoing
positive impacts of migration while minimizing the negative ones. The 2018 support to rural women and youth positively
edition of FAO’s annual The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report impact food and agriculture systems worldwide.
focused on migration and its impact on agriculture and rural development. The Rural women are key to ending hunger and extreme
report analysed migratory flows, both internal and international, and how they poverty across the world, especially the developing world. Women
are linked to processes of economic development, demographic change and make up 43 percent of the agricultural labour force as farmers and
natural-resource pressure. The report examined how internal and international farm workers, horticulturists and market sellers, entrepreneurs
migratory flows link to economic development, demographic change, and and community leaders, and play a big part in the management of
natural-resource pressure; it provided an analysis of the factors in rural areas natural resources such as land and water.
which contribute to migration decisions and recommended tailored policy and However, women still receive only a fraction of the land,
investment responses to make migration work for all. credit, inputs (such as improved seeds and fertilizers), agricultural

142 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8
COM BAT I NG RU R A L POV E RT Y A N D PROMOT I NG FA M I LY FA R M I NG

training and information than men. Despite improvements, Further, FAO helps design and implement strategies that
the gender gap in food and agriculture remains wide. This gap more effectively target rural youth, also working closely with
is found for many assets, inputs and services, including land, governments to integrate youth issues into national agricultural
livestock, labour, education, extension and financial services, investment plans. In Nigeria, for example, the Organization
and technology. Women also face additional constraints in terms supported the design of an investment plan for the National Youth
of food security and agricultural livelihoods due to persistent Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
discrimination, marginalization and social exclusion. For example, Finally, FAO has years of experience promoting the Integrated
customary laws related to inheritance rights (including land, Country Approach (ICA), which is geared towards sustainable
property and housing), and access to common natural resources policy change and places emphasis on strengthening the capacities
(such as pastures, water and forests), can curtail or even strip of national institutions responsible for agriculture and labour to
women of their basic rights to these entitlements. promote decent rural employment. The ICA approach – which
Rural women who become widowed or separated may also has been implemented in Guatemala, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania
suffer social marginalization and loss of property rights and (United Republic of) and Uganda – is based on an integrated set
productive assets, thus pushing them and their children into of tools developed by the Organization. It mobilizes several core
poverty and destitution. Similarly, households headed by widowed functions, such as policy and normative support, technical advice
women are more likely to live in extreme poverty, and face low and capacity development, partnership building, and piloting of
labour capacity, high work burdens, time poverty, and limited integrated models for rural youth employment creation.
mobility. In some societies, divorced and widowed women
„ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 2, CHAPTER 2.9, LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND:
are subject to higher social discrimination and stigma, which RURAL WOMEN AND YOUTH AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
prevent them from having economic opportunities or joining
social networks. Discriminatory gender norms and customs,
compounded by women’s limited voice and agency, and factors BOOSTING RESILIENCE: THREATS AND CRISES

C
such as gender-based violence and forced marriage, can also be
important drivers of extreme poverty. onflict and climate change are making
Empowering and investing in rural women has been poverty reduction more challenging and
shown to significantly increase productivity, reduce hunger threatening to reverse progress made so
and malnutrition, and improve livelihoods for everyone. FAO, far. Small-scale farmers, herders, fishers and forest-
therefore, contributes to reducing gender inequalities through dependent communities generate more than half of the global
its work on norms and standards, data and information, policy agricultural production but remain at risk from conflicts or
dialogue, capacity development, knowledge and technologies, disasters that destroy or damage harvests, equipment, supplies,
partnerships, and advocacy and communication. livestock, seeds, crops and stored food.
Around 1.2 billion people aged 15–24 live in the world Today, around 59 percent of the extreme poor live in vulnerable
today and almost 88 percent of them come from developing and fragile contexts due to climate change and conflicts, or both, and
countries. Although this figure is expected to grow, employment about 56 percent of the population of fragile states live in rural areas.
opportunities for rural youth remain limited and of poor quality, In addition, some 201 million people in 134 countries are in need of
particularly for those living in rural areas of developing countries. humanitarian assistance for their survival, with a fifth of them being
FAO addresses this issue by promoting employment located in only three countries: the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, and
opportunities for rural youth, focusing on the untapped potential Yemen. According to UNHCR, in 2018 there were also 68.5 million
for farm and non-farm employment in the agriculture sector displaced people globally, who have become part of the extreme poor
and within food systems. Since 2017, FAO has supported around as a result of losing their assets and sources of livelihood.
50 countries across regions on youth employment aspects, for In this context, FAO supports countries to build resilient
instance by developing agribusiness models and skills development rural livelihoods and enhance the capacity of the poorest to
approaches, such as the Junior Farmer and Field Life School (JFFLS) predict, withstand, absorb or reduce, and counteract the impact of
methodology that has been implemented in over a dozen countries. environmental and conflict-related shocks. The Organization helps

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 143

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

them identify potential and recurrent risks of the rural extreme MYANMAR Climate change-related events, such as drought, flooding, and
poor and vulnerable populations to climate-related risks, natural The ‘Promoting severe storms, also disproportionately affect rural communities
Nutrition and
disasters, conflict and food-chain crises, as well as build their Food Security
living in extreme poverty, who rely to a greater extent on
resilience capacity at both household and community level. Areas of through agricultural income and natural resources for their livelihoods.
work include: integrating assessments of specific vulnerabilities of Smallholder Dairy Between 2003 and 2013, 25 percent of damages and losses caused
Development
the rural extreme poor in Early Warming and Early Action systems and Fostering by climate-related disasters in developing countries affected the
and formulating adequate preparedness and response measures to linkages with agriculture sector. More than 80 percent of the damages and losses
Local Rural School
enhance their resilience and response capacity; enhancing access Milk Programmes’ caused by drought are to the agriculture sector, affecting livestock
by the extreme poor to risk-reducing technologies and practices; project sustainably and crop production. Since 2012, on average 22.5 million people
increased dairy
and using conflict-sensitive analysis to address root causes of social productivity in have been displaced from their homes each year by climate-related
conflict, which tend to increase extreme poverty and inequality, Bangladesh, disasters, mostly floods and storms (the displacement figures
Myanmar and
and are often related to power imbalances over access to natural Thailand.
equate to 62 000 people every day). According to the World Bank,
resources, such as land and water. if no action is taken, climate change could push an additional
©MIKLOS GASPAR
In the Near East and North Africa, for instance, FAO acts to 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.
reduce food insecurity, improve nutrition and strengthen agricultural FAO supports actions to help the rural extreme poor
livelihood resilience at all levels. Early warning information systems understand the impact of climate change in their livelihoods,
with a focus on preventing transboundary animal and plant pests but also the impact of response to climate change. The work of
and diseases are used to support crisis-affected countries, while FAO explicitly addresses the barriers of the rural extreme poor
nutrition education and risk-sensitive measures are integrated in food to adapt or diversify their livelihood practices to climate change,
production decisions and investments. create alternative sources of employment for those who need to

144 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8
COM BAT I NG RU R A L POV E RT Y A N D PROMOT I NG FA M I LY FA R M I NG

stop using natural resources at risk, and support actions to achieve

a balance between protecting the environment and ensuring
that resources are used sustainably for income generation. FAO
recognizes that poor and vulnerable communities are at both the
receiving and delivering end of climate change adaptation.
Africa’s Dryland countries (those countries experiencing a THE WORK OF FAO AT THE
scarcity of water), for example, need to better anticipate, mitigate
and respond to shocks, threats and emergencies before, during and
REGIONAL LEVEL
after disasters that threaten agricultural livelihoods. FAO helps build
resilient communities and institutions that can prevent, absorb and
recover quickly. In addition to strengthening institutional capacities Regional Initiatives in Latin natural resources and support
for risk reduction and crisis management, the Organization supports America and the Caribbean, to indigenous peoples and rural
the Near East and North women are an important aspect
early warning and risk information management systems, and the
Africa, in Europe and of these initiatives.
application of vulnerability reduction measures to increase resilience
Central Asia and elsewhere,
to future shocks. foster inclusive and sustainable rural „Near East and North Africa
In Latin America and the Caribbean, one-third of the population development, addressing the needs FAO promotes sustainable
live in areas highly exposed to an increasing frequency of disasters of smallholders and family farmers intensification practices aimed
and extreme climate events. FAO works with countries in the region – in line with regional contexts and at strengthening the capacity
to design agro-environmental policies that support the elaboration priorities. of small-scale rural farmers to
of risk management, strengthen monitoring of agricultural pests, make sound knowledge-based
diseases and climate risks and invests in vulnerability reduction „Latin America and the decisions, including through
measures for family farmers. Caribbean the development of Farmer
FAO supports countries in their Field Schools. These initiatives
COMBATING PESTS AND TRANSBOUNDARY strategies to mobilize investments seek to enhance smallholders’
and participatory processes in managerial, negotiation
ANIMAL DISEASES
the most marginal rural territories, and marketing skills and

T
supporting social protection increase decent employment
ransboundary animal diseases, such as peste and productive inclusion, opportunities for women and
des petits ruminants (goat and sheep plague), can strengthening national and local youth.
cause production and economic losses estimated between capacities to design, implement
USD 1.45 billion to USD 2.1 billion each year. Over the and evaluate poverty reduction „Europe and Central Asia
past decades, more than 70 percent of emerging diseases affecting programmes and territorial A Regional Initiative aims
humans originated in livestock and wildlife. Plant diseases such development plans. FAO in to enhance productivity
as wheat rust can cause yield losses of up to 80 percent, putting the region is also generating and income levels through
worldwide wheat production at risk. Locust plagues can destroy evidence and mobilizing rural sustainable intensification of
the crops of entire communities, as was the case in 2003–2005 poverty reduction experts at the production, adequate access
when a major Desert Locust upsurge wiped out 30 to 100 percent regional level to foster innovative to rural services and better
approaches to poverty reduction integration to agri-food value
of agropastoral resources in the Sahelian countries of West Africa,
under a Regional Initiative, chains. FAO supports small
affecting more than 8 million people.
the Regional Alliance for the producers and family farmers to
In Madagascar in 2012, a migratory locust plague developed Reduction of Rural Poverty, adopt sustainable production
and threatened to wipe out food crops and livestock grazing lands, and an initiative to free a technologies, access innovative
compromising the food security and nutrition of about 13 million hundred territories from hunger rural services (such as advisory
people. A three-year joint emergency programme launched by FAO and poverty in the region. services and micro-loans) and
and Madagascar’s Ministry of Agriculture enabled the Government Approaches for supporting develop inclusive and efficient
to take over locust control management. Large-scale, mostly aerial sustainable governance of agri-businesses.

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

survey operations helped restrict infestations over more

than 2.3 million hectares. As a result, damage to crops and
pastures was limited, and the agricultural livelihoods and
food security of vulnerable populations were protected.
In Somalia, sheep and goats are a lifeline for the country’s
most vulnerable smallholders. Repeated outbreaks of peste
des petits ruminants (PPR) created havoc for Somali herders
throughout the early 2000s. FAO stepped in and prepared
the groundwork for a mass vaccination campaign by training
local partners in disease surveillance, preparedness and
response to outbreaks. A total of 43 million sheep and
goats were vaccinated between 2012 and 2015 – restoring
confidence in the quality of the country’s livestock trade,
enabling Somalia to increase exports to a record 5.3 million
in 2015, 90 percent of which were sheep and goats. A joint
programme for the global eradication of PPR by 2030 is
now underway. Almost half a billion people live in over 20
countries and territories affected by protracted crises, mostly
in Africa. Hunger rates in protracted crisis situations are
almost three times higher than is the case in other developing
contexts. Today, 40 percent more ongoing food crises are
protracted than in 1990. These protracted crises absorb
80 percent of all funds dedicated to humanitarian response by
OECD member countries.
South Sudan, for example, is a country prone to shocks, COLOMBIA more than 27 000 fuel-efficient stoves were distributed to
from economic downturns and conflict-driven crises to Orlando is a help reduce the need for firewood and charcoal, decreasing
natural hazards such as floods, drought and outbreaks farmer, living in the pace of deforestation and soil erosion.
Sucre department,
of animal and plant diseases. These shocks exacerbate northern Colombia. In addition to transboundary animal and plant diseases,
prevailing food insecurity and undermine agriculture-based Losing his father FAO addresses emerging pandemic threats such as the
to violence, he
rural livelihoods. finds his children deadly Ebola and the recalcitrant H5N1 Highly Pathogenic
Since conflict eruption in 2013, FAO has responded with at risk of being Avian Influenza. The Organization has been at the front
recruited by armed
a multi-track approach – reaching an average of 2.7 million forces. A peace
line of combating diseases using various health risk
people each year with a combination of farming, fishing and deal was signed management strategies and policies that control diseases
livestock support. in November at their source and ensure that they are managed before
2016. The FAO-
In 2015, portable life-saving survival kits were developed supported project: becoming pandemics. For example, up until 2019, more
as part of efforts to address the needs of internally displaced The Strategy of than 30 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East were
Local Networks
persons (IDPs). The kits contained life-saving supplies for Productive targeted to build their veterinary systems’ capacities to
such as mosquito nets, water purification tablets and oral Integration focuses mitigate risk and reduce the vulnerability of communities to
on promoting
rehydration salts, as well as short maturity vegetable seeds integration, emerging and re-emerging pathogens.
and fishing supplies which were a lifeline for people cut off reconciliation FAO also plays a key role in supporting governments,
and sharing of
from other assistance. FAO also sought to protect livestock resources.
producers, traders and other stakeholders to adopt measures
herds, widening the scope of vaccination and treatment for the judicious use of antimicrobials and to prevent the
©FAO/OLIVIER
programmes – reaching over 8 million in 2016. Furthermore, ASSELIN development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

146 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8
COM BAT I NG RU R A L POV E RT Y A N D PROMOT I NG FA M I LY FA R M I NG

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Colombia
More than 50 years of conflict left
Colombia struggling with internal
violence, a lack of services and
infrastructure and high levels
of poverty and hunger. It forced
millions of people to leave their land,
hindering rural development. The Comprehensive Rural
Reform (CRR) is a key component of Colombia’s 2016 Peace
Agreement. With a line of sight right up until 2031, some
85.5 percent of the implementation budget is earmarked for
implementation of the CRR, which aims to progressively
transform Colombia’s rural areas through strengthening
food security, boost income and job opportunities, and
optimize social cohesion. Family farming is the cornerstone
of the country’s food security, accounting for 70 percent of
food sold in local markets. About 75 percent of Colombia’s
family farmers are smallholders and they account for
57 percent of the entire agricultural labour force. FAO is part
of a group of international organizations providing technical
assistance to the Colombian Government in implementing
the CRR, including through:

„ Supporting sectoral reforms and their implementation LESOTHO Lesotho

and promotion, and facilitating the convergence of Students at In Lesotho, FAO has provided more than
investments at territorial level; Thabang High 56 000 families with vegetable seeds
School, learning to
„ Supporting the design and implementation of programmes build a wall of the and training on home gardening and
and projects that support small and medium-scale “Keyhole Garden” food preservation to improve their home
on the school
producers and their organizations, by strengthening public property.
production. As a result, families can save
policy on family farming, increasing the organizational on vegetable expenditure and use the extra
©FAO/RODGER
capacity of farmers and their access to financing and BOSCH money to purchase maize or other commodities, improving their
markets, establishing links to both national and export- food security and income. This activity is part of a programme
oriented agro-industry, and fostering innovation and started by FAO in 2013 to improve the food security and nutrition
employment opportunities for young rural women; of poor and vulnerable households in Lesotho. The programme
„ Promoting coordination and policy coherence between strives to boost the productive impact of cash transfers and thereby
social policies and productive inclusion programmes, reduce poverty. FAO is supporting poor households and smallholder
by strengthening existing or launching new initiatives farmers by providing home gardening and nutrition-sensitive
and fostering policy dialogue, knowledge exchange and training, including guidelines for adopting healthier diets.
South–South Cooperation; These agricultural interventions complement the Child Grant
„ Securing access to land through the gradual Programme, launched by Lesotho’s Ministry of Social Development.
implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Poor rural households, which benefit from the national Child Grant
Responsible Tenure of Land and other natural resources Programme, receive cash transfers that bring several positive impacts:
(VGGT). from increased school enrolment to reduced malnutrition and improved

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

health of rural children. Together with UNICEF, FAO estimates

that the Child Grant Programme has reached more than 30 000
households and over 65 000 children across the country. The
programme has helped poor families improve their productivity
and livelihoods and invest more in schooling and education for
their children. Based on these results, Lesotho, with the support of
FAO, has also developed a national Social Development Policy and
a Social Protection Strategy.

Empowering women farmers

in Nepal
In Nepal, women farmers face many
[ABOVE]
barriers to improving their productivity
NEPAL
and income. Barriers come in many
Chandra Kala
forms and include cultural traditions that Thapa in front
limit their access to resources, such as of her house in
the village of
land and agricultural inputs. In fact, many women do not own Chatiune, in the
any land themselves, and work on family farms owned and district of Sindhuli.
managed by their husbands or male relatives. Because of this, ©FAO/N.
SHRESTHA
women reap few of the financial benefits of their labour. Through
the United Nations Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress
towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women, FAO has [BELOW]
trained and coached smallholder women farmers in Nepal to CAMBODIA
improve their agricultural productivity, food security and income. Women making
Through a variety of skills training, the Joint Programme has baskets in
Cambodia.
helped Nepalese women join forces, improve their bargaining FAO is helping
power and their access to market. One example of the smallholder
farmers in the
beneficiaries of the programme is the Laliguras Women Farmers’ country to improve
Group, which lies in the Sindhuli District of south-eastern food production
and other areas
Nepal. The Group regularly meets to discuss their concerns and of agricultural
find solutions to a wide range of problems. The Programme also development SNV, and with training on core agricultural technologies from the General
through
helped women increase their yields by teaching them about South–South
Directorate of Agriculture. As a result, they have been able to invest more
crop diversification, access to credit for higher yields and to new cooperation in income-generating activities, develop local businesses and increase
markets. Now the women are able to produce enough food for agreements. agricultural productivity. These achievements are part of the Project for
their families and sell their surplus at the market. ©FAO Agricultural Development and Economic Empowerment (PADEE),
developed by IFAD and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Boosting development in of Cambodia, in collaboration with FAO and other partners. Poor rural
Cambodia through access to people in Cambodia lack access to capital for investing in technologies,
credit, technology and markets entrepreneurial skills and financial services of formal credit. For these
In 246 communes in southern Cambodia, reasons, they are often unable to make a decent living from agriculture.
FAO has supported some 49 200 poor Though the PADEE, FAO is working to improve the livelihoods, capacities
rural people with financial literacy, and food security of poor rural households in the region by improving
together with entrepreneurial skills their financial literacy, thus increasing their access to credit. Beneficiaries,
provided by the international non-governmental organization most of whom are women, have already improved their financial planning

148 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 2.8
COM BAT I NG RU R A L POV E RT Y A N D PROMOT I NG FA M I LY FA R M I NG

abilities. They have also benefited from enhanced access to financial and [LEFT] Mozambique, in partnership with the Government of Brazil, has gone
banking services and are building on the habit of saving money through MOZAMBIQUE one step further in laying the groundwork for a national land registry
personal accounts in micro-finance institutions. FAO has also supported A woman watering system for family farmers. Through a national seminar on family farming,
the development of an alternative financial system comprised of 984 her field. FAO definition of the concept of family farming in Mozambique, and data
started distribution
community-based and group managed funds. The project also works to of much-needed collection on family farming and registry systems, the Government of
strengthen the participation of small producers and their organization in seeds and tools in Mozambique now has the necessary inputs to create the registry.
cyclone-ravaged
the formal economy by supporting innovative investments that improve Mozambique.
the linkages between producers and markets. ©FAO/TELCINIA Lebanon
DOS SANTOS FAO is working with the Lebanese
Mozambique Government to strengthen the interconnections
In partnership with the Government of Brazil, [RIGHT] between agricultural and social policies to
FAO is promoting dialogue and experience LEBANON help rural communities and expand social
sharing on public policies targeting Family Dr. Abdel Hanafi protection coverage to farmers and fishers,
Farming in Africa’s Community of Portuguese explaining a through: supporting national dialogue on
new method of
Speaking Countries (CPLP). CPLP governments growing plants in a social protection to design and implement integrated and multisector
have all started taking steps towards family greenhouse to South social policies targeting rural areas to reduce poverty and improve living
Lebanese farmers.
farming characterization and are currently the subject of a study being conditions; supporting coordination mechanisms between the Ministry
©FAO/KAI
conducted by CPLP’s Family Farming Working Group (FFWG), a multi- WIEDENHOEFER
of Agriculture and the Ministry of Social Affairs; creating a farmers’
stakeholder grouping including member countries, academic experts, and registry and ensuring the inclusion of farmers and fishers in the social
representatives from civil society and the private sector. The study aims to security system. The registry was designed and developed as open-
collect information to enable governments to frame national agricultural source software and has already been piloted and tested in five villages
policies that are more sensitive to the reality of vulnerable farmers unable (in Akkar, North Lebanon, and Bekaa, East Lebanon) before being
to access agricultural inputs, extension services, credit and other resources. scaled up across the whole country.

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C H A P TE R 2 .9

LE AV ING NO
ONE BEHIND:
RU R AL WOMEN
AND YOU T H
AS AGEN TS OF
CH A NGE

W
ETHIOPIA
omen form about half of the
Members of “Selam
agricultural workforce, while youth Vegetable Growers
form 16 percent (UN, 2017) of the global Group” working
on a vegetable
population and 42 percent (World Bank, 2018) garden owned
of the labour force. Both are critical agents of change in the fight and managed by
the youth group.
against rural poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Local young people
In relation to agri-food systems, rural women and youth play are vulnerable to
important roles by increasing the efficiency of agri-food value distress migration
and the horticulture
chains, reducing food losses, boosting national and international enterprise assisted
trade, and enhancing the impact of agricultural investments. them to create
self-employment
Yet the gender and age gap in food and agriculture remains opportunities.
extensive. As consumers, women are more likely to be food ©FAO/ TAMIRU
insecure than men in every region of the world. As producers, rural LEGESSE

women face greater constraints than their male counterparts in

accessing essential productive resources and services, technology,
market information and financial assets. Similarly, youth are three
times as likely as adults to be unemployed and although bringing
energy and innovation to any sector, including the agricultural

150 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 151
 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

one, globally, the ratio of youth to adult unemployment rates PAKISTAN Increased attention is also required to overcome their work burden,
has changed very little in recent years, serving to illustrate the A young farmer
recognizing their important contributions and ensuring fair pay
particularly disadvantaged situation of young people in the labour woman and and working conditions and benefits. This requires overcoming the
market (ILO, 2017). teacher getting marginalization of poor rural women and youth that stems from
utensils to help her
There is an urgent need to address the major barriers that prepare the family gender- and age-biased sociocultural norms and practices, and
women and youth face in rural labour markets, in addition to low meal. better addressing gender and age issues in policies, programmes and
status in the household and community, so that they are no longer ©FAO/ASIM investments in agriculture and food systems.
HAFEEZ
trapped in informal, low-status, low-skilled and poorly paid jobs, It is time to overcome the common perceptions of rural women
without legal or social protection. By providing equal provision of and girls as vulnerable victims of their circumstances. Ample
rural services and infrastructure it is possible to facilitate women evidence shows that if women had the same access as men to
and youth access to education, vocational education, productive productive resources, they could increase yields on their farms
resources, and build on their knowledge, skills and abilities. More significantly. Furthermore, with an ageing population of farmers,
efforts are needed to increase the representation of women and it’s clear that agriculture needs to attract more young people.
youth in local institutions and governance mechanisms and include The agricultural sector offers huge potential for job creation and
them in decision-making within their households and communities. communicating this to youth can radically change their perception

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KEY MESSAGES ON GENDER

of agriculture. Working towards closing this gender and age
gap represents an opportunity to accelerate progress towards „ Gender equality is poverty, hunger and „ Rural women and men
food security and adequate nutrition for all and reaching the essential for attaining malnutrition; they comprise increasingly face the
2030 Agenda. food security and close to 50 percent of the challenge of having
nutrition and achieving agricultural workforce in to adapt their
THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES all the Sustainable developing countries. production systems in
FOR RURAL WOMEN AND YOUTH: FAO’S Development Goals. the context of climate
APPROACHES „ If women had the change and natural
„ The agriculture sector is same access as men to resource depletion.

T
underperforming in many productive resources,
he principle of “leaving no one behind” developing countries, and they could increase „ Responsible governance
guides the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable one reason is that women yields on their farms and management of
Development and FAO’s Policy on Gender do not have equal access significantly, which natural resources, such
Equality and FAO’s work on youth inclusion to the resources and could in turn reduce the as land and water, need
and youth employment. The Gender Policy prioritizes the opportunities they need number of hungry people in to reflect women’s
equal participation and decision-making of women and to be more productive. the world.  perspectives and
men in rural institutions and in shaping laws, policies and Assuring equal priorities, and be
programmes; the equal access to and control over productive access to productive „ Compelling evidence grounded in equitable and
resources, services, income, markets and decent employment; resources, climate- shows that improving efficient local institutions.
and the reduction of women’s work burden. Furthermore, smart and labour- women’s education
far from being mere beneficiaries of the 2030 Agenda, young saving technologies and status within „ FAO promotes a
and practices is at their households and multidimensional
people have been active architects in its development and
the core of FAO’s communities has a direct approach to reducing
continue to be engaged in the frameworks and processes that
approach to enhance impact on food security and rural poverty, focused
support its implementation, follow-up and review. The active the sustainability of nutrition, in particular child on increasing women’s
engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is agriculture. nutrition. access to productive
central to achieving sustainable, inclusive and stable societies resources, decent
by 2030, and to averting the worst threats and challenges to „ Around 820 „ Generation and analysis employment and business
sustainable development, including the impacts of climate million people are of sex-disaggregated opportunities, strengthening
change, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, undernourished; if data is essential the capacity of rural
and migration. we are to end hunger by for evidence-based institutions and services,
FAO adopts integrated gender and age-transformative 2030, we must address the policy development. and supporting measures to
approaches at global, regional, national, community, and inequalities between women increase social protection
household levels. It mainstreams gender and age equality and men in agriculture.  „ National, global and coverage and effectiveness.
sectoral policies,
across all of its areas of work, but empowering rural
„ The gender gap programmes, „ FAO’s work in gender
women and youth is particularly relevant to achieving the
imposes costs on the legislation and equality and the
Organization’s goal of eradicating rural poverty, as reflected in agriculture sector, investment plans empowerment of
its Strategic Programme 3 (“Reduce rural poverty”). Major the broader economy for food security rural women and
contributions towards achieving FAO’s gender and age equality and society, as well as on and nutrition do not girls contributes to
goals require: women themselves.  always capture women’s each of the 17 SDGs
„ Generating evidence for policy planning, through the role and contribution, and and is in line with the
analysis of sex- and age-disaggregated data. It is crucial that „ Women are critical therefore fail to respond to pledge that lies at the heart
policies, programmes, legislation and investment plans for agents of change in their specific needs and of the 2030 Agenda to
food security and nutrition (FSN) fully capture women and the fight against rural challenges. “leave no one behind.”
young people’s roles and contributions and respond to their
specific needs and challenges; SOURCE: FAO. 2018. EMPOWERING WOMEN, POWERING AGRICULTURE.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 153

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO DIMITRA CLUBS

„ Enhancing national capacities to design and implement food
A unique gender-transformative practical approach to empower and agriculture policies and programmes that fully take into
rural people. Dimitra Clubs are self-organized groups of rural women and account the capacities, needs and aspirations of rural women
men who discuss common challenges and take action to overcome them. Their and youth;
experiences are then shared and inspire other communities. „ Promoting responsible governance and management of
productive and natural resources that reflect the perspectives
NUMBERS FOCUS AREAS and priorities of both men, women and youth, and are grounded
in equitable and efficient local institutions. This could also
lead to an increase in women and youth participation in local
3 500 Gender
• Strong institutions as possible entry points for service delivery;
Dimitra Clubs in Participation emphasis on „ Ensuring equal access of female, male and youth farmers to
sub-Saharan Africa • Inclusion of the most margi- gender in all productive resources and services, climate-smart and labour-
nalized, women and youth phases
• Involvement of all actors • Men’s saving technologies and practices, and investment in rural
105 000 • Ownership engagement infrastructure;
club members • Women’s „ Developing gender- and age-sensitive value chains to enhance
(two-thirds are voice and
the full productive potential of women and youth in agri-food
leadership
women) systems, while increasing their access to higher-value, more
Community
mobilization remunerative markets and decent employment opportunities;
2.5 million • Organizational
capacities
Communication
• Access to information
„ Supporting the formulation of gender- and age-responsive
rural people • Dialogue and networking policies to prepare for and respond to shocks and crises such as
• Community
benefit from the momentum • Community radio, mobile risk-informed and shock-responsive social protection;
achievements • Collective phones and other ICTs „ Ensuring diverse livelihoods and asset accumulation; and
of the clubs action „ Social protection for the most vulnerable men, women and youth.

There is compelling evidence of the fundamental role of women

within the agricultural labour force in most developing countries,
Access to
IMPACT services and
Nutrition
as much as there is awareness of their important contribution in
Social resources ensuring food security and nutrition at household and community
and food levels. Likewise, there is a vast body of literature assessing the
cohesion security ageing farmers population and the urgent need to attract and
Community facilitate young people’s entry into the sector.
Education
governance Without rural women’s careful management of family income
SOURCE: FAO. 2016. MEETING OUR GOALS.

Gender equality is and resources, child and family well-being and nutrition would be
Structuring
enhanced and rural Health and more insecure. Nonetheless, the full extent of women’s potential
the rural
people’s livelihoods sanitation has not yet been unleashed due to persisting inequalities that
world
are improved in a continue to limit their access to natural and productive resources as
Gender sustainable way Access to well as their participation in decision-making processes.
roles and economic
In order to make agriculture more productive and sustainable,
relations opportunities
development interventions must put the voices, needs and
Resilience Agriculture potential of rural men, women and youth – including smallholders
practices and family farmers – at the centre of balancing demands for
Climate Women in increasingly efficient and intensified production. They should
change decision-making also address the need to protect the natural resource base and
threatened ecosystem services.

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More attention needs to be paid to facilitate equal participation for

all stakeholders in responsible and effective governance mechanisms
FAO USES
in order to foster an environment that is both conducive for MULTIFACETED
production and has the potential for long-term sustainability. Despite APPROACHES TO
their prominent role throughout the agriculture sector, women and
youth still suffer from limited land ownership, excessive workloads, or AC H I E V E I TS OBJ EC T I V E
in the case of youth, lack of jobs in the sector, and inadequate access to OF GEN DER A N D AGE
services and opportunities at large.
Recognizing that rural poverty is multidimensional, FAO uses an
EQUALI T Y AC ROSS FOOD
integrated approach to rural women’s economic empowerment that SYST EMS AT ALL LE V ELS.
simultaneously addresses the multiple factors that underpin their
disadvantaged position as agricultural producers, entrepreneurs,
value chain actors, processors, traders, retailers, etc. The approach
ensures that measures to advance rural women’s access to productive
resources, services and market opportunities are complemented
with interventions to advance their agency, self-confidence and
voice in decision-making processes, as well as corresponding actions
to create an enabling environment at the institutional and policy
levels. Through policy assistance and awareness-raising, FAO seeks
to develop a strong enabling environment in which young people
can thrive and seize current and future decent rural employment
opportunities in countries, while advocating and furthering rural TECHNOLOGIES AND PRACTICES
youth needs at global level. FOR SMALL AGRICULTURAL
GENDER PRODUCERS (TECA)
Strengthening women’s participation and leadership
in rural organizations The FAO-hosted platform several countries (including
At the community level, FAO supports the implementation of the dedicated to Technologies Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi,
gender-responsive approach of the Dimitra Clubs. These clubs and practices for small India, Indonesia, Lesotho,
provide opportunities for groups of rural women, men and young agricultural producers Pakistan, Niger, Somalia and
people to meet regularly to discuss their needs, priorities and (TECA) currently includes over Viet Nam). Between 2014 and
challenges, and take collective action to solve problems using their 100 labour-saving technologies 2015, 34 484 kitchen gardens
own ideas and resources. In order to facilitate the replication of and practices. These were set up in Burundi alone. In
good practices that come out of this process, the experiences of the technologies can either directly a context of land shortage, these
Dimitra Clubs are shared through community radio stations, using reduce working time gardens give households, and
devices such as mobile phones, and solar radio sets. (different forms of agricultural women in particular, easy access
mechanization) or indirectly to fresh vegetables and herbs.
Moreover, Dimitra Clubs encourage informal self-help groups of
reduce work burden (introduction The fact that they can be set up
rural men and women to improve their livelihood systems and be the
of cover crops that reduce close to the house reduces water
driving force of their own development. These clubs efficiently promote weeding), as in conservation fetching time, and the raised beds
the participation and influence of the most vulnerable women and agriculture. For example, kitchen on which they are set are more
youth in community life and local decision-making. They also have an gardens were introduced in beneficial for women’s posture.
outstanding impact in sustaining peace and tackling the root causes of
gender-based discrimination and violence. SOURCE: FAO. 2016. MEETING OUR GOALS.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 155

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

The Dimitra approach has the advantage of being highly Findings indicate that, overall, women’s work burden is largely
adaptable to local needs, and the dynamic nature of the clubs has the result of a combination of time-consuming and unrecognized
stimulated significant changes in gender relations and roles at household-related tasks, as well as demanding productive and
individual, household and community levels. In all of the countries community support tasks, most of which are unpaid and unrecognized.
in which the approach was implemented, the organizational Over the years, FAO has supported the introduction of many
capacities, participation and bargaining power of the most vulnerable labour-saving technologies and practices that can reduce women’s
people have improved. work in all agriculture subsectors. These include improved crop
management practices, fish drying and smoking ovens, woodlots
Facilitating women’s access to labour-saving to reduce fuelwood fetching time, fuel-efficient stoves, milk
technologies to overcome production constraints collection points, and roof water harvesting. Relevant labour-saving
On average, women in rural contexts face an excessive work burden, technologies and practices are documented on the TECA platform
a state of affairs that is both harmful to their well-being and a major (see Box), a resource made available to rural stakeholders.
limitation to agricultural productivity. The situation is particularly
dire in certain rapidly changing contexts, where environmental Promoting gender-sensitive rural advisory services
stresses linked to climate change, or social changes such as male FAO’s Gender and Rural Advisory Services Assessment Tool (GRAST)
migration, are adding to the burden of women in attaining food supports providers of rural advisory services in their efforts to develop
security for their households. gender-sensitive programmes. By undertaking a gender assessment
at policy, organizational and individual levels, the GRAST provides
entry points for improving the gender-responsiveness of the design
and delivery of advisory services in a truly transformative manner.
FAO applied the GRAST in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Peru. The
SUPPORTING WOMEN IN LEBANON good practices found in these countries are now being incorporated
into capacity development materials, so that other service providers can
adapt them to local contexts.
Improving „ 100 people received food
the nutrition transformation kits (44% women)
Fostering gender-sensitive social protection
of Syrian FAO’s Toolkit Promoting Gender-Sensitive Social Protection
refugees „ 100 people received breadmaking Programmes to Combat Rural Poverty and Hunger is designed to
and host kits (54% women) and 200 people enhance the technical capacity of social protection practitioners
communities. received vegetable seed kits (11% to integrate gender issues in the design, delivery, monitoring and
FAO supported women). evaluation of social protection programmes in rural areas.
130 women in
dairy processing units with equipment Emergency assistance to Boosting rural women’s access to decent employment
and training to improve safety, hygiene vulnerable Lebanese farmers and FAO has developed tools to support the formulation of gender-
and economic return. Thirty-three displaced Syrians. sensitive rural employment interventions such as the e-learning
households (170 women) benefited from „ 550 beneficiaries received vegetable Module on Women and Decent Work to improve stakeholders’
micro garden kits and related training. seeds and tools kits (45.6% women)
understanding of gender disparities in rural labour markets and
strengthen their skills to enhance rural women’s access to decent
Relieving the suffering of „ 550 beneficiaries received fodder
Lebanese returnees and host seeds (31% women) jobs, as a pathway out of poverty.
communities. FAO supported the
recovery of smallholder agricultural „ 450 beneficiaries received dairy kits Strengthening farmers’ capacities for efficient and
production: (30.4% women). sustainable production
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) aim to reinforce the technical and
SOURCE: FAO. 2016. MEETING OUR GOALS. functional capacity of farmers, while simultaneously contributing to

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FAO WOR KS
TO ADDRESS
THE ROOT
CAUSES OF
V ULNER ABILITIES
FOR M EN A N D
WOM EN A N D T H EI R
COM M U N I T I ES.

gender equality and rural women’s socio-economic empowerment. the heavy burden of unpaid work, enhancing women’s
By addressing the needs and vulnerabilities of male and female entrepreneurship, increasing value addition and strengthening
farmers, and by building trust within the community, the FFS market linkages by reinforcing women’s business skills and
support positive changes in attitudes, behaviours and practices increasing access to agricultural support services, technology
thereby transforming gender relations. and producers’ organizations. FAO has articulated a conceptual
framework and implementation guidelines aimed at supporting
Promoting inclusive governance of land and water practitioners and policymakers in planning and implementing
resources gender-sensitive value chain interventions.
FAO has formulated a set of gender-sensitive indicators related to
water for agricultural uses under the UN World Water Assessment Addressing gender inequality to reduce food loss
Programme. These serve to analyse the access of men and women FAO has been raising attention on the issue of food loss by
to irrigation, paid and unpaid labour in agriculture and irrigation, participating in the global Save Food Initiative in close partnership
as well as intra-household decision-making. with the public and private sectors. To date, traditional food loss
Gender-sensitive indicators have been systematically integrated reduction strategies focus more on technical solutions while
in FAO’s global water database (AQUASTAT) in Algeria, Morocco disregarding the relevant social dimensions that create disparities in
and Tunisia, and it is advocating for equitable water governance access to productive resources services and technologies. Reducing
in existing programmes and policy frameworks. Multidisciplinary existing gender inequalities will contribute significantly to improving
assessments of groundwater governance have been carried out in the efficiency of the agri-food value chain and cutting food losses.
Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia to analyse and address female farmers’
constraints in gaining access to and control over water resources. Promoting gender-sensitive agricultural investment
Sufficient investment is often the missing link between political
Supporting the development of sustainable, gender- commitments for empowering women in agri-food systems and
sensitive value chains their effective implementation. FAO has conducted case studies
FAO has gained solid expertise in developing gender-sensitive to expand evidence on gender implications of investments in
agricultural value chains. Strong emphasis is put on reducing agriculture in the Philippines, Lao People’s Democratic Republic,

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO SU PPORTS
GOV ER N M EN TS TO
DEVELOP THE POLIC Y
FR AMEWORKS AND
ENHANCE THE
CAPACITIES N EEDED TO
SUSTA I NABLY PROMOT E
GEN DER EQUALI T Y.

Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and the United Republic

of Tanzania. The findings have been included in FAO’s 2018 report
Gender Opportunities and Constraints in Land-related Agricultural
Investments, to stimulate collaboration and exchange of good
practices among investors, rural cooperatives and other stakeholders.

Reducing risks and vulnerability

FAO works to address the root causes of vulnerabilities for men
and women and their communities, build the capacities of local
institutions to reduce impact of shocks and enable affected
populations to become more resilient and recover faster. Special
attention is given to protect men and women against gender-
based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse, investing in TUNISIA A disaster risk reduction assessment of livelihood resilience in
rural infrastructure and analysing gender issues in prevention and Valorization of Jordan found that men and women had different perceptions of
palm trees and
mitigation mechanisms, and assessing implications on women’s oasis waste by the risks and priorities for resilience. Sex-disaggregated data collected
work burden. production of pallets showed that men identified inflation and unemployment, while
and sawdust bales
(used in animal
women are more concerned with the increasing debt burdens and
Promoting gender equality in emergency response production). barriers to employment.
FAO focuses on monitoring and assessing gender impacts in conflicts ©NIKOS
and disaster risk management and early warning. This involves ECONOMOPOULOS
/MAGNUM
Providing safe access to fuel and energy (SAFE)
analysing gender dimensions in needs assessments and collecting FOR FAO Crisis-affected populations often have severely constrained access to
sex-disaggregated data for resilience and vulnerability analysis. fuel and energy for cooking, heating, lighting and powering. Women
In Dominica, following Hurricane Maria in 2017, FAO supported and children usually bear the burden of collecting wood, increasing
women in the reconstruction of agriculture through the provision of their workload and putting them at risk to gender-based violence.
seeds and other agricultural material to support the regrowth of green Women spend on average 14 hours per week collecting wood
plants and fruits that generate food and income for rural households. in Cox’s Bazar camps (Bangladesh) and 21 hours in the south
FAO gathered sex-disaggregated information in 2015 after of Chad. The SAFE approach decreases women’s work burden,
the Myanmar flood, Nepal earthquake and El Niño event in the reduces household wood fuel consumption, and improves the local
Sudan which demonstrated that the livelihoods of women-headed environment. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya,
households were the most affected. Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda

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FACILITATING HIGH-LEVEL POLICY

DIALOGUES FOR RURAL WOMEN’S
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

„ The Step It Up Together With in agriculture. The conference brought

Rural Women to End Hunger and together high-level officials from more
Poverty event (FAO headquarters, than 20 countries and resulted in Joint
December 2016) provided a multi- Call for Action, a unique framework
stakeholder platform to examine the for addressing rural gender issues in
structural causes and consequences Europe and Central Asia. See: www.
of gender inequality in rural areas, fao.org/europe/ events/detail-
as well as to identify collaborative events/en/c/461793/
actions to unleash the economic
potential of rural women. More than „ During the event “Leaving No
400 participants attended the event, One Behind: Empowering Rural
including representatives of FAO Women for Zero Hunger and
member countries, UN partners, Shared Prosperity” at the margin
international experts, and the media. of the UN General Assembly
See: www.fao.org/about/meetings/ (New York, 2018), FAO and the
rural- women-end-hunger AUC launched a publication to
showcase ways in which multi-
„ Jointly organized with the stakeholder collaboration can be
African Union Commission (AUC), mobilized and political attention
an Africa-wide consultative meeting galvanized for empowering
on Gender and Agenda 2063 women towards Zero Hunger
and Yemen, communities have benefited from the FAO SAFE Programme, (Accra, October 2017) gathered and achievement of the Malabo
reaching 368 792 households. This work is conducted in partnership with WFP, 70 leaders of rural women’s commitments for improved rural
IOM, UNDP, and UNHCR. organizations and networks. livelihoods and shared prosperity.
In the Sudan, FAO trained women refugees on the production and use of fuel- Outcomes of the consultation This publication built on 42
efficient stoves, seedlings management, tree planting and agroforestry practices. informed preparations of the African National Gender Profiles of
In the Syrian Arab Republic, where communities are highly dependent Union Strategy for Gender Equality & agriculture and rural livelihood that
on fuelwood, FAO supports the construction of household biogas digesters Women’s Empowerment 2017–2027, FAO prepared in collaboration with
for cooking, while in Yemen, solar photovoltaic pumps are installed to ensure which the AU adopted in 2018. See: regional economic communities to
continuous water provision to rural households. http://www.fao.org/africa/news/ inform policies, programmes and
detail-news/ en/c/1051443/ investment plans. FAO and AUC
Protection from Gender-Based Violence (GBV) will subsequently launch a joint
GBV is a widespread and life-threatening problem exacerbated by poverty, natural „ A regional conference Promoting publication “Regional Outlook on
Socially Inclusive Rural Development Gender and Agri-food Systems”
hazards or conflicts. Through food security and agricultural interventions, FAO
in Europe and Central Asia (2017) in early 2019. It provides policy
supports countries to protect vulnerable families and individuals from destitution.
helped share experiences, build support to the AUC to strengthen
Furthermore, FAO supports governments to reform discriminatory legislation and
networks and strengthen political gender into the biannual reporting
practices and incorporate gender equality in projects and programmes. A 2018 commitment for reducing gender gaps process on the Malabo Declaration.
guide addresses GBV in the food security and agriculture sector, asking “How can
we protect men, women and children from gender-based violence?” SOURCE: FAO. 2018. EMPOWERING WOMEN, POWERING AGRICULTURE.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 159

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO SEEKS TO DE V ELOP

A STRONG ENABLING
ENVIRONMENT I N W H IC H YOUTH

YOU NG PEOPLE C A N T H R I V E Addressing youth employment challenges in agriculture

A N D SEI ZE C U R REN T FAO has developed innovative and field-tested approaches that
address the constraints rural youth face in accessing decent work.
A N D F U T U RE DECENT For example, FAO’s private and public partnership model for youth
RUR AL EMPLOY MENT employment in agriculture is designed to strengthen young people’s
skills using FAO’s Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools methodology.
OPPORT UNITIES. The approach facilitates their access to land, credit and markets and
enhances their ability to partake in policy debates relevant to their
welfare. FAO has also developed an integrated approach for policy
support on productive employment and decent work promotion in
rural areas, the Integrated Country Approach (ICA). ICA has been
implemented so far in Malawi, Senegal, the United Republic of
Tanzania, Uganda and Guatemala and will expand to Rwanda and
Kenya. The approach is geared towards sustainable policy change

FACTS & FIGURES ON YOUTH and places emphasis on strengthening the capacities of national
institutions responsible for agriculture and labour, as well as producer
and youth organizations.

„ There are more than 1 billion The Organization supports Youth employment and migration
young people aged 15–24 in the countries in integrating child labour Young people account for the bulk of migration flows. One in eight
world today, of whom 85 percent in national policy legislation, migrant workers are aged 15–24 years and are moving mainly
live in developing countries. They programmes and strategies. in search of better livelihoods. FAO works to provide alternative
are critical agents of change in the opportunities for prospective rural migrants, especially young
fight against poverty, hunger and „ The bulk of international migrant
women and men who are those most prone to migrate, by promoting
malnutrition. flows consists of young people –
decent work opportunities in agriculture and food systems in rural
around 70 percent are younger
„ By 2030, 25.6 million young than 30. areas or their proximity. In Kenya, for example, FAO implemented a
workers aged 15–29 will enter the two-year ‘’Rural youth migration, social protection and sustainable
labour force and will need jobs in „ The youth NEET rate is the value chains project’’ aimed at tackling some of the adverse causes
the developing countries of Africa proportion of youth “neither in of rural out-migration of youth. The project created employment and
and Asia and the Pacific. employment nor in education or entrepreneurship opportunities in agribusinesses along selected local
training”. The global estimate is value chains, while strengthening linkages with the existing social
„ More than 70 million youth 21.8 percent, 76.9 percent of protection programmes. In Tunisia and Ethiopia, FAO, via its Rural
are unemployed worldwide. which are female. Youth Migration project (RYM), promoted innovative mechanisms for
FAO seeks to develop a strong the creation of productive employment opportunities and agricultural
enabling environment in which „ The median age of population in entrepreneurship for rural youth in Ethiopian migration-prone areas
young people can thrive and fragile contexts is 20 years old.
(i.e. establishment of 38 youth agribusiness groups, bringing together
seize decent rural employment
454 individuals) through training, technical support and provision of
opportunities. „ Over 92% of Sub Saharan Africa
youth in employment are working in-kind grants and agricultural resources.
„ Around 71 percent of child labour poor and 70% subsite on less than
in the world is linked to agriculture. USD 2 per day. Youth and climate change
Difficulties in accessing green jobs is a major challenge to
SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), 2019. strengthening youth involvement in agriculture. Green jobs can lead

160 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 1. 6
CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY

to more sustainable livelihoods in the long run and can be more TUNISIA countries, yet below the legal age of an adult, they encounter major
labour intensive and ultimately have more value addition. To As many young
barriers in access to resources, services, employment opportunities,
respond effectively to climate and environmental stresses, FAO people of the and market. This age group is at a turning point, transitioning
designed a specific training manual for young farmers as part of Tunisian Djeffara from school to work, preparing for a future outside or within
coastal plain,
its Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools methodology in order to Mohamed agriculture, and repeating or breaking gender discriminating
develop their skills while increasing their adaptation to climate could not find patterns. FAO implements programmes that take into account their
a job after
variability. FAO is also implementing a specific Green Jobs for his university specific needs and challenges.
Youth project in Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and Zimbabwe, in studies.Through
FAO’s “Youth
order to provide to a mix of rural and urban youth, opportunities mobility, food Youth in fragile contexts and situations
for skills development across green agriculture, green energy, and security and Youth can be game changers in fragile contexts. Currently, over
rural poverty
green waste management sectors. reduction”
600 million youth worldwide live in fragile and challenging
project, he was contexts. Vulnerable youth in certain contexts are more likely
Child labour and younger workers aged 15–17 able to stay in to be susceptible to violence and to fall into radicalization or
his hometown
FAO supports the integration of child labour considerations into and establish negative coping behaviours. FAO implements specific youth
national policies and strategies for rural development. As part of his own quail employment programmes in selected fragile contexts to prevent
breeding unit.
its wider approach to eliminate child labour in agriculture, it also youth radicalization and negative coping actions, by increasing
©NIKOS
promotes efforts to boost the incomes of rural families so that they ECONOMOPOULOS employment opportunities. For example, in Somalia, through
have the means to send their children to school rather than work. /MAGNUM FOR vocational education, enterprise training, and the rehabilitation
FAO
Further, as youth aged 15–17 are within legal working age in most of infrastructure in high potential sectors of the economy, FAO

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 161

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

provides opportunities to youth to be part in the country’s

economic growth. Alongside this initiative, FAO is also working
with the Ministry of Fisheries at federal and state levels to
implement the project called “No piracy: Alternatives for youth
living in coastal communities,” in order to reach out to youth
living along the coast to support them in building livelihoods in
the fisheries sector and hence not fall into piracy.

Empowering youth in responsible investments in

agriculture
Youth are often unable to carry out the investments needed to
ensure that their own farming or processing activities can be
successfully launched or expanded. Furthermore, they may be
unable to benefit from opportunities in agricultural supply chains
provided by larger-scale investors. Promoting investments in the
agricultural sector by and with youth could have positive socio-
economic impacts because of several inter-related factors. For
instance, the contribution of agriculture to the GDP is very low
compared to its share in total employment, which indicates that
additional investments could yield significant benefits in terms
of productivity increases. FAO supports specific assessments,
to enhance understanding on the main challenges and
opportunities to empower youth to carry out and benefit from
responsible agricultural investment by giving voice to those most
concerned – young farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and workers, and
those who support them.

FAO’S POLICY WORK

F
UNITED „ Through the Committee on World Food Security (CFS),
AO supports governments to develop REPUBLIC OF FAO collaborates with governments, development agencies,
TANZANIA
the policy frameworks and enhance the academia, civil society and the private sector to include gender
capacities needed to sustainably promote gender A young Maasai equality and youth engagement considerations in agreed
woman with a
equality and women’s empowerment as an integral cup of fresh milk. principles and international standards for food security and
part of their efforts to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and ©FAO/GIUSEPPE nutrition. The CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in
malnutrition. Also, the Organization supports governments BIZZARRI Agriculture and Food Systems include dedicated principles on:
to promote youth-inclusive food systems, to harness the fostering gender equality and women’s empowerment (Principle
contribution of the agri-food sector to generate more and better 3), and engaging and empowering the youth (Principle 4).
jobs for the rural youth. The Organization advocates to integrate „ FAO mainstreams gender equality into climate-related planning
these issues in global standard-setting documents and high-level processes, including National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)
policy dialogues on food security and nutrition, and on agri-food and in the implementation of their Nationally Determined
system development. Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

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„ FAO sharpens the focus of FSN policies through high-

level events to ensure they consider gender and women’s
empowerment issues, as well as youth engagement and
empowerment issues.
„ Through the FAO-EU Policy Facility on Food and Nutrition
Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation
(FIRST), FAO is promoting the integration of gender equality
issues in FSN policies and strategies in 25 countries.
„ FAO played a key role in developing General Recommendation
34 on the Rights of Rural Women of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The
recommendation clarifies state obligations to recognize, protect
and promote the rights of rural women in the field of food and
agriculture.
„ FAO contributed to the development of the African Union
gender strategy 2017–2027 which emphasizes a transformative
approach to empower women economically, build their
resilience, fostering an inclusive policy environment and
reinforcing women’s voice, leadership, and visibility.
„ FAO supported the development and the implementation of the
Gender Strategy of the Plan for Food Security, Nutrition and
Hunger Eradication 2025 of the Community of Latin American
and Caribbean States (CELAC).
„ FAO works with 15 countries to fulfil their political
commitments to improve the status of rural women by
facilitating reporting on CEDAW and the implementation of
recommendations to integrate gender equality and women’s
empowerment issues in national FSN policies, legislation and
„ FAO combines its advocacy work with technical support to ensure investment strategies.
the formulation of gender-equitable and youth-inclusive food
security and nutrition policies, as well as agri-food and (rural) Increasing the availability and use of sex-
employment policies and strategies, backed by strong political disaggregated data for more targeted policies
commitment and sound regulatory frameworks. It also helps Sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics are fundamental to
strengthening the national capacities of agriculture and rural elaborate gender-sensitive rural poverty and hunger reduction policies,
development ministries. programmes and strategies. Data are also important to understand
„ FAO supports youth-inclusive and evidence-based agri-food rural women’s role and contribution in agriculture. Yet information on
policy dialogue and policy development at national level, while women’s roles in agriculture often remains scarce or incomplete.
strengthening policy coherence among agri-food, (youth) FAO’s Statistical Programme of Work 2018–19 includes more
employment, and migration policies. than 30 statistical activities related to sex-disaggregated data or
„ FAO develops and supports the adoption of gender- and age- gender statistics, including seven databases disseminated through
sensitive indicators and data collection systems related to FSN. websites, yearbooks and flagship publications.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 163

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

India: Women as agents of change

toward sustainable agriculture,
health and nutrition

To improve agricultural productivity and

water-use efficiency, FAO collaborates with
the Uttar Pradesh Department of Agriculture
to strengthen the institutional and policy framework for integrated
water resources management. A Farmer Water School (FWS)
organized training to enhance the capacity of farmers and improve
farming practices related to water management, soil nutrients and
pests, and make informed decisions at crucial stages of the crop
production cycle. To change existing gender dynamics, women are
involved in decision-making as equal partners in agricultural and
post-production services, thereby increasing overall agricultural
productivity and farmers’ incomes.
Special FW schools were also established for women to
enable them to talk openly and discuss issues pertaining to
sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. A
total of 6 720 women were trained to take on leadership roles in
future FWS for women.

Promoting gender equality for

improved food security and
nutrition in Guatemala

FAO, with other UN agencies, supported INDIA gender-sensitive monitoring framework for PAFFEC and training
the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock of extension agents on gender-focused planning and monitoring.
Woman
and Food of Guatemala to develop its first harvesting rice. The policy and its implementation constitute a milestone in the
institutional policy on gender equality. The policy, ratified in 2015, The plastic national implementation of CEDAW.
container
guarantees that voices of women and men in rural development contains insects
processes are heard and that they have equal access to agricultural to be used Kenya: an innovative approach:
for biological
technical assistance and productive resources. FAO supported a control of rice the Lessos gender-sensitive
multi-stakeholder consultation process with the Government and fields. business service centre
civil society to develop the policy and support its implementation. ©FAO/GIUSEPPE
BIZZARRI
A gender equality approach has been incorporated into the In Kenya, concrete results were achieved in
national Programme to Strengthen Family Farming (PAFFEC) promoting women’s entrepreneurship in the
which will enable collaboration and coordination with relevant dairy value chain by providing innovative
decision-making units of the Ministry for further integration of and gender-responsive business development services. More than
gender equality in their work. To promote greater accountability 600 farmers (half of whom women) were trained in business-
for achieving gender equality, FAO supported the setting up of a oriented farming and value addition, and 40 women-led start-ups

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Middle East looking for work and a better life. The amount
of job opportunities in the country has not matched its
growth. 71 percent of Ethiopia’s population is under the
age of 30 and many of them lack opportunities to make a
decent living. Yimam decided to go to Saudi Arabia where
his sister was living. His journey, to what was meant to be
a better life, was not an easy one. Yimam finally made it
to Saudi Arabia and worked as a shepherd. A few months
later, he was arrested and deported back to Ethiopia. Back
in his village, he had to rely on his parents to survive. When
the FAO-supported Rural Youth Mobility project started in
the region, he had another option to consider: working in
agriculture in his homeland. As part of this project, Yimam
was selected to be involved in horticulture initiatives.
Together with other young people, they started growing
cabbage, onions and mung beans on plots of land provided
by the local administration. The Rural Youth Mobility project
promoted innovative, rural development strategies to provide
employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the rural
youth in order to address the causes of distress migration.
Together with its partners, FAO has helped to make
migration a choice in Ethiopia and Tunisia.

Safe work: reducing child

labour in Lebanon
were supported by a newly established Business Service Centre, ETHIOPIA
operating through a local dairy cooperative. Men have also In South Lebanon, Fouad Wansa, head
Yimam migrated
become more aware of gender inequality and its implications on to Saudi Arabia of the Agricultural Centre, an extension
business performance and household well-being. Higher profits in search of office of the Ministry of Agriculture
work and a
have translated into increased children’s enrolment at school, better life. When in Marjeyoun, teaches 15–18-year-old
greater household dietary diversity, more leisure time, and higher he was deported students at the directorate’s Technical Agriculture School.
back to his
investments in business diversification. country, FAO He participated in an intensive two-day FAO training course
selected him for on occupational safety and health in agriculture, with a
the horticulture
Rural youth migration in Tunisia initiative of the
special focus on child protection. “I have always known about
and Ethiopia RYM project, harmful effects and protective measures in agricultural labour,
through which but my knowledge only focused on adults until I started
he has received
Kalu, in the Amhara region of northern agricultural participating in FAO trainings,” Fouad says. He is among 180
Ethiopia, is home to 28-year-old Yimam training. professionals who attended this series of training courses
Ali. However, many young people from ©FAO/Tamiru across the country, targeting Ministry of Agriculture staff,
Legesse
this region of Ethiopia move to the child-protection workers and farmers.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 165

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166 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .10

INNOVAT ION: FAO

SOW ING THE SEEDS
OF T R A NSFOR M AT ION

SENEGAL INNOVATION IS KEY TO ERADICATING

FAO has RURAL POVERTY AND ENDING HUNGER
developed four

T
new apps to
provide farmers he world is facing unprecedented challenges
with real-time
information on that affect the sustainability of our food and
weather, livestock agriculture systems. From an ever-increasing and
care, markets and
nutrition.
urbanized world population to deteriorating natural
©FAO/ALIOUNE
resources and loss of biodiversity, to climate change impacts,
NDIAYE. these challenges combined threaten the livelihoods of millions of
family farmers across the globe. To meet growing food demand
from a projected population of close to 10 billion people in 2050,
agricultural output will need to increase by about 40 percent
compared to 2012. The bulk of this rise must come from family
farmers who manage about 90 percent of the world’s farms,
produce over 80 percent of the world’s food but, paradoxically, are
often poor and malnourished themselves.
While efforts in the past centred on boosting agriculture to
produce more food, today’s focus is to tackle the root causes of
hunger and malnutrition through transformative changes to
our food system. The way we produce, process, distribute and
consume food must become wholly sustainable and contribute
to healthy and affordable diets. As the driving force to transform
food systems, innovation is central to lifting family farmers out of

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 167

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION IS
THE PROCESS WHEREBY INDIVIDUALS
OR ORGANIZATIONS BRING NEW OR
EXISTING PRODUCTS, PROCESSES OR
WAYS OF ORGANIZATION INTO USE
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A SPECIFIC
CONTEXT IN ORDER TO INCREASE
EFFECTIVENESS, COMPETITIVENESS,
RESILIENCE TO SHOCKS OR
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

FACTS AND FIGURES

poverty, tackling unemployment for youth and rural women, and
helping the world to achieve food security and the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
„ In the last 15 years, Internet and have Internet access at home,
Agricultural innovation is the process whereby individuals or
digital usage has increased and just over 20 percent have a
rapidly; more people now have mobile broadband subscription organizations bring new or existing products, processes or ways of
mobile phones than sanitation or – four times less than in organization into use for the first time in a specific context in order
clean water. developed countries (ITU, 2017). to increase effectiveness, competitiveness, resilience to shocks or
environmental sustainability and thereby contribute to food security
„ Today, there are nearly 4.3 billion „ Only 22 per 100 inhabitants use and nutrition, economic development or sustainable natural resource
mobile-broadband subscriptions the Internet in Africa, compared management.
in existence (ITU, 2017). with 48 per 100 globally (ITU,
2017). INNOVATION AND THE 2030 AGENDA
„ Over 3.6 billion individuals use

W
the Internet, and even among „ The gap in the proportion of ith the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for
the poorest 20 percent of women worldwide using the
Sustainable Development, countries
the population, 7 out of 10 Internet compared with men
households have a mobile phone was -12 percent in 2017 (ITU,
have committed to a universal set of
(World Bank, 2016). 2017). This gap correlates with transformative goals and targets. The SDGs
levels of economic development recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that
„ Only 15 percent of households in and is largest in LDCs, at build inclusive economic growth and create job opportunities, address
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) -33 percent. social needs including education and health, and protect the environment
and the planet’s natural resources – all while responding to climate
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. TACKLING POVERTY AND HUNGER THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION. change. Actions should be committed to leaving no one behind.

168 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 KEY MESSAGES

Family farmers are policy, pathways and business

innovators. models aimed at promoting
„ Family farmers have been innovation in agriculture.
innovating since the dawn
Innovation is more than
of agriculture. Fostering the
technology.
capacity of the millions of family
„ Going beyond apps, drones
farmers to innovate is especially
crucial today as they face or farm machinery, innovation
unprecedented challenges that in agriculture involves different
affect their livelihoods as well as social, organizational or
the sustainability of the world’s institutional processes, ranging
food and agriculture systems. from access to markets, credit or
extension services to marketing
We need to increase produce in a new way.
the pace of innovation to
overcome the challenges of Innovation is a complex
the twenty-first century. process where multiple
„ Accelerating and scaling up actors play different roles.
innovation in agriculture can „ Governments and other key
trigger the transformation needed stakeholders, including civil
to respond to feeding a growing society, farmer organizations,
and increasingly urbanized research bodies and the private
population, climate change sector, all have a role to play
impacts and to achieve the in creating an environment that
Sustainable Development Goals. enables innovation in agriculture
As the Decade of Family Farming to flourish and generate solutions.
kicks off, now is the time to bring Success hinges on connecting
MALI stakeholders together to share the drivers that influence
The 2030 Agenda explicitly refers to innovation as a
knowledge, invest and unlock the innovation uptake.
critical means of implementation, acknowledging its role in Members of
Cooperatif
accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. The Agenda calls Benkadi, an SOURCE: FAO. 2018. FAO'S WORK ON AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION.
for enhanced cooperation and knowledge sharing to improve association of
women of Finkolo
access to technology and innovation. It underlines the urgency village, after a
for the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion lesson in the field.
of environmentally sound technologies. And it points to the ©FAO/
SWIATOSLAW
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CLIMATE
need for capacity-building mechanisms for least developed
countries.
WOJTKOWIAK
CHANGE ADAPTATION
Many developing countries have yet to harness the full
potential of agricultural innovation. Success hinges on
understanding and deployment of innovation drivers and FAO and the World to farmers and fishers through
processes that are critical to unlocking transformative change. Meteorological digital services, starting in Senegal
Today, it is necessary to remove barriers and address Organization (WMO) have and Rwanda. A key objective of
constraints – including technological, social, institutional, recently strengthened their this collaboration is to develop
organizational and policy restrictions – that stifle the capacity cooperation to help poor national capacities to provide
farmers adapt to climate meteorological and climate
of family farmers, and others, to innovate. While much has
change. The two organizations data for improved agricultural
been taken on board about innovation in recent years, policy
are working on strengthening information to facilitate their
options for strengthening inclusive agricultural innovation agro-meteorological services and integration into agriculture policies,
systems need to be developed. By analysing good practices making them more accessible plans and strategies.
and lessons learned from different parts of the world, more
effective policies can be shaped and implemented. SOURCE: FAO. 2018. TACKLING POVERTY AND HUNGER THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 169

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

Food security, climate change adaptation, poverty alleviation and GUATEMALA livestock feed levels, enabling farmers to achieve better yields by
sustainable management of natural resources rely on innovation Coffee plantation optimizing crop management and reducing the use of fertilizers,
with technical
processes in which small-scale producers are protagonists. Scaling support – from
pesticides and water. ICT companies, multinationals and large
up innovation requires stakeholders and decision makers to develop capacity building machinery manufacturers, as well as small and medium farm input
a better understanding of impact pathways, new partnerships and to various inputs. suppliers, provide services (including extension) to farmers and their
This farmer's main
business models involving the public and private sectors, civil society source of income organizations through digital means. Downstream, supermarkets and
and farmer organizations. They must create conditions that will enable is to grow coffee agricultural product buyers engage in the food value chain through ICT.
plants for about
innovation to flourish, linking these various actors, fostering the capacity 8–10 months New technologies are also used by farmers’ cooperatives, international
of farmers and other stakeholders, and providing incentives for them to and then sell them organizations, civil society, and governments to provide information on
on to farmers for
innovate. Research and extension play a central role in these innovation plantation. many aspects of farming, including regulation.
pathways. FAO advocates a shift from interventions focusing on single ©FAO/LEONESSA
However, the rapid global revolution in ICT stands in stark contrast
components of agricultural innovation towards a ‘system approach’ CRISCI to the continuing high numbers of extreme poor and hungry individuals
aimed at strengthening institutions and stakeholders, as well as in the world. The new digital technologies and innovative use of ICT
networks that better respond to the needs of smallholder farmers. creates enormous opportunities and poses daunting challenges to
ending poverty and hunger. On one hand, there is potential to increase
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS productivity and wealth, generate new activities, products and services,
TECHNOLOGY (ICT) and improve livelihoods. On the other hand, such opportunities

I
can lead to further alienation of marginalized communities and an
nformation and Communications Technology (ICT) exacerbation of existing socio-economic inequalities. In fact, not all
innovation is also revolutionizing the agriculture communities benefit from emerging technology and ICT-driven
and food sectors. In developed economies, innovations such innovation. Many continue to rely on traditional ICT or have limited
as artificial intelligence, the Internet of things, data analytics and access to ICT. To what extent can digital innovation better serve those
block-chain are changing the way agriculture does business. Remote farthest behind? Can ICT benefit the more vulnerable layers of our
sensors collect data on soil moisture, temperature, crop growth and society living in rural areas? Can they help reduce risks in agriculture

170 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .10
I N N OVA T I O N: FAO S OW I N G T H E S E E D S O F T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

and increase profit for small-scale producers? Can they provide alternative
livelihoods to new generations of rural youth looking for a better future? How can
KEY ELEMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE
digital innovation and new use of ICT in agriculture contribute to eliminating rural AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION
poverty and hunger, and provide alternatives to migration?

FAO INNOVATION IN ACTION: „ Innovation requires long-term such as agroecology,

TOOLS AND PLATFORMS commitment by different actors, agricultural biotechnologies and
particularly for the sustainability information and communication

I
nnovation in agriculture cuts across all dimensions of the of family farmers and enabling technologies, among others, is
achievement of the Sustainable required.
production cycle along the entire value chain – from crop,
Development Goals.
livestock production, forestry or fishery to the management of inputs and
„ Demand-driven innovation
resources, to organization and market access. The following examples „ Assessment of agricultural processes are required,
illustrate some of FAO’s contributions and the role of the Organization in innovation systems is required to especially, to empower family
promoting agricultural innovation. inform appropriate interventions farmers to innovate (e.g. capacity
to unlock the potential of development in leadership,
Technologies and practices for small agricultural producers agricultural innovation for family negotiation, advocacy, data
(TECA) farmers. analysis, collective action etc.).
TECA is FAO’s global, web-based platform for knowledge exchange,
documenting and sharing practical information on agricultural technologies and „ Innovative partnerships can „ Inclusiveness is essential for
practices to help smallholder farmers in the field. It combines this knowledge accelerate transformation of effective innovation (e.g. gender,
base with a forum of exchange groups for interactions, identification of needs agricultural innovation systems, youth, indigenous groups etc.),
recognizing that trust and equal particularly through appropriate
and joint learning between various actors of the agricultural innovation systems.
recognition among partners/ policies that must ensure no one
TECA aims to make demand-driven information available on the production
actors form the basis of is left behind.
and protection of plants and animals (including fish) and on the management successful partnerships.
of natural resources in the context of climate change adaptation and disaster „ Formal and informal mechanisms
risk reduction. It also gathers technologies relating to better nutrition from „ Innovation is context-specific. for networking, co-learning
agriculture, to social organization and capacity, and to post-harvest issues to Therefore, it is necessary to and co-creation, knowledge
allow smallholders and other users to better access markets. Apart from small recognize the diversity of family exchange and information
agricultural producers, users include professionals from rural extension and farmers (including peasants, sharing are necessary to
advisory services, producer organizations, NGOs, research organizations, indigenous peoples, traditional accelerate innovation.
universities, and the private sector. communities, fishers, mountain
farmers, livestock keepers and „ Key elements for successful
e-Agriculture pastoralists as well as farmers on adoption and use of innovation
marginal lands) and their different must lead to efficiency,
The FAO-led global Community of Practice e-Agriculture is made up of over
needs in different contexts for the profitability and the sustainability
12 000 members from 170 countries and territories. It serves as a platform where
scaling up of innovation. of family farmers.
members exchange information, ideas and resources related to the use of ICT. It
aims to improve decision-making on the vital role of ICT in empowering rural „ In order to achieve the „ Lessons from innovation
communities, improving rural livelihoods, and building sustainable agriculture Sustainable Development Goals, experiences are an essential
and food security. The platform is all about knowledge exchange between UN in particular Goal 2, scaling up component for achieving the
agencies, governments, universities, research organizations, NGOs, farmers’ innovations through partnerships Sustainable Development Goals
organizations, private sector, and the wider community. Recognizing that and use of a diversity of for family farmers and youth.
knowledge exchange relies on constructive dialogue, one of the most popular context-specific approaches
activities is the e-Agriculture Forum Discussions where topics are demand-driven
and led by partner institutions specialized in different areas of e-agriculture. SOURCE: CHAIR’S SUMMARY: INNOVATION SYMPOSIUM FOR FAMILY FARMERS. 2018.

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

FAO ADVOC AT ES A SH I F T F ROM

I N T ERV EN T IONS FOCUSING ON SINGLE
COMPONENTS OF AGRICULT UR AL
INNOVATION TOWA RDS A ‘SYST EM
A PPROAC H’ A I M ED AT ST RENGT H EN I NG
I NST I T U T IONS A N D STA KEHOLDERS, AS
W ELL AS N ET WOR KS T H AT BET T ER RESPON D
TO T H E N EEDS OF SM ALLHOLDER FA R M ERS.

Digital Services in Africa

POTENTIAL OF DRONES Over 60 percent of Africa’s estimated 1.2 billion people are under the age of 25; yet with
little job creation in the rural areas where the majority of the population resides, there
FOR LOCUST EARLY WARNING is a growing uncertainty over the continent’s preparedness to tap into this resource.
AND PREVENTIVE CONTROL Digital innovation and the use of ICT will prove essential to unlock Africa’s agri-
business, to bridge the rural divide, to support smallholders and family farmers, fishers,
pastoralists, and forest-dwellers. Innovative technologies and approaches can increase
productivity and profitability, improve consumption of nutritious food, empower
Vast areas of desert on board as a map. In turn, youth and women's access to information, technology and markets and ensure that
stretching from West the map would guide ground
agriculture practices are environmentally sustainable for future generations.
Africa to India and survey teams to specific areas.
FAO and partners work together to develop, promote and implement digital inclusion
including some of Significant infestations could be
the world’s poorest safely and effectively sprayed initiatives and the scaling up of innovative digital services. Bringing solutions closer to the
countries are regularly by a control drone before needs of poor households in Africa and other regions is a direct contribution to poverty
monitored for Desert Locust the locusts form swarms. All reduction and food security. The use of ICT helps maximize the impact of existing rural
by national ground teams in the drones would have to be advisory services, financial services and social protection programmes; and facilitates
vehicles. These areas have no lightweight, portable, solar- access to markets, information and entrepreneurship opportunities. Digital inclusion
mobile or Internet coverage and powered, durable and easy initiatives address the barriers to mobile Internet adoption through infrastructure and
may be several days’ drive from to use and maintain locally. policy, affordability, digital literacy and availability of local content.
the national locust centre. To The “dLocust family” would be
speed things up, research and integrated with eLocust3, the Tropical Agriculture Platform:
development is now underway hand-held tablet used by survey Agricultural Innovation Systems
to provide a fixed-wing drone and control teams for recording
Fostering the capacity of family farmers to innovate is essential.
solution. The drone would be observations and transmitting
To bring capacity development up to speed with the challenges facing agriculture in
capable of flying some 100 km them in real-time by satellite.
while collecting data on the National locust centres would the twenty-first century, the partners of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) have
location of green vegetation be responsible for managing adopted a new integrated approach, called the Common Framework on Capacity
and processing this imagery and using dLocust. Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems. The TAP Common Framework
builds on the agricultural innovation systems (AIS) perspective, which recognizes that
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. TACKLING POVERTY AND HUNGER THROUGH DIGITAL INNOVATION. agricultural innovation is a process involving many different actors and factors and that

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it can only take off if it meets the demands of its principal users. The TAP
proposes a practical approach to capacity development for agricultural
innovation that aims at harmonizing the diversity of existing strategies.
The Common Framework provides concepts, principles, methodologies
and tools to better understand the architecture of AIS, to assess capacity
development needs and to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate
capacity development interventions. This should lead to more sustainable
and efficient AIS. The Common Framework emphasizes the crucial
role of functional capacities, facilitation, documentation and knowledge
management issues as well as that of reflection and learning to enable
agricultural innovation. The Common Framework is being validated
in nine countries in Africa, Asia and Central America where capacities
for innovation are developed at the level of innovation partnerships,
networks of organizations and the enabling environment. This approach
will support the development of an AIS that is capable of adapting and
responding to new and emerging challenges.

Mechanization
Sustainable agricultural mechanization covers all levels of farming
and processing technologies, from simple and basic hand tools
to more sophisticated and motorized equipment. It takes 60
days to cultivate a hectare of land using a hand hoe, compared
KENYA
to about three days with draught animal power or less than a experimenting, prototyping, and developing innovative projects in
day if using a powered direct seeder. In many farming-based Beneficiaries
the field of sustainable agricultural development and food security.
communities, women provide up to 80 percent of the total farm of FAO’s Based on a people-centred approach, AgLab Cx brings together actors
labour. Mechanization can ease and reduce hard labour and Mechanization involved in food and agricultural systems who must solve a problem
Programme for
relieve labour shortages. In Zambia, for example, labour savings Conservation with those who have the technical and financial capacity to solve it, for
from the adoption of animal-powered equipment have been Agriculture Farmers interdisciplinary collaboration and co-creation.
use a tractor-
estimated to be from 25 percent to 35 percent. FAO aims to increase driven, direct
knowledge exchange on agricultural equipment and sustainable seeder with a System for earth observations, data access, processing
fertilizer attachment
practices by fostering partnerships with public and private sector near Nyahururu, and analysis for land monitoring (SEPAL)
institutions that promote innovation and build on existing Laikipia County. SEPAL is a component of FAO’s Open Foris software suite that
technology. FAO support governments to develop strategies that ©FAO/LUIS TATO provides comprehensive image-processing capabilities and enables
foster mechanization and works with small-scale enterprises, the detection of small-scale changes in forests, such as those
cooperatives and local organizations to ensure smallholder farmers associated with illegal or unsustainable timber harvesting. Users
have access to and use of mechanized services. can query and process satellite data quickly and efficiently, tailor
their products for local needs, and swiftly produce sophisticated
AgLab in China and relevant geospatial analyses. Harnessing cloud-based
FAO China has set up AgLab Cx, an innovation lab involving a supercomputers and modern geospatial data infrastructures (such
variety of eclectic partners and expertise, including the Ministry of as Google Earth Engine), SEPAL allows users to access and process
Agriculture of China, social innovators, academics and consumer critical historical satellite data as well as newer data from Landsat
groups to foster innovation in all areas of work. Providing a space and Europe’s Copernicus programme. SEPAL helps countries pave
for engaging the Government, young people, technologists, private the way for improved climate change mitigation plans and better
sector and civil society in problem solving, the lab is dedicated to informed land-use policies.

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I N NOVAT ION IS
I M PORTA N T TO RE ALI ZE
T H E PRODUC T I V E
POT EN T I AL OF FA M I LY
FA R M ERS, ESPECIALLY IN
SMALL- AND MEDIUM-
SIZED FAMILY FAR MS
T H AT OCC U PY A L A RGE
SH A RE OF FA R M L A N D
A N D PRODUC E M UC H
OF T H E FOOD I N LOW-
A N D M I DDLE-I NCOM E
COU N T R I ES.

The FAO Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) SRI LANKA Global Forum on Agricultural Research and
The Desert Locust Information Service (DLIS) continuously monitors A GPS device Innovation (GFAR)
the locust situation. Satellites cannot detect the insects themselves is used by GFAR, hosted in FAO, is a multi-stakeholder global forum on
veterinarians
but can accelerate identification of potential breeding areas and make to track and
agricultural research and innovation enabling stakeholders across the
ground interventions more effective. Remote sensing imagery is used document agricultural spectrum – from researchers and organizations to farmers
to detect desert areas in which rain has fallen, where soil is sufficiently locations of cattle – to participate in collaborative discussion and action around the
herds tested for
moist for egg-laying, and where vegetation is green to provide food rinderpest. current and future state of agriculture. GFAR facilitates collaboration,
and shelter for locusts. Google Earth Engine technology is used to © FAO/ISHARA partnerships and sharing of objectives along the complex pathways
deliver these products faster to affected countries and decision makers. KADIKARA from research through to development outcomes.
In addition, national locust survey and control teams use rugged
handheld tablets in the field to record their observations, and then AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION: SELECTED
transmit them in real time via satellite to their national locust control APPROACHES AND INITIATIVES

A
centres and to FAO DLIS.
Geo-referenced data in the field are collected and analysed ccelerating and scaling up innovation in
on a daily basis. This analysis, carried out by the national control agriculture can trigger the transformation
locust centres and FAO DLIS, relies on a range of computer-based needed to feed a growing and increasingly
software tools which were developed by FAO and several partners urbanized population, respond to climate change
for early warning purposes, as well as specific hardware such as impacts and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Innovation
the handheld device called eLocust. These components constitute in agriculture goes beyond apps, drones or farm machinery; it
the oldest migratory pest monitoring and early warning system involves different social, organizational or institutional processes
in the world. FAO is currently investigating the use of drones to or approaches to tackle today’s challenges. The following examples
support survey and control operations. represent selected agricultural approaches and practices led by FAO.

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AGROECOLOGY
THE 10 ELEMENTS OF AGROECOLOGY Agroecology is based on applying ecological concepts and principles
to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the
environment, while taking into consideration the social aspects
In guiding countries to achieve Zero „Diversity „Human and that need to be addressed for a sustainable and fair food system. By
to transform Hunger and multiple „Co-creation and social values building synergies, agroecology can support food security through the
their food and other SDGs, the sharing of „Culture and production of healthy and nutritious foods while restoring ecosystems
agricultural systems, following ten knowledge food traditions and biodiversity that are essential for sustainable agriculture. It is based
to mainstream elements emanated „Synergies „Responsible on context-specific design and organization of crops and animals,
sustainable from the FAO „Efficiency governance farms and landscapes and works with solutions that conserve above
agriculture on a regional seminars on „Recycling „Circular and and below ground biodiversity. Agroecology is the basis for evolving
large scale, and agroecology: „Resilience solidarity food systems that are equally strong in environmental, economic,
economy
social and agricultural dimensions, and plays an important role in
The 10 Elements of building resilience and adapting to climate change.
Agroecology are Jointly with other United Nations partners, in 2018, FAO launched
interlinked and the Scaling Up Agroecology Initiative to be implemented over the next
interdependent. RESPONSIBLE
ten years, in collaboration with multi-stakeholder partners. At regional
GOVERNANCE

level, agroecology platforms were launched to promote farmer-led,

bottom-up and local innovation systems, working closely with regional
and government partners. At country level, agroecology is being scaled-
up in countries all around the world, including Angola, Bahamas,
Bolivia (Plurinational State of), China, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Lebanon,
DIVERSITY
Nepal, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tunisia.

Nepal
Diversity, prosperity and culture
in the Himalayas
The beans grown at an altitude of 2 300
RECYCLING EFFICIENCY SYNERGIES RESILIENCE metres in the Himalayan valley of Sinja in
the Jumla District of Nepal have immense
significance for the community. The pulses
have good commercial and high nutritional value and are also
tied to the local culture and religious festivals, like Janai Purne,
marking the end of the rainy month and beginning of the cold
HUMAN AND CO-CREAT
A ION AND CULT
L URE AND season. The beans are cultivated manually by local farmers without
SOCIAL VA
V LUES SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE FOOD TRADITIONS
the use of pesticides to ensure healthy soils and food. However,
the production of beans faced competition, as higher-yielding
crops were introduced. Through an initiative led by the Mountain
Partnership, better marketing and distribution of high-quality Jumla
beans has led to a doubling of production in the past three years.
The market price has risen by 25 percent due to the added value
of a Mountain Partnership product label. As well as supporting the
livelihoods and traditional cultures of local people, the involvement
CIRCULAR AND
SOURCE: FAO. 2018. SOLIDARITY ECONOMY of women has also grown by 13 percent in the same period.

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BLUE FASHION FOR BLUE GROWTH

Blue Growth strategies advocate ways to balance economic
growth, social development, food security and the sustainable use
of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Sharing experiences and
lessons learned is an important first step in promoting innovation
and developing strong “blue” economies. FAO, through its Blue
Growth Initiative, aims to promote greater collaboration and
increased dialogue on successful practices that have spurred
sustainable development, and to look at innovative industries and
markets that can offer a competitive advantage. One interesting
and creative example is using fish skin to create elegant fashion
designs. The traditional fisheries and fish farming sectors generate
enormous amounts of fish skin, too often perceived as a waste
product. Seaweed cultivation is also on the rise across the North
Atlantic. The innovative and increased use of aquatic resources
in the fashion industry can increase the sustainability of both the
fashion and fisheries sectors.

BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Biotechnology includes a broad range of technologies applied in
crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and
agro-industry. They are used for many different purposes, such
as the genetic improvement of plants and animals to increase
their yields or efficiency; characterization and conservation of
genetic resources for food and agriculture; plant and animal
disease diagnosis; vaccine development; and production of
fermented foods. ZIMBABWE The year 2018 marked the 90th anniversary of mutation
FAO recognizes that when appropriately integrated with Strengthening induction in plants. On this occasion, FAO and the
other technologies for the production of food, agricultural controls of food International Atomic Energy Agency organized the
safety threats, plant
products and services, biotechnology can be of significant and animal pests International Symposium on Plant Mutation Breeding and
assistance in meeting the needs of an expanding and increasingly and diseases. Biotechnology. The symposium reviewed the successes
urbanized population. ©FAO/ JEKESAI achieved in the field of plant mutation breeding and presented
NJIKIZANA
In 2000, FAO launched the Biotechnology Forum to provide innovations in mutation induction, including genome editing,
quality information on agricultural biotechnologies in developing as well as the latest advances in combining field-based selection
countries and create a neutral platform available for people to with genomics-based, plant breeding technologies.
exchange views and experiences on biotechnology. To date, it has Due to the increasing concerns over the negative effects of
hosted 19 moderated email conferences and published a series climate change on food security, a mutation breeding approach
of documents. FAO also organized an International Technical was identified as a way to help enhance the adaptability of
Conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing crops and to promote crop production diversification, in line
Countries (ABDC-10), in Mexico in 2010; an International with Climate-Smart Agriculture principles.
Symposium on The Role of Agricultural Biotechnologies in Plant biotechnologies are vital to the effective application of
Sustainable Food Systems and Nutrition, in Rome in 2016; and mutation breeding techniques and are increasingly considered
two regional meetings on agricultural biotechnologies, in Asia- for crop improvement to ensure crops are better adapted to
Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa, in 2017. climate change.

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Programme. Aiming to strike a balance between conservation,

sustainable adaptation and socio-economic development, the GIAHS
Programme helps identify ways to mitigate the threats faced by farmers
as well as enhance the benefits derived by these systems. Through
multi-stakeholder support, this approach aims to: provide technical
assistance; boost understanding of the value of keeping alive sustainable
agricultural knowledge; and promote agricultural products, agro-tourism
and other incentive mechanisms and market opportunities.
As of 2018, there are 57 GIAHS-designated sites in 21 countries
around the world, with potentially many more to follow. GIAHS
sites are testimony to the inventiveness and ingenuity of people
in their management of resources, biodiversity and ecosystem
dynamics, and use of landscapes, codified in traditional but evolving
knowledge, practices and technologies. These ancestral agricultural
systems constitute the foundation for contemporary and future
agricultural innovations and technologies. Their cultural, ecological
and agricultural diversity is still evident in many parts of the world,
maintained as unique systems of agriculture. The GIAHS programme
requires stakeholders of designated sites to implement action plans
for the dynamic conservation of the core elements of their sites and to
adapt and develop the sites in line with the evolving social, economic
and natural environment.

China
Hani rice terraces
Hani Rice Terraces are located in the
GLOBALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL KENYA Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous
Fashion models
HERITAGE SYSTEMS display clothes Prefecture, which is in the southeast part
“Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” (GIAHS) made of fish skin at of China’s Yunnan Province. People from
the Blue Economy
are outstanding landscapes that combine agricultural biodiversity, Conference various minorities – Hani being the main
in Nairobi,
resilient ecosystems and a valuable cultural heritage. Located in November 2018. minority group – have built these spectacular agricultural and
specific sites around the world, they sustainably provide multiple ©FAO/LUIS TATO natural wonders and lived in this remarkable landscape for over
goods and services, food and livelihood security for many small- 1 300 years. One of the best examples of farmers’ wisdom in
scale farmers. Through a remarkable process of co-evolution of China, the terraces are mainly distributed along the south part
humankind and nature, such sites have emerged over centuries of the Honghe Ailao mountain and spread over four counties
of cultural and biological interactions and synergies, representing covering an area of about 70 000 hectares. The Hani villages are
the accumulated experiences of rural people. Unfortunately, these built on the mountainsides: above the villages are flourishing
agricultural systems are threatened by many factors including forests and just below are the terraces themselves. It is amazing
climate change and increased competition for natural resources. that in the Hani Rice Terraces there are no reservoirs, yet water
They are also dealing with migration due to low economic supply is abundant – this is due to the skilful management of
viability, which has resulted in traditional farming practices being aquatic resources derived from forests on the mountain tops above
abandoned and endemic species and breeds being lost. the terraces. The forest, village, terrace and river compose the
In recognition of these global threats to family farming and typical ecological landscape of the Hani Rice Terraces. The Hani
traditional agricultural systems, in 2002 FAO launched the GIAHS utilize and manage local water resources in a unique, simple,

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 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

economical and efficient manner that has provided a KENYA in adapting the system to the surrounding environment
guarantee for the sustainable operation of the system. The A Samburu village and wildlife to satisfy both their own needs and the
Hani people, their indigenous agricultural technologies, on the edge of evolving needs of the cities nearby – instead of competing
Samburu National
their maintenance of many unique local rice varieties, Park in northern for resources they are functioning in synergy. Their
their selection of the settlement site, and their traditional Kenya. agropastoral system simultaneously integrates animals
customs for environmental protection and conservation, ©FAO/ GEORGE such as buffaloes, goats and sheep with endemic species
STEINMETZ
all show a harmonious relationship between humans and food plants such as maize and beans. Further, as the
themselves and between humans and nature. Maasai community is highly organized, they split core
tasks such as grazing land research, water management,
Kenya and Tanzania, (the livestock movements, etc. To manage the needs of the
United Republic of) [ABOVE] animals and the community requires an important
Oldonyonokie/ Olkeri and knowledge and understanding of resources (grasses and
Engaresero Maasai pastoralist water), nature and the climate in the region. In this fragile
heritage area environment, Maasai have skilfully shaped and maintained
In southern Kenya and in the landscapes through the ages in a way that is sustainable
Tanzania (the United Republic and respectful to wildlife. Thus, their agropastoral system
of), Maasai have developed an agropastoral system must be preserved both to maintain the magnificence of the
over the centuries to adapt to scarce water supply and landscape linked to their unique identity and to keep their
lack of grazing land availability. Maasai have succeeded incredible knowledge about nature.

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MEXICO
[LEFT]
Chinampa
Agricultural System
in Mexico City
©GIAHS
SECRETARIAT/FAO

GIAHS SELECTION CRITERIA

Five features determine „ Traditional knowledge and

the “Global Importance” technologies. Indigenous
of a site and are used as peoples and family farmers living
selection criteria when in GIAHS sites often possess
assessing the suitability for a broad knowledge base
the designation of a GIAHS underlying the intricacies of local
site. and complex ecological systems.

„ Agricultural systems that „ Strong cultural values and

contribute to food and livelihood collective forms of social
security. The farmers in GIAHS organizations and value systems
sites have gradually developed for resource management and
Mexico, Chinampa agriculture and established productive, knowledge transmission. As
The chinampas agricultural system is an articulated set of efficient, resilient and sustainable specific types of agricultural
floating artificial islands built in a traditional way based on production systems through systems developed over time, so
the oral transmission of the chinampera culture prevailing skilful resource management, did the social organizations, value
since Aztec times. The system has seen farmers turn diversified crop production, systems and cultural practices
non-cultivable lands into highly productive arable lands and optimization of the mutual that became part of the resource
for growing plants and breeding cattle. The knowledge benefits of ecological functions of management practices and food
and experience developed by the farmers through the centuries are at the heart of crops and animals to overcome production technologies used in
the agricultural productivity and ecological balance of the system. The chinampas disadvantageous conditions. the agricultural systems.
are surrounded by canals, ditches and rows of “ahuejotes”(Salix Bonplandiana)
„ Rich and unique „ Remarkable landscapes
– native willow species – that perform several functions, such as serving as fences
agrobiodiversity. GIAHS sites and seascapes stemming
for wind and insects, providing habitats for birds, and keeping the soil in the plots. often reflect rich and globally from ingenious systems and
The willow roots also protect the edges of the chinampas from erosion. Faced with unique agricultural biodiversity technologies of land and water
climatic contingencies such as frost or variation in rainfall, chinampera agriculture displayed at field and landscape management. Many generations
offers an example where agroecological intensification can co-exist with urban levels in the form of rotations, of farmers have worked on the
development and the revitalization of heritage through linking social networks to polycultures and/or agroforestry natural environment to produce
develop technological strategies and promote solidarity and a sense of community. patterns. agricultural products.
The chinampas are a symbol of Mexican identity and a source of pride for farmers
who benefit from the system to supply agricultural products to the city. SOURCE: FAO. 2018. GLOBALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS.

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GIAHS
AROUND
THE WORLD
The GIAHS initiative was promoted by FAO to
develop and manage these extraordinary traditional agricultural
systems. As of the beginning of July 2018 there are 57 GIAHS
sites in 21 countries.

ALGERIA „Ghout System (Oases of the Maghreb) 2011

BANGLADESH „Floating Garden Agricultural Practices 2015
CHILE „Chiloé Agriculture 2011
CHINA „Rice Fish Culture 2005
„Wannian Traditional Rice Culture 2010 ITALY „Olive groves of the slopes between Assisi and Spoleto 2018
„Hani Rice Terraces 2010 „Soave Traditional Vineyards 2018
„Dong’s Rice Fish Duck System 2011 JAPAN „Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi 2011
„Pu’er Traditional Tea Agrosystem 2012 „Sado’s Satoyama in Harmony with Japanese Crested Ibis 2011
„Aohan Dryland Farming System 2012 „Managing Aso Grasslands for Sustainable Agriculture 2013
„Kuajishan Ancient Chinese Torreya 2013 „Traditional Tea-grass Integrated System in Shizuoka 2013
„Urban Agricultural Heritage – „Kunisaki Peninsula Usa Integrated Forestry 2013
Xuanhua Grape Garden 2013 „Agriculture and Fisheries System 2013
„Jiaxian Traditional Chinese Date Gardens 2014 „Ayu of the Nagara River System 2015
„Xinghua Duotian Agrosystem 2014 „Minabe-Tanabe Ume System 2015
„Fuzhou Jasmine and Tea Culture System 2014 „Takachihogo-Shiibayama Mountainous Agriculture
„Diebu Zhagana Agriculture-Forestry- and Forestry System 2015
Animal Husbandry Composite System 2017 „Osaki Kodo’s traditional water management system
„Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System 2017 for sustainable paddy 2017
„Traditional Mulberry System in Xiajin’s Ancient „Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System 2018
Yellow River Course 2018 „Traditional WASABI Cultivation in Shizuoka 2018
„Rice Terraces in Southern Mountainous and Hilly Areas 2018 KENYA „Oldonyonokie/Olkeri Maasai Pastoralist Heritage 2011
EGYPT „Dates production System in Siwa Oasis 2016 MEXICO „Chinampas Agricultural System in Mexico City 2017
INDIA „Saffron Heritage of Kashmir 2011 MOROCCO „Oases System in Atlas Mountains
„Koraput Traditional Agriculture 2012 (Oases of the Maghreb) 2011
„Kuttanad Below Sea Level Farming System 2013 „Argan-based agro-sylvo-pastoral system within the area
IRAN (Islamic Republic of) of Ait Souab, Ait Mansour 2018
„Qanat Irrigated Agricultural Heritage Systems, Kashan 2014 PERU „Andean Agriculture 2011
„Qanat–based Saffron Farming System in Gonabad 2018 PHILIPPINES „Ifugao Rice Terraces 2011
„Grape Production System in Jowzan Valley 2018 PORTUGAL „Barroso Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral System 2018

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The boundaries and names shown and the designa-

tions used on this map do not imply the expression of
any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning
the legal status of any country, territory, city or area
or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of
its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed lines on maps
represent approximate border lines for which there may
not yet be full agreement.

MAP: UN. February 2019.

Office of Information and Communications Technology,
Geospatial Information Section.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
„Traditional Gudeuljang Irrigated
Rice Terraces in Cheongsando 2014
„Jeju Batdam Agricultural System 2014 SRI LANKA „The Cascaded Tank-Village System in the
„Traditional Hadong Tea Agrosystem Dry Zone of Sri Lanka 2017
in Hwagae-myeon 2017 TUNISIA „Gafsa Oases (Oases of the Maghreb) 2011
„Geumsan Traditional Ginseng Agricultural System 2018 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
SPAIN „Malaga Raisin Production System in Axarquia 2017 „Al Ain and Liwa Historical Date Palm Oases 2015
„Agricultural System of Valle Salado de Añana 2017 UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
„The Agricultural System Ancient Olive Trees, „Engaresero Maasai Pastoralist Heritage Area 2011
Territorio Sénia 2018 „Shimbue Juu Kihamba Agroforestry Heritage Site 2011

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 181

 FAO’S CHALLENGES IN THE T WENT Y- F I RST CENT URY

BUILDING ON MOMENTUM PAKISTAN a knowledge-based Organization, continuing to keep abreast of

F
Farmer Field scientific, technological, policy and other innovations that have been
Schools provide
AO has long been at the forefront of actions hands-on the main drivers in the evolution of agricultural systems. As such, FAO
to make science, technology and innovation group learning is assisting countries in developing their Agriculture Innovation System
to increase
available to family farmers, applying latest knowledge preparedness and
strategies through comprehensive diagnosis and needs assessments.
to tools, practices and approaches in agriculture. In response plans. Building on this, in November 2018 FAO convened the International
collaboration with partners, FAO organized the Youth Employment ©FAO/FAROOQ Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers: unlocking
NAEEM
in Agriculture as a solid solution to ending Hunger and Poverty in the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable
Africa Conference in Kigali, Rwanda in 2018. Its aim was to foster Development Goals as a direct and firm response to Members. This was
an exchange among stakeholders on knowledge and best practices part of a broader effort to promote agricultural innovation for family
regarding the interfaces between agriculture, youth employment, farmers in order to increase food security, sustainable development
entrepreneurship, ICT innovations, leading to prioritizing interventions and promote rural development. Family farmers play an important role
going forward. This laid out a broad framework and course of action in feeding a growing global population. The UN General Assembly
towards steering the course of future interventions. recently proclaimed 2019–2028 as the United Nations Decade of Family
The Committee on Agriculture – one of FAO ’s Governing Bodies Farming, recognizing the success of its International Year, which raised
providing overall policy and regulatory guidance on issues relating the profile of the role of family farming, pastoralism and smallholder
to agriculture, livestock, food safety, nutrition, rural development farming in contributing to the achievement of food security and
and natural resource management – emphasized FAO ’s role as improved nutrition. In its resolution, the UN General Assembly gave

182 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 2 .10
I N N OVA T I O N: FAO S OW I N G T H E S E E D S O F T R A N S F O R M A T I O N

particular attention to innovation, recognizing “the important role of science,

technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in supporting smallholders,
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
including pastoralists and family farmers, in particular women and youth in INNOVATION AND
rural areas”. The International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for ENTREPRENEURSHIP PL AY
Family Farmers recognized the central role of family farmers in agricultural
innovation. It also recognized the unique role and potential of youth in A N I M PORTA N T ROLE I N
agricultural innovation. As stated by the FAO Director-General in his closing SU PPORT I NG SM ALLHOLDERS,
remarks: "it is not possible to separate innovation from youth or youth from
innovation".
I NC LU DI NG PASTOR ALISTS,
FA M I LY FA R M ERS, A N D WOM EN
WAY FORWARD A N D YOU T H I N RU R AL A RE AS.

A
ccelerating and scaling up innovation in
agriculture calls for a holistic approach where
all stakeholders are involved and committed
to support and implement coordinated
actions. FAO supports the scaling up of innovation in the following
ways: capacity building, improved policy, a redirection of finances and
investment, more inclusive and diversified food systems, a change in
„ Awareness raising of the role innovation plays in unlocking the consumer behaviour, strengthened producer organizations, and new
potential for achieving sustainable food and agriculture. partnerships between small-scale producers and entrepreneurs and
Agriculture must innovate to meet global demands, and innovation plays the larger scale private sector actors.
a critical role in making agriculture more competitive and sustainable.
Innovation processes generally arise in response to different types of „ Engaging youth
triggers and drivers. It is important to ensure the presence of favourable Agriculture is an essential driver of economic development and
conditions, of an enabling environment, which fosters and unlocks the can create jobs for young people by harnessing opportunities in
potential of innovation to drive socio-economic growth, ensure food agribusiness entrepreneurship and innovations, including in ICT
and nutrition security, alleviate poverty, improve resilience to changing innovations, along the entire value chain. This can contribute to
environments (e.g. climate change) and thereby achieve the SDGs. improving the agriculture sector’s image by increasing productivity
and returns on investment and providing new and different
„ Coordinating action among sectors and with partners to employment opportunities.
strengthen impact
FAO can create a platform for participatory dialogue among the diverse „ Fostering private sector commitment and South–South
range of stakeholders and decision makers, to develop new partnerships cooperation
and business models involving the public and private sectors, civil Cooperation among countries and with the private sector have proven
society, research, extension and farmer organizations. FAO can play a effective and offer a myriad of development solutions – knowledge,
strong catalytic and supporting role to empower smallholders and family experiences, good practices, innovative policies, technologies and
farmers through innovation, facilitating its adoption, and coordinating resources – that have proven cost-effective and have huge potential
broader, collective actions. to be scaled up for the benefit of others. It provides complementary
advantages and expertise to build more solutions and develop new
„ Scaling up innovation through strategic partnerships, policies, tools and innovate. FAO recognizes that the private sector is a key
investments stakeholder in the fight against food insecurity, malnutrition and rural
Scaling up innovation in agriculture requires significant commitment poverty, and acknowledges the potential for better coordination and
from all stakeholders and decision makers. This includes farmer collaboration between the public and private sectors.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 183

 3 G R E AT
AC H I E
IN THE
1 8 6 Eradication of Rinderpest
1 9 0 The Treaty on Plant Genetic
Resources for Food
and Agriculture
195 Codex Alimentarius
2 0 1 The fight against hunger in Latin
America and the Caribbean
2 0 4 Legal instruments for
responsible fisheries

OF FAO
2 0 9 Guidelines on tenure of land,
fisheries and forests
2 1 3 The Committee on World Food
Security (CFS)
2 1 7 Agricultural Market Information
System (AMIS)
2 21 The right to food
2 2 6 FAOSTAT: FAO Statistics
EST
VEMEN TS
H I S TO R Y
 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

C H A P T E R 3 .1

ER ADIC AT ION
OF R INDER PEST

I
n 2011, the world was declared free of rinderpest, the disease. When Paul Rossiter and other FAO technicians arrived on
a devastating disease known for centuries that limited cattle KENYA the spot, they were jeered at and even pelted with stones, in spite of the
A Masai shepherd
production, methods of transport, the tilling of fields and from a village
fact that they were carrying vaccines to fight the disease.
subsequent harvests, and in the process causing famines. The 50 km south of “That’s the effect rinderpest has on people”, says Rossiter. As a re-
disease was eradicated thanks to a programme coordinated by FAO Nairobi watching sult of the disease, people’s livelihoods were being threatened and the
over his livestock,
and key partners. Only once before had humans been able to eliminate now free from the
only option left to people was to migrate to the cities to find work in
a disease from the face of the earth, and that was when smallpox was century-old threat order to continue to support their families. In stark contrast, in Karachi
eradicated in 1980. In northern Pakistan, tens of thousands of head of rinderpest. where a vaccination campaign had been a success, farmers were highly
of cattle died in 1994. Nobody knew why. There had been no trace of ©FAO/TONY appreciative and took Rossiter and his colleagues to dinner.
KARUMBA HAYDUK
rinderpest in decades when suddenly the epidemic spread after some
buffalo were brought to the area in order to meet the increasing demand THE HISTORY OF A PLAGUE
for meat. The local population expressed their anger, due in a large part to Although not affecting human beings directly, rinderpest was
feeling abandoned by the veterinary services which had forgotten about characterized by high mortality rates. It killed millions of cows, buffalo

186 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 3 .1
ERRADICATION o f RINDERPEST

THE WAY FORWARD TO COMBAT

OTHER ANIMAL DISEASES
ONE OF THE LESSONS used to strengthen surveillance
LEARNED FROM THE FIGHT or opportunities for intervention.
AGAINST RINDERPEST was Implementing the programme will
the importance of having a depend above all on political
SRI LANKA time-bound roadmap: a vision. will, the partnerships forged
A vet holds a blood sample taken
A goal was set and then steps between national veterinary
from a cow to check that the were taken to reach it. So services and with producers,
rinderpest virus has not returned. why not try this strategy with and leveraging opportunities to
©FAO/ISHARA KODIKARA other diseases? FAO and the tackle other high-impact animal
OIE have launched a global diseases, such as foot-and-mouth
programme with a 2030 target disease, brucellosis and rabies,
to eradicate ovine rinderpest for instance.
(also known as peste des petits
ruminants, PPR). This is a highly Risk management is essential
contagious viral disease in sheep when it comes to these
and goats that causes losses high-impact animal diseases.
of millions of dollars each year Preparedness programmes for
and that shares very similar animal disease emergencies
characteristics with rinderpest enable early and effective
(same family). Drawing on measures to be organized in
the experience gained with the event of an emergency.
rinderpest, the initial phases of Under endemic situations, FAO
the campaign focus on regions has developed the concept
where there is a high prevalence of the Progressive Control
of virus circulation and protecting Pathway (now adopted by key
countries at high-risk. The tools international bodies, regional
are there: international standards organizations and countries)
for diagnosing PPR, an effective whereby risk management
and inexpensive vaccine, and approaches are used for
systems for rapid reporting targeted interventions – a more
of suspect outbreaks. Other cost-effective approach – and
factors that are considered one by which countries can
are the risks posed by live have their risk management
animal trade, pastoralist routes, status internationally
and value chains that can be recognized.

and their wild relatives, leading to significant economic losses and famine in War, the United Nations took the lead in coordinating major campaigns
various parts of the world. against the disease as countries could not stop its spread on their own. At
Introduced into Europe from Asia by invading armies, rinderpest made this time, FAO made its first efforts to meet with animal health authorities all
its appearance during the Roman Empire in the fourth century AD and over the world to coordinate these programmes. This longstanding coordina-
repeatedly over the following centuries, creating political instability and tion was to prove essential to the final result.
crippling agricultural production. In the late nineteenth century it reached FAO Animal Health Services Chief, Juan Lubroth, recognizes the
sub-Saharan Africa and its effects were devastating; it decimated cattle important voice from the communities that were affected by rinderpest year
and many of the region’s wild animals. Famine spread. The disease left its after year, decade after decade. Livestock was important to the well-being of
mark on much of the world. The outbreaks extended from Mauritania to the a community, part of the fibre of society in terms of culture, religion and cus-
Philippines, and from Sweden to southern Africa. Outbreaks were recorded toms, and certainly important in nutrition and crop agriculture. Once a vac-
in countries as far apart as Brazil and Australia in the 1920s. Faced with this cine was developed against rinderpest, stories go that vaccination campaigns
situation, the international community took action, and in 1924 the World carried out by the health authorities for children in the rural areas would only
Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) was created. After the Second World be successful if their animals were vaccinated against rinderpest. Having a

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 187

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

THE FINAL TRACE IN THE SOMALI

ECOSYSTEM

If there was one place that scientists In these countries, where animals travel across
hypothesized could be the final source borders unchecked, the virus moved through
of rinderpest, it was the Somali pastoral areas where veterinary systems were less
ecosystem that spans Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia concentrated. Following the last outbreak and
and Ethiopia. In September 2001, the pre- in the final stages of eradication, it then had
sence of the virus was confirmed there for the to be proven that the disease was no longer
last time on Earth, in buffalo in Meru National present. Diop explains that “it couldn’t be
Park, Kenya. done from the office”. Veterinarians and other
technical staff had to go out into the field to
“The challenge was also the existence of the take blood samples from targeted animals
KENYA
virus in wild animals”, recalls Bouna Diop, and perform appropriate laboratory tests. It
Former Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and officials at the inauguration of a
regional manager of the FAO Emergency was a project at regional level that, he exp-
statue of a buffalo at the Meru National Park, commemorating the eradication
Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases lains, required close coordination and commu- of rinderpest in 2011, at the place where the last known outbreak had been
Operations for Eastern and the Horn of Africa. nication between FAO and its other partners. recorded in local buffalo in 2001.

quality-assured and safe vaccine was paramount to the successful era- THE HUNT FOR THE VIRUS
dication, made easier by the fact that there was really only one strain of In 1994, FAO launched the Global Rinderpest Eradication Program-
the virus that was the same from Senegal to China. me (GREP) with the aim of wiping out the disease by 2010. With the
support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the
AN UNEXPECTED REAPPEARANCE OIE, GREP was envisaged as a mechanism for international coordi-
Scientific research, together with international interest in eradicating nation in order to promote and verify the elimination of the disease
rinderpest, contributed to the vaccine reaching a large number of with technical support, and in a systematic and complete manner.
communities. In the 1960s, Walter Plowright, with colleagues in Kenya, The network of laboratories and epidemiology units, as well as FAO
developed a vaccine that was stable, inexpensive and easy to propagate. Reference Centres and individual experts, joined the campaigns in
It was verified through a quality control system as part of his work at the field in search of the virus. Immediate response plans for emer-
the Muguga laboratory, outside Nairobi. According to FAO expert, Juan gencies and national monitoring programmes were key.
Lubroth, the British – who controlled colonial Kenya at the time – had Paul Rossiter remembers it as an adventure. On more than one
a strong interest in fighting the disease because it had afflicted that occasion he had to travel to remote places and camp overnight on
country and other dominions such as India and Egypt. the roadside after rivers had flooded and his vehicle had become
On the African continent, an ambitious vaccination campaign in the stuck in the mud. “Although we always hoped that we wouldn’t find
1960s did not prevent a large number of countries from suffering the animals with rinderpest, searching for them using the prescribed
effects of the disease years later. Many governments had lowered their surveillance techniques required time in the field and was someti-
guard and called off the programmes. As rinderpest had not been fully mes challenging. And when we found them we had to act quickly”,
eradicated, it returned with a vengeance: millions of animals died in the he says. He never knew what he and colleagues would find; for
early 1980s in epidemics in Africa, the Near East and Asia. In Nigeria example in a remote village in Yemen he was asked to help people
alone, losses were calculated at around USD 2 billion. who were seriously ill with Rift Valley fever, even though he was
To recover lost ground, it was essential to rebuild strong national actually there to look for rinderpest.
and international political and financial commitment, to understand Convincing people that the priority was to eradicate rinder-
the local epidemiology of the disease, to have better tools for diagnosis pest when its effects were no longer so visible, and to maintain
and vaccination, and to assess the risks to wild animals, transport and these efforts, were difficult tasks at the time, particularly after
markets. Ultimately, a heat-stable vaccine was developed in the United 2001, when the final case was recorded in Kenya. Considerable
States of America that was more resistant to the ambient temperatures efforts were thus made over the following decade, since it had to
of the tropics and the desert, and thus more effective in Africa, the Near be shown that the disease had disappeared among animals, both
East and Central Asia. domestic and wild. “It was very expensive”, says Lubroth, who

188 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 3 .1
ERRADICATION o f RINDERPEST

ITALY
Plaque from the
commemorative
ceremony for the
Declaration of
Global Freedom from
Rinderpest in 2011, at
FAO headquarters in
Rome.

RINDERPEST is a contagious viral disease that primarily affects cattle and

buffalo. The agent is a virus of the genus Morbillivirus, of the Paramyxoviridae
family. There are many species of wild and domestic cloven-hoofed animals,
including sheep and goats, which display milder symptoms when affected but
in susceptible herds of cattle or buffalo, which are the most commonly affected
species, the mortality rate can reach 100 percent.

ONE HEALTH FOR ALL

remembers how the energy, political commitment and funds had MORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF THE
EXISTING OR EMERGING PATHOGENS how to combat an animal disease with the
to be found, and countries had to be persuaded to keep up their
AFFECTING HUMANS ORIGINATE IN involvement of a large number of different
efforts, which were on the cusp of achieving a historical landmark: ANIMALS, and of those, 75 percent come disciplines. Biologists, veterinarians, doctors,
the eradication of rinderpest. from wildlife species. The risk of contracting economists, communication specialists
Finally, on 28 June 2011, during the Thirty-seventh FAO Confe- a disease has also multiplied due to factors and many other experts are needed in
rence, the long-awaited announcement was made: the world was such as urbanization, the growth in trade, this struggle, with the support of greater
free of rinderpest. Only once before, in 1980, had human beings been the higher demand for meat and animal international cooperation.
able to eradicate a disease: smallpox. Rinderpest became the first ani- products, and the need to produce more
mal disease to be eradicated, paving the way for others to be tackled. food for a rising population. With this in mind, FAO has joined forces
Lubroth believes that one of the causes of famine in the world was with the OIE and WHO on another front,
wiped from the face of the earth, and the lesson learned was that no The idea of “One Health” is about more seeking to halt the spread of antimicrobial
country can fight such transboundary threats alone. “A sense of unity than just the health of people. It is a global drug-resistant infections. Together they
and local vision (“glocal”) that seeks to have prepared a Global Action Plan on
and trust with our neighbours is very important with these high-im-
tackle the complex challenges that threaten antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Bacteria,
pact diseases”, he notes. During that entire period, countries wor- human and animal health, food security viruses, parasites and fungi develop
ked alongside their neighbours, in the networks of laboratories and and the environment through interdisciplinary resistance to medications that were
epidemiology units, and the vets and technicians were able to share approaches, with appreciation of the previously effective, which is making it
information and meet regularly to help each other. interconnectivity between risks and possible increasingly difficult to treat certain infections.
Now that the disease has been eradicated, the task of ensuring interventions. FAO is very much a One Overuse, misuse, abuse or counterfeit
that it never returns involves reducing the number of laboratories Health organization, which can be reflected products are principally responsible, so
that have the virus in storage, destroying it or keeping it under a hi- in meeting the targets of the Sustainable good governance across sectors and the
gh-security laboratory facility approved by the OIE and FAO, to eli- Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the professions is needed. Many countries are
minate any danger that it might escape. In 2019 there were nine labo- international community for 2030. adopting comprehensive and coordinated
ratories in 20 countries that stored the virus, but this figure is likely to strategies to address the causes of AMR in
In response to these complex situations, the multiple sectors, particularly in human and
decrease further in the coming years.
fight against bird flu H5N1 is an example of animal health, as well as agriculture.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 189

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF FAO

CHAPTER 3.2

T HE T RE AT Y ON PLA N T
GENET IC RESOU RCES FOR
FOOD AND AGR IC U LT U RE

190 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 SEEDS: WORLD HERITAGE OR A COMMODITY?
The way the seeds and all kinds of germplasm were collected began
to create tensions, according to Esquinas, since they were being kept
in places that not every country in the world could access. Esquinas
recalls the intervention at the 1979 FAO Conference by Spain, which
held the Chair that year and, for the first time, had demanded an
international agreement and the establishment of a gene bank. The
proposal, applauded by many countries including India, did not result
in a draft resolution, impeded as it was by different political pressures.
The developing countries pointed accusatory fingers at the more
developed nations. They considered it unfair that the multinationals
should exploit the diversity of genetic resources, which were largely
found in tropical and subtropical regions, while denying the benefits
to those same developing countries.
During the 1981 FAO Conference, the developing countries
expressed their unease with questions, such as: who does the material
deposited in the banks legally belong to, the country where it was

W
collected, the one that stores it, or is it simply world heritage?
[PREVIOUS PAGE]
hose seed is it? Does it belong to the country The developing countries were dissatisfied with the ownership
AFGHANISTAN where it was collected, the one that keeps it, or is it of the material falling to the countries that stored it, regardless of its
A sample of seeds considered as world heritage? The International Treaty origin. The reality was that this material, collected using international
produced by the
national seed on Plant Genetic Resources regulates the preservation, funds, was used and studied in the countries with greater technical and
laboratory. Their the sustainable use, access and distribution of the benefits obtained economic capabilities. The result was that other countries then had to
preservation is vital to from all components of plant biodiversity in food and agriculture. pay intellectual property rights for the new varieties recorded.
maintain the genetic
diversity of plants. Genetic diversity can be a lifesaver when it comes to reducing Despite some opposition, in 1983 the International Undertaking
©FAO/GIULIO hunger. This was the case during the European famine in the first on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was approved, a
NAPOLITANO half of the nineteenth century, when almost two million people died non-binding document about which eight countries initially
in Ireland due to the destruction of potato plantations by a fungus. expressed reservations. That year, the FAO conference saw heated
[ON THIS PAGE]
The genes that resisted the disease were found in Latin America, debates taking place. The negotiators engaged in a dispute over the
BURUNDI where the potato originated. creation of a committee that would oversee the undertaking, which
A private laboratory in This natural fortress has been built over the course of 10 000 was approved in a surprise historic vote.
Bujumbura for
in vitro multiplication of years of agriculture. However, many plant species have been lost
banana, potato, yam along the way. According to former FAO expert, José Esquinas- ENDLESS NEGOTIATIONS
and cassava used Alcázar, who first pushed for the International Treaty on Plant The following years were marked by continued negotiations. The
by FAO.
©FAO/GIULIO
Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, “thousands of varieties goal was for the eight countries with reservations to change their
NAPOLITANO of heterogeneous crops have been replaced by a handful of uniform position. During that period many formal as well as informal
and homogeneous commercial varieties”. This is a real problem meetings took place to give the representatives an opportunity to set
when farmers and scientists need to adapt crops to the effects of aside their differences. The acceptance of plant breeders’ rights (a soft
changes in climate or diseases, and they have nothing to select from. version of intellectual property for producers of commercial varieties)
In an attempt to tackle this problem, by the early 1970s was compensated by the recognition of farmers’ rights (for being
important technical expertise had been acquired. All that the custodians of biodiversity placed at the disposal of the breeders).
remained to do, and what seemed the simplest thing but proved In addition to making the new interpretation of world heritage
to be the most complex, was to apply this technical knowledge. compatible with the sovereignty of states, the
In 1974, the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources Global System for Plant Genetic Resources was created. A
(now Bioversity International) was established, a programme multilateral system was also established which, according to the
with additional funds from FAO Members that was responsible text, had to be “efficient, effective, and transparent, both to facilitate
for the task of collecting varieties and boosting gene banks. These access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and to
banks are places where the genetic diversity of one or more crops share, in a fair and equitable way, the benefits arising from the use
and their related wild species are preserved and where the seeds of these resources, on a complementary and mutually reinforcing
are kept at low temperatures. basis”. The process of developing a fair and equitable system

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 191

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF FAO

PERU
Project Potato Park,
Cusco, financed
by FAO through the
Benefit-sharing Funds
of the Treaty on Plant
Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture.
©FAO/ROBERTO
FAIDUTTI

culminated in agreement on the Treaty some two decades later. biodiversity”, says Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the Treaty. Ratified by 145
Meanwhile, the issue of biodiversity was addressed in two fora outside countries, the Treaty promotes the conservation, exploration, collection,
FAO: the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN ) characterization, evaluation and documentation of these resources
and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP ). The same within their habitat and elsewhere, as well as their sustainable use and
controversies reemerged, and not solely in relation to cultivated plants the fair distribution of their benefits. The signatory States undertook to
but also in relation to wild species. adopt the Treaty and cooperate at the international level. The multilateral
Countries began to have concerns about the potential effects of including system of access and benefit-sharing is applied to a list of 64 crops and
all biodiversity in a new agreement.“The same treatment was given to species determined according to their importance for food security
elephants and wheat. If it was adopted in this form, each country would and the interdependence of countries. Countries no longer have to
have to negotiate bilateral agreements with any country from which varieties negotiate thousands of bilateral agreements in these cases. By simplifying
are obtained, which would have been a disaster for the farming industry”, procedures, seed sharing has also increased. Between 2007 and 2017, the
Esquinas states. Thus, the formula chosen in the end was the Rio Convention Treaty had provided 68 000 transfers worldwide with over 4.6 million
on Biological Diversity adopted in 1992, along with three resolutions, the third samples. Another advantage mentioned by Esquinas is the funding of
of which recommended that FAO renegotiate the International Undertaking projects in developing countries aiming to implement the Treaty.
on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and turn it into a From 2010 to 2017, the Treaty allocated over USD 26 million to help
multilateral binding instrument harmonized with the Convention. After a more than one million farmers in 65 developing countries, explains
long tug of war, the Treaty came into existence in 2001. Nnadozie. Esquinas admits that there is still progress to be made
to reach similar agreements that regulate other agricultural genetic
A TREATY RATIFIED BY 145 COUNTRIES resources such as farm animals. Although there is still a conflict of
The Treaty, considered the first operational global mechanism to interest between those who prioritize intellectual property and those
protect and share these seeds and other genetic material equitably, “has who defend the rights of farmers, Esquinas believes that the two
made possible a universal recognition of the huge value of agricultural standpoints are reconcilable. The Treaty currently in force reflects this.

192 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 © CARY FOWLER /MARI TEFRE/ FONDO GLOBAL DE DIVERSIDAD DE CULTIVOS
NORWAY
[TOP]: Entrance in the snow to the Svalbard Global
Seed Vault, which contains over one million samples
from almost every country in the world.
[BOTTOM, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT]:
Shelves with boxes where the seeds are kept inside
Svalbard; seed deposit from India in Svalbard;
underground tunnel inside the seed vault.

THE BIGGEST SEED Government, the site was selected for its
geological and political stability, and for its
must first sign an agreement with Norway
to deposit its plant genetic resources. The
For von Bothmer, one “heroic” contribution was
that made by the employees of the Aleppo
VAULT IN THE good transport links. It has the capacity to house Svalbard Global Seed Vault opens its doors gene bank in the Syrian Arab Republic. Despite
WORLD, IN THE 4.5 million different crop varieties. In 2018, the to new seeds three times a year. The banks the war, they managed to extract around 90
ARCTIC OCEAN seeds stored in the vault, coming from almost
every country in the world, have surpassed the
in other countries (there are a total of 1 750
in the world) indicate in advance what they
percent of the material stored there and send it to
Svalbard. “We’re ready to give it back as soon
one million mark. From staple foods like maize are going to send. First the material arrives in as they claim it”, he adds. In 2015 the gene
A door in the middle of the snow. This is all and rice, to others like beans and lettuce, all Oslo and then it is transported to the islands. bank had to retrieve its seeds from Svalbard,
you can see in this glacial landscape near the of this genetic material is safe in this location The boxes are scanned there to confirm their as no material was available in Syria, and it
North Pole. On the Svalbard archipelago it regardless of how endangered it may be in its contents and once inside the chamber they reestablished itself in neighbouring countries. In
seems unthinkable that under the ice lies hidden place of origin. “It’s very important that we have are registered, labelled and stored. The February 2017, the first newly recultivated seeds
what could be considered the origin of all a backup in a different location to safeguard accompanying information is added to a were returned back to the Svalbard Global Seed
plants. But through the door, there is a huge the material for the future”, says former seed public-access database and from then – if the Vault, an exceptionally important event. With
bunker carved into the mountain. Welcome bank coordinator, Roland von Bothmer. seeds from this backup depository for seed these seeds, food production in Syria may be
to the world’s biggest seed bank. This space banks are ever needed – the seeds will only be reestablished much sooner, once military conflict
where the cold never leaves has existed Before they arrive on Svalbard, the seeds must sent back on the instructions of the depositing ends, the Norwegian Minister for Agriculture and
since 2008. Established by the Norwegian make a long journey. A country or seed bank countries or seed banks. Food, Jon Georg Dale says.

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194 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.3

CODEX
ALIMEN TA R I US

A
MOROCCO fter more than half a century in existence,
Bottles of olive oil the Codex Alimentarius has contributed to
are stacked in a
supermarket. The protecting consumer health and ensuring fair
Codex Alimentarius practices in the global food trade. This successful
provides standards to joint venture between FAO and the World Health Organization
ensure food safety at
all stages of the chain, (WHO) has been working to remove barriers from world food trade
including distribution. while ensuring that food is safe.
©FAO/ALESSANDRA Consumer protection has existed since ancient times. The
BENEDETTI
Assyrians determined weights and measurements for cereals,
the Egyptians used scrolls as labels for certain foods, the Greeks
inspected beer and wine to ensure it was in good condition, and
the Romans had a State system to prevent fraud and root out
poor-quality products. Today we address other topics – ranging from
food additives and pesticide residues, to preventing chemical and
microbiological contamination and assessing the safety of modern,
at times controversial, practices such as genetically modifying
foods or using hormones in animal food production. However, the
overall goals of protecting the health of consumers and ensuring
fair practices in the food trade remain the same. This has been the
primary mission of the Codex Alimentarius (the ‘Food code’) since
1963. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly created by FAO
and WHO, is the most important international body in the field of
food standards. The Secretary of the Commission, Tom Heilandt,
points out that “the idea of harmonizing standards is very old, but
doing it globally began with the Codex Alimentarius”.
Following World War II, the international community became
increasingly interested in the international food trade, but
conflicting or missing standards were obstacles to trade. Food
safety was difficult to ensure without international reference
standards. These issues made it clear there was a need to develop
internationally harmonized standards to address both food safety
and fair-trade practices – needs met by the establishment of the
Codex Alimentarius.

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ITALY
Science has played a fundamental role in this process, with new our food, whether it is a simple fruit or a complex processed
[ABOVE]
technology and discoveries. All Codex food safety work is based on food. Codex standards are global public goods and as such freely
From left to right, Renata
Clarke, Head of the
the scientific advice provided by independent expert bodies under available for all on the Codex website together with information
Food Safety Quality the auspices of FAO and WHO. In fact, the need to control additives, about how they are developed.
Unit at FAO, Guilherme the use of which was growing in the 1950s’ food industry, provided A Codex standard can be just one number or a complex book
Antonio Costa,
Chairperson of Codex
the impetus for the Conference that led to the formation of the Joint with hundreds of pages that takes years and the involvement of
and Tom Heilandt, FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which hundreds of experts to develop: e.g. in 2016 Codex completed
Secretary of Codex, has served as a model for other such expert bodies. ten years of work on the code of practice for fish and fishery
during the 41st Session
of Codex Alimentarius
Today consumers can and should expect to be fully informed products. The aim of the Code is to provide a user-friendly
Commission at FAO about the safety of their food supply. In many countries, consumers document as background information and guidance to ensure
headquarters. are well organized and put pressure on their governments. good management practices and good hygiene practices in the
©FAO/GIUSEPPE International non-governmental organizations also participate in the fish industry. The Code will assist all those who are engaged
CAROTENUTO
––
work of Codex. in the handling and production of fish products (including
[ABOVE RIGHT] authorities, industry and stakeholders) in attaining safe and
The 41st Session of A GLOBAL PUBLIC GOOD wholesome products that can be sold on all markets and meet the

T
the Codex Alimentarius requirements of the Codex standards for specific fish products.
Commission took place he Codex Alimentarius is currently made up of Codex standards, guidelines and codes of practice become
at FAO headquarters,
2–6 July 2018. over 350 texts, including general standards that apply to recommendations when the Commission adopts them. Only
©FAO/GIULIO all foods and more specific standards that apply to individual when integrated into the legal system of a country do they
NAPOLITANO foods, as well as thousands of numerical limits for additives, become mandatory. “Some countries have limited food laws
contaminants, pesticide and veterinary drugs residues. or resources to develop such laws; they adopt what we issue
Codex standards, guidelines and codes of practice regulate directly as law”, says Heilandt. Other regions and countries
everything that can have an impact on the safety or quality of may incorporate Codex standards into legislation or align with

196 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.3
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

THE CODEX While risk assessment is purely scientific, when it comes

to risk management, many other factors are taken into
ALIMENTARIUS IS consideration, such as the availability and the cost of food.
A COLLECTION OF However, the Commission’s goal remains to strike a balance
between protecting human health and facilitating trade. Risk
INTERNATIONAL communication to consumers should be taken very seriously,
STANDARDS, GUIDELINES urges Heilandt, especially in cases where food safety hazards may
have resulted in illness or death. The information provided should
AND CODES OF PR ACTICE be open and correct; it should include what is known about the
TO M AKE SURE THAT risk and what is not known, as well as what is being done to
resolve it. Authorities may be tempted to conceal information
THERE IS SAFE, GOOD or disclose it incorrectly in order to prevent panic among the
FOOD FOR EVERYONE, IN population, but such an approach may backfire in today’s
information society: “Sometimes it’s better to admit that you
EVERY HOME. don’t know something, rather than to say something inaccurate
and then have to correct it, and then try to regain the trust of
consumers, which is difficult”, observes the Codex Secretary.

A RESPONSIBILITY SHARED BY ALL

T
he globalization of trade has put a wide variety
them in order to meet their needs. Some texts do become law of foods from all over the world on our plates.
but also serve as part of a training curriculum like the above- But whether imported or locally produced, foods must
mentioned Code which can serve as a training manual for fishers be in an appropriate condition for human consumption.
and employees in the fish processing industry. “Many Codex texts According to Heilandt, the Codex Alimentarius has become a global
are used just because they are useful for producers to ensure that reference for exchange between countries and has also in many cases
they can trade their products and not because they are enforced”, led to improvements in domestic production. The Secretary of the
Heilandt explains. “One additional incentive to use Codex food Codex Alimentarius Commission believes that Codex standards are
safety standards is that they are reference standards in the WTO “very comprehensive in addressing the main food safety issues”. He
SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Agreement and if countries cites as a particular success, the HACCP system (Hazard Analysis
want to use stricter standards than Codex’s, they have to justify it and Critical Control Points system), which serves to ensure hygiene at
scientifically”, Heilandt adds, citing as examples variations in diet all stages of a food production process. This approach was originally
or exposure to certain residues. In developing its standards, Codex developed by NASA to keep astronauts’ foods safe but was quickly
follows the risk analysis paradigm comprising three components: adopted by governments and globally distributed through Codex. The
risk assessment, risk management and risk communication. Risk Secretary stresses that food safety is very much the responsibility of
assessment is the science that determines when problems may all parties, from producer to consumer. He warns that even if the food
arise – evaluating the effects a given substance would have at arrives safely in the consumer’s kitchen one mistake could “destroy
different concentrations and assessing the extent of such exposure all the efforts that went before”, so he calls for better food safety
from food. Risk management involves decision-making in terms of education in schools. “Many crises arise not because of something
what to do in response to the assessed risk – for example, setting that happened along the production chain, but in the hands of the
a maximum limit, or providing guidance to producers on how to final consumers who sometimes lack knowledge about what to do”,
minimize contamination. Risk communication is the need for all he explains. When it comes down to it, viruses and bacteria are always
parties, including consumers, to be informed and to discuss the laying in wait, and they can cause anything from an uncomfortable
issues fully and openly. bout of diarrhoea to death.

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A CODEX UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW

C
RESOLVING odex is trying to be proactive but often it is food
TRADE safety incidents that lead to an extensive study of a
DISPUTES whole area. In the 1990s, for instance, consumer concern due to
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow
CODEX STANDARDS HAVE marketed as preserved sardines, disease”, led Codex to study the issue of the safety of feed for animals intended
HELPED TO RESOLVE TRADE thereby excluding Peruvian for food production.
ISSUES RELATED TO DEFINING sardines. The WTO ruling Emerging challenges, in Heilandt’s view, include the resistance of
PRODUCTS AND ACHIEVING found that the EC Regulation certain microbes to antibiotics in use in humans and animals alike. Bacteria
MARKET ACCESS: On 26 was inconsistent with the TBT are becoming increasingly resistant and certain infections no longer have
September 2002, in one of Agreement because it did not an appropriate treatment. In recognition of this, the Codex Alimentarius
its first rulings on the Technical take into account the relevant Commission in 2016, agreed to establish an Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task
Barriers to Trade (TBT) international standard i.e. Codex Force on Antimicrobial Resistance to revise existing texts and develop new
Agreement, the Appellate Body Standard for Canned Sardines
Codex guidance in this area. Biotechnology continues to evolve, and so will
of the World Trade Organization and Sardine-type products. That
(WTO) upheld a Panel finding standard sets out what can be
discussions on the issue in Codex when necessary. Nanotechnology is already
in favour of Peru that sardines written on the label and the applied to foods and may give rise to challenges to be addressed by Codex.
caught in the Eastern Pacific characteristics of 21 species from Many of the issues that Codex deals with have been around for ages
(from the Sardinops sagax which canned sardine or sardine- e.g. food fraud, however, long supply chains and global trade give more
species) could be marketed and type products can be prepared, opportunity for fraudsters to interfere and if they do, a local problem quickly
labelled as preserved sardines including both Sardinops sagax becomes a global crisis. Standards help to distinguish unavoidable low-level
in the European Union (EU). sagax and Sardina pilchardus contamination from intentional adulteration. New additives, pesticides and
The dispute arose when an EC Walbaum. As a result of this veterinary drugs are appearing on the market continuously and previously
Council Regulation stated that dispute, a mutually agreed unknown contaminants are being discovered. As methods of analysis
only sardines from the species solution was reached whereby improve, substances can be detected at ever lower levels. All of this requires
Sardina pilchardus Walbaum the EC Regulation was amended
ongoing work in reviewing Codex standards with a view to ensuring the best
(mainly found around the Eastern to address Peru’s concerns and
North Atlantic coast) could be allow trade to continue.
possible protection for consumers without unnecessarily restricting trade.
In the pesticide area Codex moves to establish group pesticide Maximum
Residue Limits (MRLs), using research data from one crop for similar crops,
so that one MRL can cover many commodities. Increasing the availability of
these limits will have a positive impact on international trade especially for
minor crops – those perhaps high in value but not widely grown.
WORLD FOOD Codex constantly scans the horizon for the impact of climate change on
food safety and trade and recently requested scientific advice from FAO and
SAFETY DAY WHO for risk management options to control ciguatoxin contamination.
These toxins are causes of one of the most common types of marine food-
ON 20 DECEMBER 2018 THE moment to think about something borne poisoning worldwide. Climate change, the frequency of storms
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL we often take for granted: food and hurricanes, and sea surface temperature increases, all impact on the
ASSEMBLY ADOPTED A safety”, said Codex Secretary Tom
distribution and proliferation of ciguatera-toxins making the occurrence of
RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING Heilandt.
ciguatera fish poisoning less predictable. This work is particularly relevant for
A WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY.
Starting in 2019, every 7 June will “Thanks to the widespread efforts producers in the tropical and subtropical Pacific and Indian Ocean regions
be a time to celebrate the countless of Codex Members and Observers, and the tropical Caribbean and for those importing fishery products from the
benefits of safe food. the international community will affected areas.
speak with one voice on 7 June Another area of activity is nutrition. Obesity and non-communicable
“World Food Safety Day will be to promote awareness and inspire diseases related to food are a global problem. Governments are taking
a chance for everyone to take a actions for safer food”, he said. measures to assist consumers in eating a healthy diet. To succeed, consumers

198 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.3
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

must be informed about what their foods contain. Codex has developed ESWATINI A FORUM FOR OPEN DISCUSSION

O
extensive guidance for food labelling – and nutrition labels in particular. Women labelling
boxes and jars for
Nutrient Reference Values – Requirements (NRVs-R) are used export. Eswatini Kitchen
ver 156 NGOs, 56 IGOs and 16 UN
in the nutrition labelling of foods. They refer to the daily reference has grown from a observers, for a total of 228 observers,
intakes for vitamins and minerals for an adult population. According small cottage industry are accredited to the Codex Alimentarius
to a thriving business,
to the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling the amounts of the enhancing the lives
to give input in their areas of expertise. Codex also
vitamins and minerals present in the food should be declared on the of underprivileged works with private sector organizations focused on improving
label of prepackaged food. Completing this work in Codex provides communities by food safety, such as the Global Food Safety Initiative. There
providing a fair and
important information to help consumers to choose those foods sustainable income for
are many examples of how this happens every day around the
that suit their individual dietary needs and contribute to an overall over 300 people in world. When the fishers of Lake Victoria in Uganda had to stop
healthful dietary intake. Eswatini. The initiative fishing the lake, the application of Codex standards helped them
creates employment
One third of all food is lost or wasted each year. Date marking for disadvantaged
improve hygiene, allowed them to continue their trading safely
can contribute to food waste if the consumer misunderstands all women, and provides and opened up new export markets. In India, small organic
date marking as a safety mark and throws away perfectly safe food a market for small family farm businesses are adapting their procedures to align
local farmers and rural
products. In 2018 Codex revised its General Standard for the Labelling families who harvest
with Codex standards which in turn boosts their profits. They
of Prepackaged Foods, to include clear guidance on the use of date wild fruit. are all achieving safer production, while improving their market
marking in order make date markings on labels easier for consumers to ©FAO/GIULIO competitiveness. These are essential steps towards a better
NAPOLITANO
understand so that food waste related to date markings can be reduced. balance in the global food supply. Countries are not left to fend
Harmonizing product characteristics through Codex quality for themselves with the sometimes-complex standards: FAO and
standards can have a positive effect on international trade and avoid WHO have extensive capacity-building programmes assisting
that consignments get rejected by the receiver and the food is wasted. countries to improve their food safety systems.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 199

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200 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.4

T HE F IGH T AGA INST

H U NGER IN LAT IN A MER IC A
AND THE C A R I BBE A N

T
[ABOVE] he political mobilization of Latin American rienced an economic crisis that has resulted in an increase of
HONDURAS countries to end undernutrition, recognizing the undernourishment and poverty, the latter affecting 30.7 percent
Pupils queing for
lunch at the Francisco
human right to be free from hunger has translated into of the population in 2017.
Navarro School in model initiatives like the Zero Hunger project in Brazil,
Guarita, Lempira or the recently launched Plan for Food Security, Nutrition and GOAL: TO ERADICATE HUNGER
Department.

T
Hunger Eradication of CELAC (the Community of Latin American
©FAO/GIUSEPPE
BIZZARRI and Caribbean States). he countries of the region have set
As the Brazilian intellectual Josué de Castro said, “war and themselves the goal of eradicating hunger
[BELOW] hunger do not obey any natural law, they are human creations”. In and reducing poverty. This more ambitious goal
GRANADA recent times Latin America has set to work, showing a political will was agreed by all the countries of the region through
FAO project to fight against the “human creation” that is hunger. According to the Hunger Free Latin America and the Caribbean Initiative in
beneficiary, Ken
Campbell, irrigating FAO, Latin America was the first developing region in the world 2005 and during the third Summit of the Community of Latin
seeds and seedlings to halve the number of people who were suffering from hunger in American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Held in January
in his New Hampshire 1990, a target of the first of the UN Millennium Development Goals 2015 in Costa Rica, all heads of state in the region reinforced
nursery.
for 2015. According to data from the Regional Overview of Food this political commitment by giving their support to the
©FAO/GIUSEPPE
BIZZARRI Security and Nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean 2018, the organization’s 2025 intergovernmental Plan for Food Security,
period 2015–2017 shows that the prevalence of undernourishment Nutrition and Hunger Eradication.
in the region has dropped to 6.1 percent, down from 11.4 percent At the CELAC summit, FAO Director-General José Grazia-
in the period 2000–2002. It is also estimated that stunting in chil- no da Silva stressed the need for political commitment, solida-
dren under five years old has dropped from 19.7 percent in 1995 to rity and tools that will enable specific actions and real results.
9.6 percent in 2017, which represents a total of 5.1 million children. Within this framework for action, he added that South–South
The reduction in hunger mirrors the consolidation of the region’s Cooperation is the main instrument that should be used, en-
social agenda with poverty and extreme poverty rates also showing suring “regional perspective and responsibility in efforts to
significant reductions in the last decades. The prevalence of people overcome hunger”. The CELAC Plan was developed by FAO
affected by poverty has declined steadily, from 48.4 percent in 1990 with the backing of the Latin American Integration Association
to 28.1 percent in 2013. However, since 2014 the region has expe- (ALADI) and the United Nations Economic Commission for

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 201

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). It seeks to improve COSTA RICA feeding programmes, their connection to family farm producers
the quality of life throughout the region by eradicating poverty, José Graziano through public procurement, and the promotion of healthy eating
especially extreme poverty, and guaranteeing food and nutrition Da Silva, FAO habits. Finally, the Plan aims to ensure stable production and a
Director-General,
security, with gender mainstreaming and a particular focus on the presenting the rapid response to social and natural disasters, the management
most vulnerable sectors of society. Plan for Food of food stocks and of public supplies for emergencies. A political
The CELAC Plan for Food Security is based on four pillars Security, Nutrition approach to the fight against hunger was used to establish the
and Hunger
aimed at ensuring food access, availability, use and stability. Eradication 2025 lines of action. This has been endorsed in several multilateral fora
First of all, countries pledge to coordinate food security strate- during the CELAC and has led to the promotion of a common agenda on food and
gies through national and regional public policies. Against this summit. nutrition security. The basis of this approach is that hunger can
©FAO
background, they will strengthen their legal and institutional be eradicated by mobilizing the different national actors around
frameworks to facilitate trade and supply programmes, as well a common objective and strengthening and coordinating policies
as avoid food loss and waste. Another pillar is to ensure timely that countries are already implementing, while recognising the
and sustainable access to safe, adequate, sufficient and nutritious special characteristics of each. It coincides with the ‘twin-track’
food for everyone. To do so, the plan supports family farming and approach promoted by FAO, which consists firstly of implemen-
income redistribution programmes on condition that children are ting policies to address complex social situations immediately,
for example, kept in school. The third pillar promotes nutritional and secondly long-term strategies that deal with the structural
well-being for all vulnerable groups, with an emphasis on school causes of hunger and extreme poverty.

202 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.4
THE FIGHT AGA INST HUNGER IN LATIN A MER ICA A ND THE CA R IBBEA N

AFRICAN COUNTRIES COMMIT

TO ENDING HUNGER
IN JULY 2013, AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE of the 2003 Maputo Declaration on
AND GOVERNMENT GATHERED IN Agriculture and Food Security in Africa,
ADDIS ABABA (ETHIOPIA) and signed a under the comprehensive Africa Agriculture
declaration to end hunger on the continent Development programme.
by 2025. Representatives from international
organizations and civil society, the private At the gathering in Ethiopia, African
sector, farmers, cooperatives, young leaders also strengthened their commitment
people, academics and other partners also to eradicating hunger in each of their
attended the event. countries through measures such as public
investment in agriculture. The participants
The declaration called for a set of policies recognized Africa’s potential for agricultural
THE CELAC PLAN to promote sustainable agricultural
development, social protection and
development, the growth of its young
population and the large supply of land,
FOR FOOD SECURITY funding for the poor, and it underlined the water and other natural resources. They

IS BASED ON FOU R importance of non-state stakeholders in

the mission to ensure food security. It also
pledged to follow a roadmap using
primarily their own resources and technical
PILLA RS A IMING AT reaffirmed the African countries’ resolve
to push ahead with the implementation
support, while calling for stronger alliances
between partners for development.
GUA R A N T EEING FOOD
ACCESS, AVA ILABILIT Y,
USE A ND STABILIT Y. EVOLUTION OF UNDERNUTRITION
PREVALENCE (%), 2000–2017 ANNUAL VALUES

30 FAO estimates that 5 percent of the population in Latin America and the
THE THREE PRIORITIES Caribbean was undernourished in 2017, which represents a stagnation

W
25 of the levels recorded in 2011. Undernourishment in Mesoamerica and
orking together in this way, CELAC and the Caribbean continues its downward trend, with a respective 6.2
FAO have coordinated their agendas to 20
percent and 16.5 percent of its population suffering from undernutrition.
move forward in the eradication of hunger.
The UN Organization does not just participate in 15
the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the country-led
Plan. It also supports three priorities determined by the region’s 10
countries: the Hunger-Free Latin America and the Caribbean
initiative, the family farming and inclusive food systems for 5
sustainable rural development initiative and the sustainable use
of natural resources, adaptation to climate change and disaster 0
risk management initiative. These three initiatives help countries
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
advance towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by addressing both the WORLD LATINA AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

underlying causes of hunger, poverty and malnutrition and the

large-scale challenges for the region’s food security, such as climate SOURCE: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP & WHO. 2018. REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION.

change and natural disasters.

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CHAPTER 3.5

LEGAL
INSTRUMENTS
FOR
RESPONSIBLE
FISHERIES

I
n recent decades, a number of principles, standards
and instruments have been adopted at international level
seeking to improve the conservation, management and development
of fishing and aquaculture. The health of the oceans is at stake, and
with it the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people all over the world.
Sustainable development is an often-repeated term, but as the world’s
population grows and the demand for food increases, safeguarding our
natural resources becomes more critical than ever before. How can we
supply adequate production today without compromising food supplies for
the generations of tomorrow? Where will we find the means to feed the
more than nine billion people projected to inhabit the planet by 2050?
Many fishers, and the fisheries and aquaculture industry itself, have
been considering these questions. In particular, more than three billion
people currently depend on fish as a vital source of animal protein, while THAILAND
300 million make a living from marine fisheries, most of them with A fisher walking the
small-scale fishing. The high production levels in the fisheries sector rails of a fish farm
and increasing concerns in the early 1990s about the risks of overfishing, amidst the cages
near Ban Bor Rae.
shifted the debate from greater production to the sustainability of Sustainable aquaculture
production in fisheries and aquaculture. In 1991, the FAO Committee on development is one
Fisheries (COFI) first called on the Organization to develop new concepts of the challenges
addressed in the
for responsible, sustained fisheries. Code of Conduct for
The International Conference on Responsible Fishing held in Cancún Responsible Fisheries.
(Mexico) in 1992 followed-up on this process. The process was given ©FAO/SAEED KHAN

204 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 205
 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

practices in a wide range of areas, including implementation

and monitoring, requirements of developing countries, fisheries
management, fishing operations, aquaculture development,
coastal areas management, postharvest processes, trade, and
fisheries research. The Code is robust and flexible enough to
incorporate various issues that have gained importance in
recent years, such as ‘decent work’ in the sector, food waste
and loss, traceability, the strengthening of value chains and
the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management.
Although there is still much work to be done to fully achieve
the Code’s objectives worldwide, the process is well underway,
and today there are greater levels of awareness, knowledge
sharing, and international cooperation aimed at finding the
right solutions.

THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL FISHING

I
n recent decades, a large number of specific
instruments and guidelines have been created
under the Code. A milestone was reached with the Port
State Measures Agreement (PSMA), which entered into force
in 2016 and encompasses some 55 countries, including the European
Union and many small island developing states. This international
PANAMA further stimulus by the Earth Summit later that year in Rio treaty, supported by FAO, grants new powers to port authorities to
Artisanal fishing, de Janeiro (Brazil). The UN conference positioned sustainable verify that any foreign vessel complies with all the relevant fishing
one of the fishing development high on the international agenda, paving the standards, from having appropriate permissions to adhering to
activities that is
regulated, in the way for negotiations and adoption of the Code of Conduct quotas and not catching endangered species. If a boat is suspected
Diablo River. for Responsible Fisheries. This instrument emerged in 1995 of being involved in illegal fishing, the parties to the agreement
©FAO/M. SISTINI in response to the need to better integrate conservation and are obliged to refuse it entry or use of their ports, preventing their
environmental considerations into fisheries management and to catches from entering the markets. Developing countries will receive
ensure food security for future generations. It was approved by technical assistance in order to implement the agreement. The
170 countries at the FAO Conference. aim is to end the scourge of illegal, unreported and unregulated
(IUU) fishing, which accounts for up to 26 million tons of fish
MAXIMUM SUSTAINABLE YIELD each year, with a value of USD 23 billion. Strengthening port and

T
onboard inspections, with greater cooperation between fishers and
he Code of Conduct, which is voluntary, authorities, can also help in the fight against contraband, exploitation
provides the regulatory framework needed of labour and human trafficking.
for the conservation, organization, and Other standards have been agreed to complement these efforts,
development of fisheries. The aim is to ensure such as the Voluntary Guidelines for Flag State Performance, which
the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources in seek to combat illegal fishing by improving flag states’ fulfilment
harmony with the environment. The Code establishes that of their international responsibilities in relation to registering and
Member States and relevant organizations should adopt controlling fishing vessels. In 2017, FAO also established a Global
measures based on sound scientific criteria to maintain or Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and
restore fish populations to levels that produce year after year Supply Vessels, a platform that provides essential and transparent
without endangering future regeneration capacity, taking information to those responsible for fisheries management,
into account environmental and economic factors, and the including registration information, names and previous owners of
special needs of developing countries. The Code sets out good vessels, authorizations to fish, and so forth.

206 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.5
LEGAL INSTRUMENTS FOR RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES

MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT PORT STATE MEASURES AGREEMENT

N
ew demands have led to guidelines
for eco-labelling and certification of
harvested species. Said items and processes HOW IT WORKS:
FOREIGN VESSEL

?
were requested by the seafood industry, which is REQUESTS ENTRY TO Vessel identification / Purpose of visit
DESIGNATED
currently adopting strategies to improve consumer information PORT / Fishing authorizations / Transshipment
to better meet customer demands for ‘sea-to-plate’ traceability information / Catch on board
of seafood products. FAO is leading the work on Catch
Authorize entry No inspection
Documentation Schemes, which makes it possible to keep
track of fish from production and throughout the value chain.
They certify the point of capture and ensure that fish has been
farmed in accordance with the established conservation and
management standards – another way to combat IUU fishing
and prevent its products from entering the market.
In 2011, FAO Members also adopted the first guidelines
for certifying aquaculture products. More than half of the
IUU FISHING
DETECTED !
fish consumed by humans now comes from aquaculture, and ENTRY INSPECTION AUTHORIZE
expansion of the sector also contributes to preserving species, GRANTED Information USE OF PORT
creating jobs and increasing supply. While fish caught in the for inspection exchange
DENY USE and actions
wild generally account for a higher volume of fish production (no use of port)
OF PORT
than those produced by farming, a significant proportion of this
(almost 20 percent) is used as fish feed or to obtain oils from ! IUU FISHING
DETECTED
fish, and is not destined for human consumption.
In the debate on how to harmonize conservation and PROMPT
NOTIFICATION to
commercial interests, the need to secure the livelihoods of flag state, relevant
the people who depend on fishing is also important. In order coastal states, regional DENY
use of port - Landing,
to improve the conditions of small fishing communities fisheries management - Transshiping,
organizations (RFMOs),
and manage resources responsibly, in 2014 the Voluntary and other international - Processing
Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries organizations
UNLESS IT IS ESSENTIAL for the crew’s health and safety or
were adopted. The Blue Growth Initiative, backed by FAO, the vessel’s safety, or in case the vessel is subject to demolition
also focuses on the sustainable development of coastal fishing
communities in general.
In the current situation and in parallel with the legal
architecture created globally, how, for example, can fishers STEPS TO TAKE FOR THE ENTRY CONTROL OF VESSELS AT PORT:
catch fewer fish and at the same time create more value for
themselves? There are significant business opportunities Port This last
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4
authorities inspection
to improve the sustainability of the seafood value chain: A foreign vessel requests receive the vessel If the information can be carried out even if
increasing the quality of fish and increasing its value and entry to the port. It gives documentation (e.g. vessel provided by the vessel is the vessel has violated the
reducing waste to maximize the benefits. Several industries notification 72 hours IMO number) and assess incorrect, or matches Port State Measures
have begun to adopt changes in technologies aimed at prior to its arrival. its validity. Once validated, that of an illegal fishing Agreement, in order to
the vessel will directly enter vessel, either entry to the identify the vessel’s cargo,
strengthening the value chain in both developed and
the port or will go through port is denied or another notify other ports and take
developing countries. According to the experts, the outlook is a final inspection. inspection is conducted. appropriate measures.
shifting: and many countries’ producers and consumers agree
that more sustainable fishing practices are needed to meet the SOURCE: FAO. 2017. AGREEMENT ON PORT STATE MEASURES.
future demand of a growing population.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 207

 CHAPTER 3.6

GU IDELINES ON
T EN U RE OF LA ND,
F ISHER IES AND
FORESTS

T
MONGOLIA hese voluntary guidelines were negotiated
A volunteer forest with a large number of stakeholders, including
ranger patrols civil society and the private sector. They
the forest on the
back of his horse. provide a global benchmark, and are used by
Local communities governments in the management of natural resources.
can make use Land ownership is an area that is blurred by vested interests.
of the guidelines
to protect their “People’s rights in relation to tenure are a highly emotive matter
resources. that is not easy to address”, says Paul Munro-Faure, former Deputy
© FAO/TONY Director of the Climate, Energy and Tenure Division at FAO. In his
KARUMBA
view, the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of
Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National
Food Security (VGGT) adopted in 2012, provide a framework that
has made “it easier to sit around a table and begin to negotiate”,
something that would otherwise be inconceivable.
Although they are changes that take time, it was essential to try,
particularly given the increasing focus in recent decades “on the
pressure on land and other resources, and on the effects of climate
change on the environment”, as Munro-Faure explains. Land
grabbing (mass buying of land by governments and multinationals)
is a reality in some regions, particularly in Africa, and many rural
communities now feel more vulnerable.
In response to the need to address these issues in a coordinated way
and to ensure that the population has equitable access to and control of
resources, in 2009 FAO initiated a global consultation process.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 209

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

MULTILATERAL DIALOGUE MOZAMBIQUE THE IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNANCE

G T
A couple of
producers in their
lobal consultations between representatives maize field. The hese efforts resulted in a document containing
of civil society and the private sector as well Voluntary Guidelines principles and practices to which governments
as with UN agencies, governments and academics protect land, fisheries may refer when they allocate rights relating to
and forests tenure
from over 130 countries provided opportunities to look rights. land, fisheries and forests. “The negotiations focused
at different perspectives and discuss regional priorities and concerns. ©FAO/FILIPE on and endorsed well-tried, accepted, best practices in governing and
Issues discussed included community ownership and tenure BRANQUINHO addressing tenure and its administration”, says former Senior Land Tenure
administration. Over a year later, a first draft was produced, setting out Officer David Palmer. He stresses the importance of governance in solving
a broad outline of the consultation consensus from a multidisciplinary this kind of issue.“Without it there can be no effective technical solutions”,
point of view. This first document was subject to wide consultation he said in reference to governance that pursues lasting economic, social
before the full negotiation process was commenced. and institutional development, and an appropriate balance between state,
Government representatives endorsed the final version of the civil society and the free market. As a requisite of responsible governance,
document between 2011 and 2012, and it was formally approved by the Guidelines establish the recognition of legitimate rights of tenure and
the Committee on World Food Security on 11 May 2012. Throughout their holders, as well as the promotion and safeguarding of these rights
the process, Munro-Faure recalls that the most difficult issues were from threats that might compromise them. They also seek to provide access
discussed in small groups, in conversations that sometimes went on to justice in cases where these rights have been violated, and to avoid
into the night. Despite differences from a political, economic, cultural disputes over tenure, violent conflict and opportunities for corruption.
and religious perspective, he underlines the fact that “all parties The Guidelines are based on a series of principles: human dignity,
believed in the need to have the voluntary guidelines”. non-discrimination, equity and justice, gender equality, the rule of law,
The document may not have covered every single demand but it transparency and accountability. They make it clear that the management
served to reach an agreement. From those meetings, Munro-Faure of natural resources must be done in consultation with, and involving
notes “the great respect” that the various representatives had for those who hold the legitimate rights of tenure. The text emphasizes that
each other and the interest shown by governments to listen to civil- public and private investment should be conducted in a responsible way,
society groups. protecting human rights, livelihoods, food security and the environment.

210 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.6
GU IDELIN ES ON T EN U RE OF LA N D, F ISH ER IES A N D FORESTS

A QUESTION OF RIGHTS

T
he Guidelines address tenure administration, the transfer of GUIDELINES FOR EVERYONE
rights and responsibilities and responses to climate change
and emergency situations. Member States are also advised to establish
frameworks and capacities for“transparent and efficient”market operations, SINCE THEIR ENDORSEMENT organizations, indigenous people’s
and to consider restoring legitimate rights of tenure, or at least provide fair compensation, BY THE COMMMITTEE ON groups, international, regional and
to people who have lost their land or have been forcibly evicted in the past. This aspect WORLD FOOD SECURITY, FAO bilateral partners, parliamentarians
is especially relevant in the case of indigenous people and other communities who, due HAS BEEN FACILITATING THE and the private sector have also
to their customs, hold legitimate tenure rights over natural resources. Recognizing and IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VGGT. catalyzed impact to improve
Most of the changes will be seen governance of tenure. Former
protecting their rights means consulting them“in good faith”on any projects that might
in the long term but some have FAO Senior Land Tenure Officer,
affect them before activities begin. already begun to occur. According David Palmer, explains that civil
Annalisa Mauro, Coordinator of the International Land Coalition, a global network to Javier Molina Cruz, FAO’s society organizations participating
of 160 organizations in over 70 countries, calls on communities to use these Guidelines, Land Tenure Unit Coordinator, in the negotiation process are
which she considers a“global reference source”in relation to women and indigenous readily available tools, such as also using the guidelines in their
people.“The territorial dimension is a way to resist as indigenous people. The concept revised procedures to improve own programmes, citing Oxfam
of land is part of their existence”, she remarks. Mauro says that she is impressed by tenure security, Technical Guides, and ActionAid as examples. In
civic initiatives that have emerged in favour of land rights. In countries like Peru, Bolivia learning programs and open-source the private sector, meanwhile,
(Plurinational State of) and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), land observatories have software have been developed large multinationals such as
been set up, aimed at monitoring the territorial situation, land agreements and purchases, to support implementation of the Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé
possible environmental conflicts and human rights’ violations. VGGT guidelines. At the country have expressed their interest
level, FAO contributed to setting in operating in accordance
To promote these rights, FAO has translated the Voluntary Guidelines into its six official
in motion processes to improve with these rules as part of their
languages and other local languages, prepared educational material and supported the governance of tenure in over 50 corporate responsibility strategies.
workshops that are being held in various countries to support the implementation of countries. “It’s hard because they have a
the Guidelines. As for the extent to which the Guidelines have been adopted, there are very long value chain, with a large
notable differences between States, from those that have included them in their legislation A new model of land tenure number of associated companies,
to those that have used them as a basis to organize conferences, as Palmer explains. He governance has been introduced but their goal is for their suppliers
agrees with Munro-Faure that it is one thing to address land tenure in an abstract way in over 20 countries through policy to work in line with the voluntary
and at international level but it is a very different situation when considering specific cases. and legal reform processes and guidelines”, Palmer underlines.
Both believe that the greatest challenge is at the state level, where legislation and a specific in 12 countries through enactment For all of these stakeholders, this
context already exist. At least the Guidelines start with one advantage: they have become a of new policies and laws (based means implementing a policy
universal language in relation to rights to natural resources. on the VGGT). Sierra Leone, for of zero tolerance towards land
instance, has a ministerial working grabbing.
group dedicated to these issues.
And since 2014, Guatemala Other highlights from FAO’s work to
has had an agricultural policy support the implementation of the
GLOBAL FOREST OWNERSHIP that reflects the guidelines’ main guidelines include: the participatory
concepts and seeks to facilitate development of roadmaps for
4% access to land for the poor rural comprehensive tenure reform, new
population. “This new model of or strengthened VGGT platforms
governance” says Molina Cruz, in countries, and improvements to
20% PRIVATE
“is based on a multi-stakeholder the administration of land, fisheries
process which has allowed the and forests. Awareness raising,
participation of vulnerable and dialogue facilitation and capacity
PUBLIC development of stakeholders have
marginalized groups, previously

76%
excluded from the policy dialogue been fundamental to introduce
UNDETERMINED and policy making. It is more the new model of land tenure
inclusive, participatory and governance and to ensure that it
transparent.” will fully develop over time in a
sustainable manner, with context-
SOURCE: FAO. 2015. FOREST RESOURCES ASSESMENT.
Alliances fostered with partners specific solutions adapted to
such as academia, civil society changing political environments.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 211

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

CHAPTER 3.7

T HE COMMI T T EE ON
WORLD FOOD SEC U R I T Y
(CFS)

212 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 T
he Committee on World Food Security (CFS)
[ABOVE]
is the UN system’s multi-stakeholder platform
to address food security and nutrition policy
ITALY
issues. It represents a model of participation
View of a plenary
session during a which can help countries to achieve greater progress
meeting of CFS. in development.
©FAO/GIUSEPPE It could be said that the Committee on World Food Security
CAROTENUTO
(CFS) was born twice – in 1974, as an intergovernmental initiative
to review food security policies, and again in 2009, when far-
[PREVIOUS PAGE] reaching reforms gave it a new status as a multi-stakeholder and
DEMOCRATIC multisectoral platform. This is what makes it different from its
REPUBLIC OF previous incarnation: the Committee’s openness to the views of
THE CONGO other stakeholders, beyond governments alone, including civil
A man watering a society and the private sector in the process of policymaking
field in the province of to ensure food security and nutrition. The rise in food prices in
Katanga. Developing
countries can 2008 led to the recognition that changes needed to be made in
share experiences how stakeholders were approaching food security and nutrition
towards achieving policymaking – including the reform of CFS – in an attempt to
food security for
their populations by understand how to prevent similar food price crises occurring
participating in the in future and to tackle both short- and long-term problems. It
Committee on World took a year for an agreement to be reached to reform CFS. The
Food Security.
©FAO/OLIVIER
Committee currently comprises the UN Members, UN agencies
ASSELIN with a specific mandate in the field of food security and nutrition,

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 213

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

civil society and non-governmental organizations, international

agricultural research systems, international and regional financial
institutions and representatives of private-sector associations and
private philanthropic foundations. CFS can also invite other groups
and institutions to be observers at its sessions and to join specific INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS
discussions. This multitude of stakeholders is supported by the CFS ON THE COMMITTEE ON
High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE), WORLD FOOD SECURITY
which since October 2009, has been providing independent science-
and evidence-based reports to support policy recommendations THE HIGH LEVEL PANEL OF EXPERTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND
negotiated within CFS. NUTRITION has disseminated these scientific-knowledge-based
publications, which present themes related to the policies discussed by the
Committee on World Food Security.
AN ENGAGED CIVIL SOCIETY
AND PRIVATE SECTOR
With the Committee’s reform, civil society has a voice in a place where
its voice is not usually heard: discussing the global food security and
nutrition policies affecting small farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples
as well as many other groups. These groups can help implement
the various policies of CFS. Under this model, countries remain the
primary force, but the goal is also to create a more balanced sense of
common responsibility and to include those most affected by food
insecurity or malnutrition in defining solutions. The private sector has
embraced the process and an increasing number of companies from
across the food production chain are becoming ever more involved.
Ultimately they all share an interest in food security and nutrition,
which exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and
economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. CFS
funding is provided by FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), which
each contribute a third of the regular budget and provide substantial
technical input to the work. Donors make voluntary contributions to
supplement the budget for particular themes and to support the HLPE
and the CFS Civil Society Mechanism.

A MODEL TO REPRODUCE
CFS is the forum where issues such as the Voluntary Guidelines on
the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests SOURCE: HLPE – HIGH LEVEL PANEL OF EXPERTS ON FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION.
in the Context of National Food Security have been negotiated.
Before their endorsement in 2012, the content of these Guidelines was
negotiated among all of the different interest groups; they are now a
global standard.
In October 2014, CFS approved the Principles for Responsible
Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, a framework that
Members can adopt voluntarily to develop policies or corporate
social responsibility programmes, for example. In October 2015, the
Committee endorsed the Framework for Action for Food Security and
Nutrition in Protracted Crises.

214 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.7
THE COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURIT Y (CFS)

THE CFS MODEL

IS A SOURCE OF
INSPIR ATION
WHEN IT COMES
TO ESTABLISHING
A FR AMEWORK TO
IMPLEMENT THE
2030 AGENDA FOR
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT.

A PANEL OF EXPERTS
TO INFORM AND ADVISE
Following the CFS endorsement of these key global policy THE COMMITTEE
products, FAO is playing an important role in working with
countries and other stakeholders to implement them. This
platform, which reports to the UN General Assembly through THE HIGH LEVEL PANEL OF to address difficult issues by [ABOVE]

the Economic and Social Council each year, offers a unique EXPERTS FOR FOOD SECURITY establishing a starting point of ITALY
AND NUTRITION (HLPE) was shared knowledge in a single General view of the
opportunity to bring the body’s three food-related agencies Malaysia Room at
created in October 2009 as evidence-based document
closer together. And it is not just hunger and poverty that are the science–policy interface of that brings all perspectives FAO headquarters,
addressed: debates also focus on other issues such as natural CFS. The HLPE produces, at together. This model further
during a meeting
between an advisory
resources, social protection and gender equality. It is a way to the request of the Committee, reinforces the Committee’s group and the High
create consensus between the various partners and achieve independent assessments commitment to inclusiveness Level Panel of Experts
progress in a more sustainable way. which provide analysis, and by creating a level playing on Food Security
and Nutrition, on
It is not always easy for partners who disagree on important recommendations on important field of shared understanding
the occasion of the
issues, but the effort to enter into dialogue is progress in itself. policy issues. The HLPE among all participants in CFS Fortieth Session of
The work was well received by the former UN Secretary- aims to help CFS improve its discussions. Since 2011, the the CFS.
General, Ban Ki-moon, who is in favour of the CFS inclusive understanding of the diversity of HLPE has produced 13 reports ©FAO/GIULIO
issues and the evidence behind to inform the debates of CFS NAPOLITANO
model and the cooperation between FAO, IFAD and WFP. CFS
them, including outlining the on issues ranging from price
is a source of inspiration when it comes to establishing a model
background and rationale of volatility, climate change,
to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. controversies, and identifying social protection, biofuels, food
While the UN agencies aim to help countries meet these emerging issues. The reports losses and waste, investments
objectives, CFS can be the platform where countries share the are produced by combining in smallholder agriculture, fish
progress they have made, as well as experiences and lessons expertise from a range of and aquaculture, to water. Most
learned with other partners. In future, networks and advisory disciplines, backgrounds, reports have been followed
work can strengthen this model, which is driving the global and knowledge systems. by the adoption of key policy
development agenda. HLPE Reports enable CFS recommendations by CFS.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 215

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

216 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.8

AGRICULTUR AL
MARKET
INFORMATION
SYSTEM (AMIS)

C
reated in order to help prevent food price crises,
the Agricultural Market Information System
(AMIS) makes food commodity markets more
transparent. The sudden rise in food prices between 2007
and 2008 had a devastating effect for the world’s poor. The price of
basic food commodities such as rice and wheat skyrocketed, increasing
the number of hungry people and leading to political unrest in several
countries. Global food security was at stake. Markets shook again
in 2010 after a drought in Russia saw the country ban cereal exports
to ensure sufficient supplies for its population, demonstrating the
vulnerability of international food markets to extreme price swings.
In response to these shocks, the Group of 20 (G20) asked various
international organizations to propose ways to reduce international
food price volatility, one of them being the creation of the Agricultural
Market Information System. AMIS was launched in September 2011
to enhance transparency in international food markets and facilitate
policy coordination when food security is at risk. Bringing together the
principal trading countries of agricultural commodities, AMIS assesses
FRANCE
global food supplies and provides a platform to discuss the necessary
Two combine measures to reduce market uncertainty. The AMIS Project Manager,
harvesters in action
in a wheat field. Denis Drechsler, recalls the strong commitment among the G20 to
©FAO/OLIVIER
effectively address extreme food price volatility. “The food price crisis
THUILLIER created a lot of momentum to look for appropriate solutions, not only

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 217

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

among countries but also among key international organizations,

and to work together in trying to avoid a repeat of 2007/08”, he
says. Market analysts agreed that one of the reasons for excessive
volatility was a lack of reliable market information that is linked to a
mechanism for policy dialogue, so AMIS tries to provide just that.

AN INFORMATION SYSTEM
In addition to the G20, which had called for the creation of
AMIS, a further seven countries were invited to participate
in the initiative given their importance in international food
markets for wheat, maize, rice and soybeans – the basic food
commodities monitored by AMIS. Together, AMIS countries
represent between 80 percent and 90 percent of global exports
in these crops: a share large enough to effectively influence
global markets. “The seven countries were carefully selected
before being invited to participate in the initiative”, says
Drechsler. Viet Nam and Thailand are leading rice producers.
The Philippines and Nigeria are major rice buyers, while Egypt
is the biggest importer of wheat. The Ukraine and Kazakhstan
are major producers of wheat and maize. The European Union,
meanwhile, is a major player as it represents all of its Member
States. For even greater relevance and outreach, AMIS also
maintains close ties with partners in the private sector, such as
WHAT IF FOOD PRICES SOAR? commodity associations and institutional investors.

ALL ABOUT THE DATA

IN 2012 A DROUGHT IN THE Through regular dialogue and timely ITALY Detecting current and future trends in international food
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the market analysis AMIS was able to The complexity
markets is essential for preventing potential crises. AMIS
world’s leading maize producer, set prevent countries from taking hasty of international
off alarm bells. In July of that year, policy actions that had frequently food markets monitors several market drivers, such as energy prices,
the price of maize shot up by 23 exacerbated crises in the past. In fact, represented inside currency exchange rates and the commitment of traders in
the Pavilion Zero,
percent and the FAO Food Price the AMIS experts decided against to which the UN
international futures markets. It also keeps a close eye on policy
Index rose by six percent. Such heavy organizing an emergency session contributed for the developments that may create uncertainties in the market, such
market turbulence brought back of the Rapid Response Forum which Milan (Italy) Expo as trade restrictions, biofuel mandates and domestic support
memories of the 2007/08 crisis, thus many feared would have turned in 2015.
policies.
©FAO/GIUSEPPE
expectations were high that AMIS into a self-fulfilling prophesy by CAROTENUTO Having access to the latest data and the most reliable
would intervene, for example by signalling to the world that a crisis forecasts on agricultural production, trade and utilization is
calling an emergency session of the was imminent. The markets eventually vital in order to help governments and other stakeholders
Rapid Response Forum. Following calmed down and conditions
make well-informed and timely decisions. This is why AMIS
a thorough analysis of the situation returned to normal. In this and other
collaborates closely with countries to improve their market
and intensive information exchanges episodes, AMIS has established itself
between the AMIS Secretariat and as a new tool to address food price information systems and harmonise their data for global
participating countries, experts volatility. The particular structure of analysis. Drechsler explains: “The less developed countries are
concluded that the drought would not AMIS allowed countries to consult not necessarily the most backward in terms of data generation;
jeopardize global market stability, as each other early on, which prevented there are several industrialized countries that need to improve
good crops from other countries were panic and a further deterioration of their information systems”. Through targeted capacity-
expected to ensure sufficient supplies. the market situation. building projects and training activities such as an exchange

218 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 3.8
AGR IC U LT U R AL M A R KET IN FOR M AT ION SYST EM (A M IS)

ORGANIZATIONS THAT FORM

programme for country focal points, AMIS has helped to THE AMIS SECRETARIAT
promote good international practices and the adoption of
common methodologies. Most importantly, countries have
started helping each other. The Philippines and Thailand,
for example, organized two joint workshops to improve rice
statistics, while the United States of America and Indonesia
have engaged in a mutual learning exchange to review the
measurement of maize production. According to Drechsler,
promoting this cooperation constitutes “the greatest possible
achievement of AMIS”. “Countries have started to share their
experiences, to offer each other help and to accept help when
it is required. Trust is growing”, Drechsler adds. Food and Agriculture
AMIS organizes regular meetings to assemble all of the Organization of the
participating countries, such as the Global Food Market United Nations The International
Group on Earth Food Policy Research
Information Group, which meets twice a year, or the Rapid
Observations Global Institute
Response Forum, which meets once a year or more often,
Agricultural Monitoring
in the event of a food crisis warning. These meetings bring
together political representatives and technical specialists to
share their experiences and explain their needs. The objective
of AMIS is to generate the best information possible and to
share it for the benefit of everyone. The International
Fund for Agricultural
COOPERATION BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS Development
Cooperation does not only involve close exchanges with
participating countries. AMIS is above all a platform to International Grains The Organisation
stimulate collaboration between different international Council for Economic
organizations that work in the field of agricultural markets, Co-operation and
and exploiting each organization’s comparative advantage. Development
The AMIS Market Monitor is a prime example to illustrate
successful inter-agency collaboration. Published ten times
a year, the Monitor represents the collective assessment
of the ten organizations that form the AMIS Secretariat
concerning the international market situation and outlook. The World Bank Group
For the Monitor, FAO particularly benefits from inputs of
The United Nations
the International Grains Council (IGC), the International
Conference on Trade
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Group on Earth and Development
Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring initiative
(GEOGLAM), the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD), and the World Trade Organization The World Food
(WTO), which each provides a specific section of the Programme
report. The World Bank Group, the International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations World Trade Organization
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the
World Food Programme (WFP) are the other partners in the
AMIS Secretariat.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 219

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220 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P TE R 3.9

THE RIGHT
TO FOOD

T
[PREVIOUS PAGE] he right to food is recognized globally and in
KENYA the legislation of many countries. The challenge
Members of the is to ensure its fulfilment, to which end there are various
Samburu pastoral initiatives and experiences that serve as an example of
community wait with
their goats during their international cooperation.
destocking programme
that FAO and Red “Everyone has the right to a standard of living
Cross Kenya are
developing. Ongoing adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of
drought has triggered his family, including food...”
a humanitarian crisis,
with food insecurity
skyrocketing in northern So begins Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human
and coastal areas of Rights. It was in 1948 that, after leaving behind the horrors of
Kenya. World War II, the United Nations General Assembly adopted this
©FAO/LUIS TATO
text which recognizes the right to food within the context of the
right to an adequate life. Since the Universal Declaration did not
have treaty status, two international conventions were created and
entered into force in 1976; these were binding for all the countries
that ratified them. The one on economic, social and cultural rights
(ICESCR) includes the right to food, making it mandatory for states
to adopt measures for its progressive realization. And therein lies the
challenge: making it happen.

THE LEGAL PATHS TOWARDS REALIZATION

I
n the first instance, it is the responsibility of
states to ensure that human rights obligations
are met. States are obliged to adopt the necessary measures
for the realization of these rights without discrimination,
respecting them, protecting them and fulfilling them, if necessary
by means of international cooperation and assistance. Ultimately it

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 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

SOME COUNTRIES HAVE is the countries that are parties to the ICESCR that determine for
themselves the status they give to the right to food within their
RECOGNIZED THE RIGHT legal systems. Depending on the case, the treaty’s provisions may
TO FOOD IN THEIR be incorporated into national legislation automatically or through
a law. Sometimes certain national standards must be reviewed and
CONSTIT U TIONS LI KE adapted to make them compatible with the obligations of the treaty.
A H U M A N R IGH T FOR In recent years there has been a rise in the number of countries
interested in promoting the realization of the right to food. Some,
ALL, GR A N T I NG I T T H E like Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Ecuador, Malawi, Nepal or
MOST EF F EC T I V E FOR M OF South Africa, have included it directly in their constitutions as a
universal human right, giving it the most effective legal protection
PROT EC T ION. in the event of conflict with other legislation, while countries
such as Colombia recognize it as a fundamental right specific to
children. Other countries, such as Nigeria and Sri Lanka, consider
it a principle that must guide state policies. It can also be recognized
explicitly or implicitly within the interpretation of other related
human rights, such as the right to a decent life or the right to a
minimum wage that supports adequate living conditions – social
values that guide governments’ actions.
However, it is not enough to put pen on paper in order
to guarantee rights. It depends on how they are drafted and
recognized, on the awareness of them among the authorities, courts
and citizens, and the way in which they are realized. They therefore
require political measures in numerous areas and the regulation of
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN spheres such as land, water, fishing, genetic resources for food and
FOOD SECURITY AND agriculture, agricultural trade, social security, work, nutrition, food
THE RIGHT TO FOOD safety and consumer protection.

The right to be free from hunger on the Eradication of Hunger and THE EXAMPLE OF THE VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES

W
is closely related to the right Malnutrition, adopted in 1974 by the
to life. It is considered a minimum World Food Conference, linked food ith the legal basis in place globally, in
standard that must be guaranteed for all security to human rights. 1996 the World Food Summit reaffirmed
people, regardless of a country’s level the right to food and the fundamental
of development. It is a fundamental right In time, attention turned from the supply right to be free from hunger. From there on, a
envisaged in the International Covenant of foodstuffs to the difficulties accessing consultative and participative process started to develop a guide that
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. them. The 1996 World Food Summit Plan would support the implementation of such rights. In the context of
of Action establishes four pillars of food the Committee on World Food Security, the Voluntary Guidelines to
The right to adequate food is a much
security: availability, access, utilization Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food
broader concept and relates to the need
and stability of food. While food security in the context of National Food Security were debated and prepared.
to establish the necessary economic,
political and social conditions in which is a political concept that involves setting These guidelines were finally approved in 2004 by the FAO Council,
people can feed themselves. goals and organizing programmes, the a governing body that assists countries to address food security and
right to food is a legal concept. It consists nutrition from a human rights perspective. Since then, tools have
The idea of food security emerged in of an internationally recognized human been created, capabilities have been strengthened and dialogue
the 1960s and 1970s, when it centred right that enables people to have recourse between the parties involved worldwide has been facilitated.
on the availability and price stability of to justice and be properly compensated in
The voluntary guidelines provide the cross-sectoral framework
basic foodstuffs. The Universal Declaration the event that their right is violated.
and the steps needed to achieve the food security and nutritional
objectives. They help governments adopt the right to adequate food

222 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 3.9
THE RIGHT TO FOOD

10 MILESTONES OF THE RIGHT TO FOOD

1999
General Comment 12:
The Right to Adequate Food
Establishes that: “the right to ade-
quate food is realized when every
man, woman and child, alone or
in community with others, has the
physical and economic access
at all times to adequate food or
means for its procurement.”

2000
Establishment of a Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Food
Entrusted with a mandate to
promote the realization of the While the Declaration of the
right to food and the adoption World Summit on Food Security
of measures at national, regional reaffirms the right of everyone
and international levels. to adequate food and urges the

1948 1996
adoption of steps to progressively

Adoption of the Universal Rome Declaration on World 2004 realize the right to adequate food
of all, the Rome Principles lay
Declaration of Human Rights Adoption of the FAO Voluntary out five principles among which
Food Security and World Food
Hailed as a common standard of Guidelines on the Right to Food the third one calling for a twin
Summit Plan of Action
achievement for all peoples and Its objective is to provide track approach which includes
around 150 from civil society
all nations, it recognizes that all practical guidance to States the right to food and calls for the
and nearly 100 from the
human beings are born free and in their implementation of the implementation of the Right to
business community, reaffirmed
equal in dignity and rights.The progressive realization of the right Food Guidelines.
“the right of everyone to have
Declaration establishes, for the to adequate food in the context
access to safe, sufficient, and
2012
first time, the human rights that of national food security.
nutritious food, consistent with
need to be protected around
the right to adequate food
the world.
2007 Adoption of the Global
Strategic Framework for Food and the fundamental right
of everyone to be free from
1974
World Food Day “RIGHT TO Security and Nutrition
FOOD Make it happen” A general framework and hunger.”
Adoption of the Universal Recognizes the important role reference point for future policies,
Declaration on the Eradication of human rights in eradicating measure and strategies related to
of Hunger and Malnutrition hunger and poverty, and food security and nutrition.
The Conference proclaims that hastening and deepening the

2014
“[e]very man, woman and child It reaffirms the right of everyone sustainable development process.
has the inalienable right to be to have access to safe and

2009
free from hunger and malnutrition nutritious food, consistent with the ICN2 Second International
in order to develop fully and right to adequate food and the Conference on Nutrition
maintain their physical and fundamental right of everyone to Adoption of the Declaration of the Representatives from more than
mental faculties”. be free from hunger. World Summit on Food Security 170 countries, together with

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 223

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

COUNTRIES THAT RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT TO

as a cornerstone of their policies and to strengthen their capabilities FOOD IN THEIR CONSTITUTION
in order to improve compliance and the adoption of evaluative and
accountability mechanisms. Many governments and civil society
organizations are using these instruments to ensure that people
can feed themselves with dignity and have appropriate safety
nets. Prioritizing the most vulnerable and promoting participation,
responsibility, transparency, human dignity, non-discrimination, the
rule of law and empowerment among the various stakeholders are
key elements in this process. Experience has shown that the chances
of success are greater when governments are fully committed to
eradicating hunger and malnutrition, when sufficient resources
are invested, when all of the stakeholders share information and
participate in the policies and programmes in a coordinated way, and
when the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition are
known. These are some of the conditions that are needed to break
the vicious circle of hunger, as the voluntary guidelines make clear.
NICARAGUA
PRACTICAL STEPS WITH EVERYONE’S HELP COSTA RICA

P
MEXICO
CUBA
rogress has been made since 2004. At the regional level,
Latin America and the Caribbean made a commitment
HONDURAS HAITI
in 2006 to eradicate hunger by 2025, a pledge that has
resulted in the strengthening of policies, legal frameworks
GUATEMALA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
and governance mechanisms for Food Security and Nutrition at the
national level, including the adoption in 2014 of the CELAC Regional PANAMA
Plan. That same year, members of the African Union also expressed COLOMBIA
their commitment, in the Malabo Declaration, to eradicate hunger GUYANA
by 2025. Likewise, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the
ECUADOR SURINAME
Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP)
respectively adopted in 2011 a Plan of Action and a Strategy for Food BRAZIL
Security and Nutrition – both based on the right to food – that have
in turn influenced the policies of their member countries. BOLIVIA
The food crisis of 2007 and 2008 prompted an urgent call (THE PLURINATIONAL
to action and revealed the importance of involving different Although many national constitutions recognize STATE OF)
governmental and non-governmental actors in the realization of rights such as the freedom of expression,
the right to adequate food. Together with national governments, the right to political participation or the right PARAGUAY
parliamentarians and local governments are taking more to health care, few are the ones who have
responsibility to ensure food security and nutrition through legal incorporated the right to food as a fundamental
frameworks and adequate budget appropriations – which improve human right. It is, however, recognized in the
access to nutritious food, create employment opportunities, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
guarantee inclusive access to land, credit and education – as well
as through stronger nutrition, education and social protection As shown in the map, only 30 of the nearly 200
programmes and access to resources. Institutions with a clear States that are represented in the United Nations
mandate in favour of the right to food and the civil society also have explicitly recognized the right to food in their
contribute to the cause, as they favour policy monitoring and constitutions. It seems that the political authorities of
adequate resource allocation to support capacity development many countries are reluctant to recognize a right
and the realization of everyone’s rights, particularly those of most that they would be obliged to guarantee.
vulnerable groups. It is a sum of efforts to guarantee the right to
adequate food for all.

224 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 3.9
THE RIGHT TO FOOD

The boundaries and names shown and the designa-

tions used on this map do not imply the expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO
concerning the legal status of any country, territory,
city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed
lines on maps represent approximate border lines
BELARUS for which there may not yet be full agreement.

MAP: UN. February 2019.

UKRAINE Office of Information and Communications
Technology, Geospatial Information Section.
REPUBLIC OF
MOLDOVA

NEPAL
EGYPT

NÍGER
PHILIPPINES

DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
THE CONGO
KENYA
MALDIVES

MALAWI
FIJI
ZIMBABWE From the moment that the right to food is recognized for
all citizens, the state machinery has to start functioning
in order to protect that right. This is a first step towards
SOUTH AFRICA developing appropriate systems and adapting public
policies to ensure that nobody suffers from hunger. Having
a national law facilitates this, given that it identifies the
actors responsible for feeding the population, and points
out who needs to be accountable. However, a law in itself
does not make the change.

If the institutional system does not allow citizens to hold

the State accountable, or if the State itself does not have
the appropriate resources to implement the law, it will only
remain a piece of paper. SOURCE: FAO. 2018. RIGHT TO FOOD.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 225

 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

C H A P T E R 3 .10

FAOSTAT
fao statistics

F
AOSTAT is the largest statistical database on
food and agriculture and has covered more than
245 countries and territories since 1961. Every
month, an average of some 160 000 users make
free use of this FAO service for a range of queries on
75 different topics.
In the 1960s, FAO’s statistical services operated with several
verification, classification and tabulation machines – aeons apart
from today’s technology, with drones, smartphones, the Internet
and many other tools making the task infinitely easier. One thing
that has not changed in this time, however, is FAO’s basic mandate
to “collect, analyse, interpret, and disseminate information relating
to nutrition, food and agriculture”, as the first article of its 1946
Constitution states. It was in 1986 that the Organization, which
already had one of the most sophisticated computer systems in the
United Nations at the time, launched its comprehensive statistical ITALY
database to cover agricultural information worldwide. This platform Chilean governmental
came to be known as FAOSTAT in the mid 1990s and it remains a statisticians take part
in a training session
leading source of information globally. on the CountrySTAT
system, in the David
IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS Lubin Memorial
Library at FAO
The amount of information that FAOSTAT handles illustrates its headquarters.
usefulness. It is a system that has provided 20 000 data sets from ©FAO/GIULIO
more than 245 countries and territories from 1961 to the latest NAPOLITANO

226 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 227
 GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN T HE HI ST ORY OF FAO

What is the most produced crop in the world? These and many
other questions can be answered with the available statistics.
FAOSTAT’s time-series and cross-sectional data are available
to all, along with graphs that enable the information to be
interpreted visually. The system allows users to select whatever
elements are of interest to the research being conducted,
whether relating to specific countries, measures, types of
agricultural product or years, or anything else of relevance.
The FAOSTAT website was revamped in November 2016.
Its fourth edition includes technological improvements
and innovations that make it more user friendly and
mobile-responsive and provide more download options. Key
indicators such as access to food or government agricultural
budgets can also now be accessed quicker.

THE VALUE OF STATISTICS

A
ll of the data provided are based on
evidence and can be used as a basis
for making decisions. Indeed, awareness is
growing of the importance of formulating policies
based on solid data. As FAO’s Chief Statistician, Pietro
Gennari, explains, “statistics provide the basis for analysis,
since they identify the problems that must be addressed when
designing and guiding needed political interventions”. FAO
aims to contribute in this area through the collection, analysis
and dissemination of a wide range of statistics. The quality of
its work is recognized because it is based on objectivity and
available date. It disseminates information on 75 different ITALY international standards.
domains, including agricultural and food statistics compiled Event during Gennari maintains that solid information is a “key aspect of
by FAO’s technical units. Some data also come from other the 145th FAO the early warning systems and it helps national governments,
Council Session
organizations, such as the World Bank, United Nations on FAOSTAT data the private sector and civil society to deal with and manage
Comtrade, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and dissemination and crisis situations, fostering resilience. “In practice, it means
Development (OECD). And instead of having to go to each the Greenhouse farmers can decide when to cultivate and how to avoid losses.
Gases (GHG)
source, FAOSTAT functions as a single window through which database, held in And governments have the ability to formulate and oversee
all of the information can be seen. The data published on its the Red Room at policies that address, for instance, poverty, food insecurity and
website are available for free. All one has to do is dive in and FAO headquarters. climate change” .
explore the site’s contents, as an average of some 160 000 users ©FAO/ALESSIA One advantage of FAO’s work is that it presents data
PIERDOMENICO
all over the world do each month. Statisticians, government that can be compared across countries. After each State
officials, researchers, companies, international agencies, social has produced its statistics using its own measurements,
organizations and journalists all use the database to find FAO validates and harmonizes them so that they can be
information on agricultural production, trade, investment, compared with those of other countries following a detailed
producer and consumer prices, natural resources, environmental plan. The Organization is currently seeking to make each
indicators and food security. methodological step more transparent. It continues to work
How much carbon dioxide is emitted each year into the with its partners, seeking to increase interaction amid the
atmosphere by agriculture? What specific uses are made of land? complexity of the process. It has been doing this, for example,

228 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

to develop countries’ capabilities when it comes to preparing ITALY The Organization is responsible for collecting data from
agricultural censuses, which are conducted in cycles of ten years. Members of national sources and validating and harmonizing it, producing
It also participates in international projects aimed at improving FAO Statistics regional and global estimates, and making the data available for
agricultural statistical systems in rural areas. Division during dissemination. It contributes to the reports on the progress of the
the 22nd Session
And FAO’s statistical role goes even further. It prepares of the Committee SDGs and joins forces with other international agencies to monitor
food price indices and provides detailed, up-to-date data on the on Forestry the indicators. Meanwhile, it is also helping countries to strengthen
prospects of the world cereal market and on water, agriculture, (COFO 22). their capabilities for collecting data and evaluating the Sustainable
©FAO/GIULIO
fishing and aquaculture, as well as on gender issues and land NAPOLITANO Development Goals, while working on any new requirements for
rights. Warnings, bulletins and various reports are also available monitoring. Much of the information that FAO processes will be
through the website. widely used, such as the data on access to food and land, food
losses, forest cover and maintaining fish populations at sustainable
levels. The indicators are disaggregated into age, gender, level of
THE ROAD TO 2030 income, occupation and other aspects, since the principle of the

S
2030 Agenda is to “leave nobody behind”.
tatistics are also used to monitor processes. FAO’s statistics can also be used in the task of monitoring the
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed by activities that countries have pledged to undertake in order to adapt
the international community in 2015, comprises 17 goals, to and mitigate the effects of climate change, within the framework
along with 169 targets and 230 indicators with which of another international accord reached in 2015: the Paris Agreement.
to measure the level of compliance. FAO is the custodian of 21 Data on greenhouse gas emissions can therefore be used to analyse
indicators and contributes to some others among those established the impact of value chains more effectively, to develop more specific
to evaluate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs strategies for climate-smart agriculture or to improve access for
include a commitment to eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and developing countries to funding for projects like those supported by
malnutrition by 2030. the Green Climate Fund.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 229

 4
2 3 2 How it all began
2 3 4 Taking stock and moving ahead
2 3 6 From maps to databases
2 3 8 Oil crisis, food crisis
2 4 0 New ways, old threats
2 4 2 Relaunching the fight
2 4 4 MDGs and SDGs
 FA O
IN
SEVEN
D EC A D ES
 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1940s

How it all began

The institutional fight against hunger started in the twentieth
century, when the agriculture sector was being overtaken in
the global economy by industry and finance.
ORIGINS devastating effect on agriculture and left

T
he origins of the Food and the farming community on its knees.
Agriculture Organization of The financial crisis saw food-importing
the United Nations (FAO) countries hastily erecting tariff barriers and
are indissolubly linked to increasing their domestic food production.
one name: David Lubin, a successful From 1929 to 1933, wheat imports in
entrepreneur who turned to farming industrialized Europe fell by 60 percent.
in the 1880s. In the late nineteenth Faced with falling demand, farmers in
and early twentieth centuries, the many countries had unsold surpluses
importance of agriculture in the global on their hands. In June 1933, the League
economy was declining. The sector’s of Nations met in an attempt to find a
problems were wide-ranging. Farmers solution to the problem but failed. States
were poorly organized and innovation were not yet ready to harmonize their
was lacking. To put it plainly, prestige economic policies and to pool resources to
and wealth were to be found elsewhere overcome the crisis.
– in industry, trade and finance. At the same time, research on poverty
Lubin realized that trade played a and nutrition was under way, inspired by
major role in agricultural price-setting and John Boyd Orr, who was widely regarded
that only an international organization for his work on nutrition. It was well
could successfully defend farmers’ known, for example, that one-third of
interests. He campaigned tirelessly in the population of the United Kingdom of
the United States of America to garner Great Britain and Northern Ireland was [ABOVE]
public support for agriculture. Finding no malnourished due to an inadequate intake CANADA
support at home, he set off for Europe. of milk, fruit, vegetables and other foods Château Frontenac,
Quebec, where
Rebuffed on his travels to London and vital for good health. The underlying cause FAO was founded.
Paris, it was in Italy that he finally found a was poverty. A paradox had emerged. ©CHATEAU
willing ear in King Victor Emmanuel II. Nutritionists were calling for increased FRONTENAC
PHOTO
In 1905, the Italian Government consumption while economists were
convened the first conference of the urging production cutbacks. [LEFT]
International Institute of Agriculture. An Australian nutritionist, Frank UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA,
The seed of what would later become McDougall, analysed the situation. 1943
FAO was sown. The number of Member He campaigned “to marry health The United Nations
States rose steadily from 46 at its first and agriculture” and to integrate Conference on
Food and Agriculture
assembly to 74 in 1934. various disciplines in order to combat was held from
The work of the Institute was malnutrition. His proposals were widely 18 May to 3 June
essentially technical in nature. However, accepted by governments and the public in Hot Springs,
Virginia, with the
at that time, growing economic and alike. The time seemed ripe for collective participation of
political forces, culminating perhaps most action; however, the outbreak of the 44 governments. It
dramatically in the Wall Street Crash, were Second World War halted all progress. set up a commission
to prepare the
compounding agriculture’s problems. In 1942, McDougall, in Washington, Constitution of FAO.
The post-1929 world depression had a DC, for discussions on an international ©FAO

232 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 wheat agreement, found there was have struck a chord, as a year later he in Quebec. The Food and Agriculture FAO still needed to prove to
great interest in preparing for food convened a conference on nutrition Organization of the United Nations – governments that poverty was
problems in the post-war period. He and agriculture. FAO – was born, whereas the United the root cause of hunger and
therefore resumed his task and drafted Nations organization itself did not come malnutrition. To this end, FAO
a second memorandum on the subject INCEPTION into existence until 24 October, eight convened the Special Meeting on
of a United Nations programme to The United Nations Conference on days later. The United Nations Charter Urgent Food Problems in May
combat food shortages. Nutrition and Agriculture was held in had been signed the previous June in 1946. The meeting not only tackled
McDougall’s proposals eventually 1943 at Hot Springs, Virginia, the United San Francisco, but did not come into the immediate food crisis but also
reached Eleanor Roosevelt, who States of America, with the participation force until ratification by the “Big Five” prepared a set of proposals for
arranged a meeting with her husband, of more than 40 governments. It decided powers and by a majority of the other dealing with age-old issues related to
the President of the United States on the establishment of a permanent signatory States. food production. Undertaking world
of America. Over dinner at the organization in the field of food and censuses regularly, dealing with
White House, McDougall argued agriculture. That decision brought the STARTING OUT plant pest control and responding
passionately for a United Nations work of the International Institute of The creation of FAO could not have to emergencies with food relief were
programme to tackle food as its Agriculture to an end and its functions come at a better time. With Europe among the key matters addressed.
first global economic issue and for were transferred to the new organization. in ruins, hunger was a real threat to Improving soil fertility was one of the
agriculture to be considered essential On 16 October 1945, 44 many. The meeting on 16 October most pressing issues discussed.
to raising the living standards governments signed the constitution 1945 also elected FAO’s first Director- Another significant moment came
of people throughout the world. for a permanent organization in the General, John Boyd Orr (from the in 1949, when John Boyd Orr was
President Roosevelt was non- field of food and agriculture at a United Kingdom of Great Britain and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a
committal, but the discussion must historic meeting at Château Frontenac Northern Ireland). fitting tribute to a lifetime’s work. •

T I MELI NE

1943. An organization dedicated to food and agriculture 1948. Election of

Government representatives of 44 countries meet in Hot Springs (United American Norris
States of America) and agree to create a permanent organization for food
and agriculture.
Edward Dodd
(United States of 1950
America) as second

1945 FAO Director-General.

1943 1944 1946 1947 1948 1949

1945. FAO is created

The first sessions of the newly created UN, held in Quebec City, 1946. First World Food Survey
Canada, establish FAO as the first specialized agency of the This survey provides a full picture of the world food situation,
CANADA, 1945 United Nations. FAO springs to life with 44 Members. The British confirming that widespread hunger and malnutrition are
Sir John Boyd Orr, famed nutritionist, nutritionist John Boyd Orr is appointed as its first Director-General. pressing concerns. The survey covers 70 countries and is an
broadcasting at the Quebec Conference of
FAO, where he was unanimously elected
Washington, DC, is designated temporary headquarters of FAO. innovative attempt to analyse the global food situation.
FAO’s first Director-General, October 1945.
©NATIONAL FILM BOARD

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 233

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1950s

Taking stock and moving ahead

The Organization took a different approach home in Rome, Italy. Staff, their families providing staff, experts, equipment,
in the fight against hunger: it was not only and their belongings travelled by
ship across the Atlantic Ocean and
supplies and services, as well as by
establishing institutes and funding
necessary to distribute food, but also to increase Mediterranean Sea. other appropriate initiatives, such as
In its first ten years of existence, scholarships.
investments in agriculture. FAO worked with governments to
tackle urgent issues of worldwide CULTIVATING FERTILE LAND TO
hunger and malnutrition. During its INCREASE CROP PRODUCTION
THE POST-WAR SITUATION the most practical lines of action.” second decade, the Organization started In this period, improving overall

A
fter the Second World War, It drove FAO to begin studying the addressing long-term issues in the fight agricultural production, by advocating
many countries needed to viability of establishing a food reserve against hunger. for high-quality seeds and fertilizers,
restore the fertility of their for use in cases of serious food shortages Reducing global hunger did not and mapping the world’s soil landscape
soils. Nations were keen or famine caused by war, natural only imply bringing food to people, were both priority contributions to
to increase domestic crop production. catastrophes or pest infestations such as it also entailed an overall increase the overall hunger reduction strategy.
Farmers wanted to maintain high the desert locust. in investments in agriculture and In order to push for the use of high-
productivity, particularly in the light In this new decade, the possibility in farmers’ know-how and access quality seed of improved varieties, FAO
of favourable prices for agricultural of solving two problems at the same to technology. Farmers worldwide launched a World Seed Campaign in
production. This resulted in growing time was emerging: using surpluses needed technical assistance, 1957, which culminated in World Seed
demand for fertilizers worldwide. to ease the pressure on agricultural support and advice to improve their Year in 1961.
Governments were faced with rising prices, and supplying more food to production. This is also why one of the
demand for food and needed to malnourished populations. While most important developments in the PROTECTING PLANTS FROM PESTS
understand where their farming the risk of famine, catastrophes and Organization’s work was an increased People the world over have suffered
industries stood if they were to improve pest infestations was still widespread, emphasis on helping farmers with the devastating effects of plant pests,
their overall agricultural output. food surpluses were building up in assistance and support. On 14 including diseases and weeds, for
This was why FAO coordinated the developed countries. There was an October 1958, the FAO Special Fund thousands of years. In the modern
World Census of Agriculture in 1950, urgent need to mobilize the surpluses was created to widen the scope of the era, with the increased international
which proceeded to gather statistical for those countries in need while UN’s technical assistance in certain mobility of people, greater trade and
information from 81 countries and enabling farmers to benefit from basic fields. more-open borders, plant pests have
provided a comprehensive picture of mechanisms to ensure that the prices Many of the projects adopted been able to spread more rapidly.
agricultural production and its structure of their produce remained competitive. by the Special Fund’s Governing However, only relatively recently have
at that time. It was a significantly more The FAO Committee on Commodity Council were assigned to FAO as the legal standards been drafted to prevent
sophisticated endeavour than any pre- Problems devised the Principles of implementing agency. This came as no the spread of plant pests and to protect
war census. Although by the late 1940s Surplus Disposal and Guiding Lines. surprise, and put FAO on the road to plant resources. In the 1950s, the
the post-war food crisis was ending, Adopted by the FAO Council in 1954, becoming a major world technical aid international community first set about
this did not mean any diminishing of these served as a code of international agency. tackling the issue.
interest by FAO, the United Nations conduct, while safeguarding the The FAO Special Fund was First, in 1951, FAO adopted the
and other organizations in dealing interests of commercial exporters and to concentrate on large projects, International Plant Protection
with food emergencies. In August local producers. They have been used including assessing and developing Convention to address these
1951, the United Nations Economic ever since by food aid programmes as human resources in various industries changing circumstances and to keep
and Social Council recommended that an effective code for monitoring food such as handicrafts and cottage abreast of the successful international
FAO should keep the global situation and agricultural commodity assistance agriculture, forestry, transport and interventions led by FAO with regard to
under continuous surveillance and initiatives. communications, building and plants and plant products.
report on any instances of “pending housing, health, education, statistics
critical food shortages or famine.” This NEW HOME AND EXPANDED and public administration. Assistance, LIVESTOCK – COMBATING
meant that FAO could perform on- MISSION in the form of surveys, research and RINDERPEST
the-spot investigations and convene In 1951, FAO relocated its headquarters training, and demonstrations with To help developing countries increase
meetings with governments “to devise from Washington, DC, to its present pilot projects, was implemented by their crop and livestock production,

234 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

FAO began to pay particular attention rinderpest had successfully been
to ways to eradicate diseases that eradicated in the wild.
affected farm animals. Rinderpest was
a highly contagious viral disease that FOOD COMMODITIES STANDARDS
affected cattle, buffaloes and other Work on standards for food
cloven-hoofed animals, with death commodities also began in earnest in
rates during outbreaks approaching the early 1950s. At the first meeting
100 percent. In 1947, the Organization’s of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert
first major disease eradication project Committee on Nutrition, international
was a campaign against rinderpest in trade and nutrition experts stated:
China. Funded by the UN Relief and “Food regulations in different
Rehabilitation Administration, the countries are often conflicting and
project proved successful and was later contradictory. Legislation governing
extended to other Asian countries. preservation, nomenclature and
By the late 1950s, most countries acceptable food standards often varies
in Asia had eradicated rinderpest. widely from country to country. New
Finally, in 2011, in a historic victory legislation not based on scientific
for veterinary science, FAO and the knowledge is often introduced, ITALY, 1951
World Organisation for Animal Health and little account may be taken of A ceremony hosted by the Government of Italy welcomed the
transfer of FAO headquarters to Rome. In spring of 1951, FAO
announced that, thanks to a decades- nutritional principles in formulating staff and their families sailed to Italy, and office supplies were also
long international cooperative effort, regulations.” • shipped over. ©FAO

TI M E L I NE

1952. Second World Food Survey

1952. This survey finds that the average calorie supply per person has
Launch of fallen to below pre-war levels, and alarmingly, the gap between

1950 1960
Desert Locust the better-fed and worse-fed nations has widened.
Programme. 1956. Binay Ranjan Sen
(India) is elected fourth FAO

1955
Director-General.

1951 1952 1953 1954 1956 1957 1958 1959

1950. First
World Census
of Agriculture 1951. Headquarters move 1954. Philip Cardon 1957. World Seed Campaign
conducted since (United States of
to Rome FAO launches the World Seed Campaign
the Second World America) is appointed
War. Covered The Members decide to move as the third FAO involving 79 countries, which will culminate in
81 countries. FAO headquarters to Rome. Director-General. World Seed Year in 1961.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 235

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1960s

From maps to databases

FAO and UNESCO joined forces to produce Codex Alimentarius Commission Reform emphasized the need for an
the Soil Map of the World. The decade was also has become one of the best-known and
most successful cooperative projects
integrated approach to agriculture.
During the 1950s and the first half
marked by the birth of Codex. between two UN Agencies, and its work of the 1960s, global food production
centres on international food standards. grew steadily, increasing by over 50
percent. However, in this period,
LAUNCH OF THE FREEDOM FROM the overall strategy for poverty CREATION OF THE WORLD political gridlock and economic
HUNGER CAMPAIGN reduction. A good knowledge FOOD PROGRAMME crises meant that FAO faced the

A
s years went by, food of soils, their properties and Many studies on famine carried out by task of containing the resulting
problems in the poorest distribution was also considered independent FAO experts in various threat of famine while continuing
and most populous parts strategic for more accurate and parts of the world in the 1950s had its research work and implementing
of the planet showed little useful predictions as to how soil shown that surpluses were continuing its strategy to increase food security
sign of being overcome. The conviction would react to specific production to build, as was food aid. At this stage, and long-term food production.
grew that in order to eliminate hunger initiatives. However, in the late it was important to devise “a workable In 1961, as agricultural
successfully, governments, non- 1950s, the state of the world’s soil scheme ... for providing food aid performance of all crop inputs
governmental organizations (NGOs) cartography was chaotic at best and through the UN system”, as President needed improvement, and as
and private citizens would have to make non-existent at worst. Eisenhower of the United States of fertilizers delivered the most
an all-out effort. In 1960, at its seventh congress, America declared to the UN. What was encouraging results, FAO launched
On 16 March 1955, Eleanor the International Union of Soil needed was a clear definition of roles the Fertilizer Programme to
Roosevelt and Frank McDougall Science recommended publication in the UN system. In December 1961, improve crop production through
travelled to FAO to mobilize the United of soil maps of continents and FAO and the UN General Assembly increased use of fertilizers. The
Nations Programme into creating the large regions. As a follow-up, in adopted parallel resolutions establishing programme soon expanded its scope
Freedom from Hunger campaign. 1961, FAO and UNESCO embarked the World Food Programme as the UN to include all aspects of efficient
After five years of negotiations, FAO on preparing the Soil Map of the Agency to deliver emergency food relief crop production, such as improved
officially launched the campaign in World (1:5 000 000 scale). The to affected areas. varieties, land management and
1960. Its ambitious aim was to eradicate ambitious project took 17 years This initiative was planned as a weed control, as well as more
hunger from the world once and for to complete and was the fruit of three-year experimental programme efficient plant protection. It is
all. Governments agreed that:“the worldwide collaboration between and not due to enter into operation estimated that, overall, fertilizer
persistence of hunger and malnutrition innumerable soil scientists. The until January 1963. In reality, it was usage increased by 14 percent
is unacceptable morally and socially, is map’s purpose was to enable up and running several months early, annually during the 1960s.
incompatible with the dignity of human farmers to understand how soil as an earthquake struck Iran (Islamic By 1968, the Organization’s
beings and the equality of opportunity would react to different farming Republic of), a hurricane swept through annual flagship publication, The
to which they are entitled, and is techniques and give the best yields. Thailand, and newly independent State of Food and Agriculture, was
a threat to social and international Until recently, the map remained Algeria was overwhelmed by five looking at raising agricultural
peace.” The campaign’s purpose the only global overview of soil million returning refugees. Food yields through “technological
was twofold: (i) heighten awareness resources. assistance was urgently needed, and the improvements” as a way to free-up
worldwide of the problems of hunger World Food Programme received the land to feed people.
and malnutrition then afflicting more THE COMING OF CODEX mandate to provide it.
than half of the world’s population; Noting that the conflicting nature of LIVESTOCK –
and (ii) promote a climate of opinion in food regulations hampered trade and BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL COMBATING DISEASE
which solutions could be organized on a affected the distribution of nutritionally PRODUCTION Following its success against
national and international basis. valuable food, the Joint FAO/WHO Attitudes toward mechanization rinderpest, FAO began to tackle
Expert Committee on Nutrition changed considerably between other livestock diseases, among them
MAPPING THE WORLD’S suggested that FAO and the World the mid-1950s and the mid- foot-and-mouth disease, which had
SOIL RESOURCES Health Organization (WHO) should 1960s, largely due to the “green been kept at low levels. A number
The use of high-quality seeds study these problems more closely. revolution” in Asia. In 1966, the of European countries had been free
and fertilizers was only a part of Established in 1961, the FAO/WHO UN/FAO World Conference on Land from the disease for several years.

236 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 During this period, FAO also machine and a couple of tabulating
spearheaded the fight against machines. Since then, it has worked
African swine fever, which affected to create one of the UN’s most
Spain and Portugal in the 1960s sophisticated information systems,
and the Western Hemisphere in one that governments can access
general in the 1970s. This remains to help them set their own national
an ongoing battle. agendas in the field of agriculture.
Also in 1963, FAO launched
FAO’S INFORMATION SYSTEMS its comprehensive statistical
Constitution states that one database covering the world’s
of its functions is to “collect, agricultural information. Advances
analyse, interpret and disseminate in information technology have
information relating to nutrition, enabled FAO to create information
food and agriculture.” systems, databases and data banks
However, in 1963, FAO had to respond to the various needs of
ITALY, 1960
four punching machines, two its Members. Indeed, these systems Opening ceremony of the Freedom
verifying machines, one collating lie at the heart of FAO’s work. • from Hunger Campaign, at FAO headquarters in Rome.
©FAO

TI M E L I NE

1963. The World Food Programme is established

FAO and the United Nations General Assembly adopt parallel resolutions that establish the World Food Programme to
deliver urgent food aid in real time to affected areas.

1963. Codex Alimentarius 1964. FAO/World Bank

Created in 1963 by FAO and the Cooperative Programme
boosts investment 1965. A group of
World Health Organization, the
1960 1970
in agriculture in the experts is appointed
Codex Alimentarius Commission to assess possible 1967. Election of Addeke
developing world.
comes into full operation to establish methods to protect Hendrik Boerma (the
international food standards. plant genetic Netherlands) as fifth
1965 resources. FAO Director-General.

1961 1962 1963 1964 1966 1967 1968 1969

1960. Launch
of the Freedom 1966. World Land Reform Conference
from Hunger 1963. Third World Food Survey The conference, held by FAO and the International Labour
Campaign 1961. Soil Map of the World The Third World Food Survey, which now covers Organization, emphasizes the need for an integrated approach
with the aim of FAO and UNESCO join forces to almost 95% of the population, finds that 10–15% to land reform in order to boost economic and social progress.
mobilizing non- produce the Soil Map of the World. of the planet’s inhabitants are suffering from Ideas on land reform from all over the world are pooled at the
governmental The map is based on information undernutrition and almost half of the population conference, paving the way for a greater consensus on the
support. from 10 000 existing maps. is suffering from hunger, malnutrition, or both. action that would be taken in the coming years.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 237

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1970s

Oil crisis, food crisis

The economic crisis in this decade prompted security policies, food production, conservation could pay remarkably
FAO, governments and other organizations to nutrition and access to food.
In the same period, in the light of
high dividends.
In 1965, a panel of experts had
work in partnership to eradicate hunger. the deteriorating situation worldwide, come together to study ways to protect
FAO introduced a five-point action endangered plant genetic resources.
plan. Together with the World Bank At that time, FAO was involved in
PROTECTION OF NATURAL the state of natural resources; and and the United Nations Development over 615 projects assisting research at
RESOURCES second, manage them. Programme, FAO formulated national level in various fields, ranging

F
rom the 1950s to the early multilateral food-aid and production from crop development to irrigation
1970s, the existence of large OIL AND FOOD plans to strengthen food security to livestock diseases. FAO and four
cereal reserves in North In 1973, the world was in the middle and to ensure that individual States different research centres in Europe
America had been taken of a food crisis. To make matters adopted national supply policies cooperated and shared their findings.
for granted throughout the world. worse, soaring oil prices led to a drop tailored to specific criteria. These In 1971, the Consultative Group
In 1972, however, world production in global factory and farm production. measures could not have come at a on International Agricultural
of grains fell for the first time in two The oil crisis also sharply increased better time for the areas that most Research was created to integrate
decades. Demand for imports grew and inflationary pressures, which needed them, such as the countries these research centres and harness
surpluses disappeared almost overnight. governments were already struggling affected by the Sahel crisis. their strengths. Sponsored by
Added to this equation, a series of to control. This led the United Nations Thirty years after the end of FAO, UNDP and the World Bank,
environmental issues ranging from land, to convene the 1974 World Food the Second World War, the planet the Group was established as
water and air pollution to the ongoing Conference in Rome to address two had become a very different place an informal association of 44
destruction of the world’s heritage of urgent needs: how to respond to food politically. With FAO as focal point governments and donor agencies to
plant genetic resources threatened a emergencies while ensuring adequate and facilitator, governments, NGOs conduct stable long-term research
world crisis. supplies to narrow the gap between and donor organizations had made programmes that would be beyond
In mid-1972, the UN Conference on developed and developing countries. huge strides in the field of cooperation the capability of individual countries.
the Human Environment in Stockholm Henry Kissinger, the Secretary and food security. However, it was The World Bank provides its
reviewed the global state of affairs. FAO of State of the United States of becoming increasingly clear that secretariat, while FAO provides that
was asked to act to conserve the earth’s America, in his keynote speech concerted global action was essential of its technical advisory committee.
agricultural, forestry, fishery and other advocating greater global investment, in order to tackle the real threat of
natural resources and to strengthen its confirmed his country’s commitment famine. Thus, after the Sahel crisis, the RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE
ongoing work. One of the issues that to making sure that “no child will Office for Sahelian Relief Operations OF LIVESTOCK AND FORESTS
emerged from the conference was the go to bed hungry within ten years.” became the Office for Special Relief In the 1960s, policymakers had focused
recognition that poverty alleviation Governments examined the global Operations, with a global reach that primarily on crop production at the
helped protect the environment. Indira problem of food production and covered all forms of emergency aid in expense of livestock development. Ten
Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, consumption, and recommended the agricultural industry. years later, incomes were rising and
mentioned this connection in her the adoption of an International the demand for animal products was
speech at the conference:“We do not Undertaking on World Food Security, CAPITALIZING ON increasing dramatically. The average
wish to impoverish the environment solemnly proclaiming that: “Every AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH intake of animal protein, including
any further and yet we cannot for a man, woman and child has the In the 1960s, researchers had fish, rose by 20 percent in developing
moment forget the grim poverty of large inalienable right to be free from already noted an alarming decline countries. FAO turned its attention to
numbers of people. Are not poverty and hunger and malnutrition in order in biodiversity due to a variety containing and preventing diseases,
need the greatest polluters?” to develop fully and maintain their of factors, not least disease, and to technologies that would increase
FAO immediately set to work after physical and mental faculties.” environmental pollution and some production. This was achieved by
the Stockholm conference to establish One of the outcomes of the World farming practices. It was realized that improving livestock breeding and feeds.
a framework for its programme on Food Conference was the establishment protecting biodiversity was crucial In 1978, the Eighth World Forestry
Natural Resources and the Human of the FAO Committee on World to boosting ecosystem productivity, Congress, held in Jakarta, Indonesia,
Environment. This programme had Food Security. This committee would and that well-planned and properly with the theme “Forests for people”,
two main components: first, assess review and follow-up on global food implemented research on its had a profound impact on attitudes

238 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

towards forestry development and hunger and malnutrition, developing of Action in 1978. It represented the FAO Global Information and
FAO’s work in this sector. countries battled back with resilience a blueprint for major changes in Early Warning System on Food and
and began to consider the idea of approaches to development aid, and Agriculture, in 1977.
UNITED IN THE FIGHT collective self-sufficiency. it has guided the Organization’s The setback in agriculture caused
AGAINST HUNGER Given that developing countries subsequent work in this field. by the economic crisis of the 1970s
In 1976, FAO established its shared similar socio-economic While countries of the South began meant that FAO, governments and
Technical Cooperation Programme conditions, the UN found that a to share their technical expertise donor agencies had to work even
to afford greater flexibility in similar approach to finding solutions and noted improvements in their more closely together in different
responding to urgent situations. to food-related problems could yield communities, the UN realized that sectors to eradicate hunger and
Then, in 1977, FAO conducted its positive results in these countries. It the region as a whole was far from stimulate public support. The idea
fourth World Food Survey on the was realized that promoting effective food secure. FAO needed to continue that the actions of governments,
state of hunger and malnutrition in technical cooperation between to monitor the situation and provide organizations, groups and individuals
the world. The overall picture was countries could be vital to achieving timely and reliable information on should be pooled to fight the injustice
grim: 10–15 percent of the world’s common goals. those countries facing serious food of hundreds of millions of people
inhabitants were undernourished To promote and implement emergencies; this so that governments being denied the right to food was
and 50 percent were suffering technical cooperation among and the international community gathering support within the UN
from hunger, malnutrition or both. developing countries, 138 States could take appropriate action. One family. This drive culminated in the
However, despite rising poverty, adopted the Buenos Aires Plan instrument set up in this period was first World Food Day in 1981. •

TI M E L I NE
1979. World Conference on Agrarian
1972. United Nations Conference on Reform and Rural Development
the Human Environment The Conference, in Rome, adopts the “Peasants’
Held in Stockholm, Sweden, and organized by the Charter” to enable people to have access to land.
United Nations Environment Programme and FAO,
it makes 108 recommendations, 36 of which FAO
is asked to implement, in the areas of agricultural 1975. Committee on 1977. The Global
conservation activities in forestry and fisheries World Food Security
1970 1980
Information and
resources, as well as other natural resources. Created at FAO Conference. Early Warning
FAO already has System is up and

1975
136 Members. running.

1971 1972 1973 1974 1976 1977 1978 1979

1970. Second World Food Congress 1978. Fourth World

Held in The Hague, the Netherlands, for the first time it draws the public’s attention to the issue of hunger and
malnutrition around the world. The global situation is discussed and five areas for immediate action are identified 1976. Edouard Food Survey
in line with FAO’s strategy: promoting widespread use of high-yielding varieties of basic food crops, reducing Saouma (Lebanon) In the developing world,
waste, filling the ‘protein gap’, improving the quality of rural life, and increasing earnings and savings in foreign is elected sixth FAO about 455 million people
currency in developing countries. Director-General. suffer undernutrition.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 239

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1980s

New ways, old threats

FAO started monitoring ocean resources, USING MARINE RESOURCES had to compete with foreign fleets
which were not regulated until then. New TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER
When FAO was set up, the seas
fishing close to their shores. This
issue was raised at international fora.
tools, such as FAOSTAT, were launched. were regarded as available to all but After much discussion, it was agreed
the responsibility of no one under that a coastal State’s jurisdiction
the principle of the “freedom of the over fish resources would extend
high seas”. In the following years, to 200 nautical miles (370 km) out
FAO realized that the development to sea. This was embodied in the
NEW TECHNIQUES AND maintenance and training of farmers. of this underused resource could 1982 United Nations Convention
MORE STATISTICS Although small-scale irrigation projects help to alleviate hunger in many on the Law of the Sea, which made

F
rom the outset, FAO had had a more limited impact, they could communities in developing regions. it possible to manage this valuable
always been an active be implemented much faster and yield Thanks to technological resource properly. The FAO World
promoter of good agricultural immediate results, such as increasing developments, global fisheries Conference on Fisheries Management
practices, including irrigation food production for farmers and production quadrupled from 1940 and Development, held in Rome
methods, to support and provide their resilience to future threats while to 1970. But success came at a cost. in 1984, provided the first major
relief to communities affected by creating stable employment conditions. Uncontrolled expansion, primarily by overview of the world’s new maritime
crises or sudden disasters. The In 1980, FAO concluded 56 industrialized countries, gave rise to laws, with a strategy known as
climate-related shocks that repeatedly agreements for the appointment of the overfishing of many species. By the World Charter for Fisheries. In
struck the southern regions of Africa FAO Representatives in developing the mid-1970s, total global fisheries addition, as developing countries
and the Indian Ocean had always countries. In 1986, FAO launched the production had begun to level off. strove to gain a larger share of world
had a negative effect on the fragile world’s most comprehensive source of Although some developed fish production and trade in fisheries
economies and livelihoods of local agricultural information and statistics. countries benefited from the freedom products, FAO began to provide
communities, undermining their Originally called AGROSTAT, its name of the seas, many developing information services on regional fish
ability to recover fully from these is now FAOSTAT. countries did not. Moreover, they markets.
crises, and further increasing their
vulnerability to future disasters.
For this reason, FAO now
decided to give greater weight to
the development of small-scale
irrigation systems. Such systems
provided an attractive way to re-
establish production and income and
significantly strengthen the resilience
of local communities to subsequent
emergencies.
By contrast, large irrigation systems
required huge investments and
involved extremely long gestation
periods. They were also highly
demanding in terms of management,

ITALY, 1985
A special ceremony commemorates
FAO’s fortieth anniversary
at headquarters in Rome. ©FAO

240 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

UNDERNOURISHMENT AND suffering from hunger was large FOOD CRISIS IN THE HORN makers realized that they needed to
NUCLEAR DISASTER enough to warrant action. As if the OF AFRICA protect and cultivate their lands if they
The 1980s saw increasing awareness problem of undernourishment in the In 1984 and 1985, no fewer than 30 wanted famines to become a thing of the
of the urgent need to free the world world was not enough, governments African countries experienced famines past. Much work was done to improve
from hunger once and for all. The also had to contend with a major that led to massive loss of human the monitoring of indicators that led
world also began to recognize the disaster created by human activity. and livestock life. In East Africa as a to famine. One important instrument
vital role of women in agriculture. In 1986, the nuclear catastrophe whole, 42 percent of the population created during this period was the Africa
However, it was also the decade of known as the Chernobyl disaster saw was undernourished, and the figures Real-Time Environmental Monitoring
the first nuclear disaster to affect the release of radioactive materials for Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia were Information System, installed at FAO
agriculture in two continents. into the environment, with devastating among the highest in the world. The in 1988.
In 1985, FAO released the Fifth effects on trade in agricultural and food response of the international community In 2000, acting upon the request of
World Food Survey. Again, it provided commodities. The effects were felt not reflected a remarkable wave of solidarity the United Nations Secretary-General
a full picture of the global food and only near the nuclear power plant where from the public in non-affected countries. and building on its earlier experience,
nutrition situation. The survey found the accident happened and in Ukraine, Donors pledged almost 7 million tonnes FAO developed a strategy for
that the proportion of undernourished but the fallout from the radionuclides of cereal aid to the countries hit by concerted government and UN Agency
people in developing countries had sent into the atmosphere affected a wide shortages. The crisis showed that famine action to combat chronic hunger in the
fallen. Even so, the number of people swathe of Europe and Asia. was still an ever-present threat. Policy- Horn of Africa. •

TI M E L I NE

1987. Measures against

radioactive contamination in food
In 1986 the release of radioactive
1982. International Seed Information System particles from Chernobyl spread across
Europe and Asia, causing serious
Managed by a microcomputer, the system includes computer
problems for food production and
techniques and management practices both for commercial seed
trade. As measures taken by national
banks and forestry research programmes. Over 20 000 seed
authorities lack cohesion, FAO makes
1980 samples are received in its first year.
a series of recommendations to control
the trade in foodstuffs at risk of
1990
1986. FAO accidental contamination with
1985 has 158
Members.
radionuclides or other contaminants.

1981 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989

1981. First 1986. AGROSTAT 1988. Environmental

World Food 1983. The forestry 1984. The World Conference launches control system in Africa
Day. Held on resources information on Fisheries Management and The world’s most A real-time system using satellite
16 October system enters into service Development held in Rome is important source of images, ARTEMIS, processes the data
in over as a computerized data the first important step towards agricultural information received from satellites on rainfall
150 countries. system on tropical forests. adopting new maritime laws. and statistics. and vegetation.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 241

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

THE 1990s

Relaunching the fight

In 1996 a series of initiatives were put in place WORLD FOOD SUMMIT campaign named TeleFood. During
with one key objective: halving the number of Despite the commitment at the
1974 FAO Conference by heads
its first year, in 1997, TeleFood
reached a global audience of 500
hungry people in the world by 2015. of state to eradicate hunger, the million. By 2001, the campaign had
food situation showed little sign of raised more than USD 28 million,
improvement. Thus, in order to renew which was used to fund over 1 000
the global high-level commitment to projects in more than 100 countries.
eradicating hunger and malnutrition TeleFood sent the donations, with
WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE early 1990s had not improved and and achieving lasting food security no administrative costs, to farmers

T
here were many reasons for the number of hungry people in the for all, FAO convened the World to help them develop the capacity
paying special attention to the world had not decreased. In fact, the Food Summit in November 1996. to produce more and better food for
role of women in agricultural numbers were actually increasing at This was attended by heads of state their families. These projects were
development, especially as an alarming rate. From 1996 to 2005, and government and by other high grass-roots microprojects where
women have traditionally constituted important initiatives were launched officials from 186 countries. This was farmers were able to buy tools to
the principal labour force for both cash with the aim of halving the number of the first time in history that world grow crops, raise livestock or fish,
crop and food production. hungry people in the world by 2015. leaders turned their attention to “food and to process food to sell it at a
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a security” and the way in which their higher price. Over the years, the
general issue of inequity – the place of INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE citizens could access the food they money has been invested in seeds
the woman as the“unequal half” in a ON NUTRITION needed in order to live healthy lives. and fertilizers, irrigation pumps, silos
male-dominated society. This reason In 1992, FAO and the World Health The Summit adopted the Rome and even fish smoking ovens. The
alone was enough to warrant efforts Organization convened the first Declaration on World Food Security most successful marathon TeleFood
to secure the social advancement of International Conference on Nutrition, and the World Food Summit Plan event was the Spanish telethon
women in rural areas. Second, there devoted solely to addressing the of Action. The Summit was not “Gala FAO”, which raised more than
was a gender bias in institutions that world’s nutrition problems. The intended to be a pledging conference USD 15 million.
prevented women from accessing credit conference saw a wave of commitment nor was it aimed at creating new
and joining cooperatives. Worse still, by governments that pledged to financial mechanisms, institutions or THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR
under some systems of traditional law, eliminate starvation, widespread bureaucracy. Countries had complete RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES
women were unable to inherit land. To chronic hunger, malnutrition and freedom as to how they were going to In 1995, FAO celebrated its fiftieth
address such issues, FAO carried out undernutrition, especially among achieve the objectives outlined in the anniversary. To mark the occasion, it
substantial programmes to assess the children, women and older people, Plan of Action. The process received returned to its birthplace, the city of
impact of its actions on women, and before the end of the century. a boost in 2002 following a series Quebec, to hold an international
it introduced measures to ensure that Governments also pledged to address of intergovernmental negotiations symposium in the same ballroom in
women obtained real benefits. More a number of food-related issues under the Declaration of the World Château Frontenac where FAO had
than USD 24 million received by FAO ranging from micronutrient deficiency Food Summit: Five Years Later. The been created decades before. The
from the United Nations Development to non-communicable diseases, FAO Council unanimously adopted theme of the symposium was “People
Programme has funded a wide range inadequate sanitation and unsafe the Voluntary Guidelines to Support at the heart of development: food
of special projects for women. The water. Lest anyone should forget the the Progressive Realization of the Right security through know-how”, and it
Special Programme for Food Security, need for urgent action to eradicate to Adequate Food in the Context of aimed to reflect intergovernmental,
which FAO launched in 1994, targeting starvation and chronic undernutrition, National Food Security, known as the governmental, academic and private-
low-income food-deficit countries, the world food situation was confirmed Right to Food Guidelines. sector concerns. In its first 50 years, the
has touched and improved the lives of again in 1995 at the FAO Conference membership of FAO had grown from
many female farmers. as it reviewed World Agriculture: TELEFOOD CAMPAIGN 44 Members in 1945 to 179 in 1995.
Towards 2010. This report stated that, To sustain the momentum generated Following the symposium, a
MAJOR INITIATIVES despite an increase in food production by the 1996 World Food Summit, special ministerial meeting on food
Despite all efforts, and also as a and food security, there were still 800 FAO increased public awareness security was held. This resulted in the
result of natural and human-induced million undernourished people in the about global hunger and advocating Code of Conduct for Responsible
disasters, the food situation in the world. action by launching a fundraising Fisheries, known as the Code. The

242 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

Code provided a framework for CONTINUING THE FIGHT CONTROLLING TRADE on 10 September 1998 and entered
national and international efforts to AGAINST PESTS IN PESTICIDES into force on 24 February 2004.
ensure sustainable use of living aquatic In 1991, the International Plant At the same time as combatting pests, The objectives of the Rotterdam
resources, and to do so in harmony Protection Convention was ratified it was also necessary to control the use Convention are twofold. First, it seeks
with the environment. However, for with 92 signatories. That same year the of pesticides. Pesticides and industrial to promote shared responsibility
any code to be effective, it must be FAO Conference on Agriculture and chemical products that were banned and cooperative efforts by traders
adhered to, and a monitoring system the Environment was convened in the or heavily restricted for health or of certain hazardous chemicals in
needs to be put in place. In 1999, Netherlands to discuss requirements environmental reasons in developed order to protect human health and
FAO’s Committee on Fisheries adopted for sustainable agriculture and rural countries were finding their way, the environment from potential
plans of action on fishing capacity, development. The Conference acted through trade, to developing countries. harm. Second, it aims to contribute
sharks and seabirds. In the same year, as a precursor to the United Nations In order to limit the severely to the environmentally sound use of
FAO built the Fisheries Agreement Conference on Environment and hazardous pesticide formulations those hazardous chemical products
Register, an easy-to-search computer Development. In 1994, FAO launched that presented a health risk to by facilitating information exchange
database on bilateral and multilateral the Emergency Prevention System for farmers, FAO brokered a legally about their properties, by providing
agreements related to fisheries. It Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests binding convention to control for a national process for decision-
provided up to 34 descriptor fields for and Diseases, which strengthened the trade in pesticides and other making on importing and exporting
each record and contained information the Organization’s contribution to hazardous chemicals. The Rotterdam these chemical products, and by
on 1 927 agreements dating back to the preventing, controlling and, where Convention on the Prior Informed disseminating these decisions to the
year 1351. possible, eradicating diseases and pests. Consent Procedure was adopted stakeholders. •

TI M E L I NE

1995. FAO celebrates 50th anniversary

An international symposium is held in Quebec City, Canada, 1996. World Food Summit
followed by a Special Ministerial Meeting on Food Security. The World Food Summit convened at FAO headquarters in Rome,
FAO has 171 Members. involved meetings at the highest level with representatives from
185 countries and the European Union (Member Organization).
The Summit saw 10 000 participants and provided a forum for
1994. Election
1990 2000
debate on one of the most important issues facing world leaders
of Jacques Diouf in the new millennium – the imperative of eradicating hunger.
(Senegal), seventh
FAO Director-General.
1995 1997. FAO launches the
TeleFood campaign.

1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 1998 1999

1990. FAO 1995.
Regional Emergency
Conference for Prevention 1999. FAO Goodwill Ambassadors
Africa adopts 1994. Special Programme for Food Security System for
the International Transboundary The purpose of the programme is to raise public and
Plan for the Its goal is to support low-income food-deficit Animal and media awareness of the unacceptable situation of
preservation and countries in their efforts to improve food security, Plant Pests a billion people suffering hunger and malnutrition.
reuse of lands in reduce the variability of agricultural production year and Diseases Nobel laureate Rita Levi, actor Gong Li and footballers
Africa. on year, and improve people’s access to food. (EMPRES). Roberto Baggio and Raúl take part, among others.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 243

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

2000s & 2010s

MDGs and SDGs

The establishment of development goals, to be resources are being depleted and governments safeguard the rights of
achieved in a particular time frame, produced a becoming increasingly scarce.
Supporting sustainable development
people to own or access land, forests and
fisheries. Two softdrinks giants, PepsiCo
paradigm shift in agricultural development and and protecting the environment are and Coca-Cola, joined the campaign and
in fact among the major goals of the gave their official support. In addition to
the hunger fight. FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the their commitment to fair and legitimate
Responsible Governance of Tenure negotiations on land transferrals and
of Land, Fisheries and Forests. acquisitions in developing countries,
SUSTAINABLE FARMING COUNTERING FLOOD, FAMINE Endorsed by the Committee on World the companies vowed to increase their
THROUGH PLANT AND DISEASE Food Security in 2012, the guidelines call participation in the Committee on World
PROTECTION Since the turn of the century, Asia and for a commitment from both the public Food Security, and pledged to carry out

I
n the late twentieth century, Africa have experienced major natural and private sectors, and they include social and environmental assessments
several key crops – a product of emergencies. In 2010, Pakistan was struck recommendations on how to safeguard across their global supply chains. For
natural evolution, selection by by the worst floods in its history. Seed the rights of local populations in the event PepsiCo, the work began in Brazil,
farmers and selective breeding stores were destroyed and millions of head of large-scale land acquisitions and how to its top sugar-sourcing country, while
– were in grave danger. Serious of livestock were lost. FAO responded by ward off land grabbing. Coca-Cola worked alongside Oxfam in
threats included pollution, resource distributing wheat seed to half a million FAO launched a major fundraising several major sugar-sourcing countries.
degradation, the destruction of habitats farming families in time for the planting and advocacy campaign to secure In 2014, in the Committee on World
and alterations to ecosystems. After season. An additional 235 000 families USD 20 million to implement the Food Security approved the Principles for
seven years of negotiations, the 2001 received feed, medicine and shelter for guidelines that aimed at helping Responsible Investment in Agriculture and
FAO Conference adopted the legally their animals.
binding International Treaty on In Africa, two regions of Somalia
Plant Genetic Resources for Food suffered famine due to the worst drought
and Agriculture, which supported in 30 years. More than 260 000 people lost
the work of breeders and farmers their lives and millions more were put at
everywhere. This treaty encourages serious risk. FAO and the international
sustainable agriculture through the community responded with USD 120
equitable sharing of genetic material million for drought-stricken areas in the
and its benefits among plant breeders, Horn of Africa.
farmers and public and private research Over the decades, FAO has
institutions. The treaty, which came accumulated considerable experience
into force in 2004, is considered vital on bird flu (avian influenza) epidemics
to permit the continued availability of and other animal health or food safety
plant genetic resources that countries emergencies. Based on this, FAO works to
need to feed their people and future provide assistance in real-time around the
generations. world. In 2006, the Organization unveiled
Despite natural emergencies and its high-tech Crisis Management Centre
other disasters occurring in the first to monitor disease outbreaks and dispatch
decade of the new millennium, the experts to any hot spot in the world within
setting of development goals against 48 hours.
a tight time frame did see a paradigm
shift in food security and agricultural VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES ON
development. Finally, some measurable RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE
progress was being made towards In addition to responding to emergencies,
radically reducing the number of people FAO continues its work to promote and ITALY, 2007
Second meeting of the governing body of the International Treaty on
suffering from chronic malnutrition ensure the sustainability of agricultural Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
worldwide. development in a world whose natural ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano

244 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 Food Systems, which are based on the Partnership adopted a series of action
voluntary guidelines. plans in 2014 to safeguard the soil
resources that support the world’s
LAND PROTECTION agricultural production. To raise
In the past decade, FAO has renewed public awareness, the UN declared 5
its commitment to improving December World Soil Day and made
the health of the world’s limited 2015 the International Year of Soils.
soil resources and stopping land
degradation. In fact, 33 percent of WIDENING THE CIRCLE OF
the world’s soils are still moderately ALLIANCES
to highly degraded due to erosion, FAO has also strengthened its network of ITALY, 2009
nutrient depletion, acidification, partners to improve food security and the General view of the panel of
salinization, compaction or chemical resilience of vulnerable communities all experts on the occasion of
the World Summit on Food
contamination. Recognizing that over the world. In 2013, for example, FAO Security.
urgent action was required to signed a new partnership agreement with ©FAO/Alessandra Benedetti
improve the situation, the Global Soil the International Federation of Red Cross

TI M E L I NE

2009. World Summit

2001. International Treaty on on Food Security
Plant Genetic Resources for 2007. Committee on Fisheries: a The purpose of this summit is
Food and Agriculture legally binding global agreement to add urgency to the fight
119 countries approve a proposal against hunger. 60 heads of
The treaty enters into force in 2004
to develop a legally binding state and government and 192
as a legally binding agreement that
measure to address the illegal, ministers unanimously adopt
promotes sustainable farming by
unreported and unregulated fishing a declaration renewing their
ensuring equitable access to plant
practices responsible for serious commitment to eradicating
genetic resources and by sharing their
economic, social, biological and hunger from the world as soon
benefits among plant breeders, farmers
2000 and public and private institutions. environmental damage. as possible.
2010
2005
2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009
2002. The
2000. FAO International 2002. World Food Summit: five years later 2008. Conference on Climate Change
develops a Code of
strategy to Attended by delegations from 179 countries, FAO organizes a conference involving 43 heads of state and
Conduct on the it reaffirms the international community’s
fight chronic Distribution and 100 government ministers on the impact of climate change
hunger in the Use of Pesticides
commitment to halving the number of people and the rise of bioenergy on food security and food prices. A
Horn of Africa. is approved. suffering from hunger by 2015. resolution is approved to increase support and investment to
develop world agriculture.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 245

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

and Red Crescent Societies, the largest

humanitarian network in the world. Under
this agreement, FAO will provide technical
guidance to this network of 13 million
volunteers to reach some 150 million
people – and help poor households cope
with the threats and disasters that affect
agriculture, food security and nutrition.
In 2014, to guide the new Global
Nutrition Agenda, FAO partnered
with the World Health Organization to
organize the first important world event
on nutrition in 20 years. The Second
International Conference on Nutrition
was held at FAO headquarters in Rome in
November 2014. The event ended with the
172 governments adopting, to universal
acclaim, a general political commitment
– the Rome Declaration on Nutrition –
and a supportive framework for concrete
action. The Declaration enshrines the
right of everyone to have access to
safe, sufficient and nutritious food, and
commits governments to preventing
malnutrition in all its forms. The related
Framework of Action recognizes that
governments have the primary role and
responsibility for addressing nutrition
issues and challenges.

FAO RECOGNIZES
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
The Millennium Summit of the United
Nations in 2000 set a series of time-bound undernourished people. A year later, in
targets with a deadline of 2015, known as 2014, FAO honoured the achievements
ABOVE:
the Millennium Development Goals, of 13 countries for their outstanding ITALY, 2011
or MDGs. Since then, real progress has progress in the fight against hunger, an Election of the new Director-
been made in reducing the number of achievement that included reaching the General of FAO, José
Graziano da Silva.
chronically undernourished people in MDGs before the 2015 deadline. On ©FAO/Alessandra
the world’s poorest regions. In 2013, FAO 7 June 2015, FAO recognized another Benedetti
recognized 38 countries for reducing by 14 countries for achieving the target LEFT: BRAZIL, 2008

half the proportion of people who suffer of halving the percentage of people Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
Former President of Brazil,
from hunger. Eighteen of these countries suffering hunger by 2015. At the start of at the opening ceremony
were recognized both for this goal and 2015, encouraged by the success of other of the Conference on
for the more stringent objective set by countries, Viet Nam launched the Zero World Food Security: the
Challenges of Climate
the 1996 World Food Summit, which Hunger Challenge to eradicate hunger in Change and Bioenergy.
was to halve the absolute number of Viet Nam by 2025. ©FAO

246 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

THE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The founders of FAO imagined “a world
free from want”. However ambitious or
achievable this goal may be, it is clear
that much remains to be done. Food
production needs to grow and food
wastage must be cut in order to feed
a projected population of 9.7 billion in
2050. In the words of José Graziano da
Silva, the current FAO Director-General: ITALY, 2015
“Political commitment at the highest the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable the next 15 years (2016–2030). The Award ceremony recognizing the advances
level is fundamental to advancing Development and the Sustainable SDGs set out specific objectives for in the fight against hunger. Most of the
countries evaluated by FAO – 72 out of 129
towards food security. We have the Development Goals (SDGs), a set developed and developing countries to – had achieved the goal of the Millennium
opportunity to end hunger within our of 17 aspirational objectives with 169 meet within a given time frame, with Development Goals of halving the
lifetimes. This is the greatest legacy we targets expected to guide actions of achievements monitored periodically to proportion of people suffering from hunger
in 2015. Another 29 achieved the most
can leave to future generations.” On governments, international agencies, measure progress and ensure that no ambitious goal of the World Food Summit:
25 September 2015, the UN adopted civil society and other institutions over one is left behind. • that of halving the total number of hungry.

TI M E L I NE

2011. Eradication of 2015. 2016. Establishment of

rinderpest 2015. José Graziano the FAO-Nobel Peace
Milan Urban da Silva (Brazil), Laureates Alliance for
In a historic victory for is re-elected with
veterinary science, FAO and 2013. Food Policy Pact Food Security and Peace.
177 votes for
the World Organisation for The Food is approved.
a second term
Animal Health announce Insecurity – the broadest
that, after decades of joint Experience consensus 2017. Global Record

2010 efforts at international Scale (FIES) is achieved in of Fishing Vessels,

2019
2015
level, rinderpest – a deadly put in place. an election for Refrigerated Transport
cattle disease – has been Director-General Vessels and Supply
in the history of Vessels is launched.
successfully eradicated from FAO’s 70th FAO.
the natural environment. anniversary.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017 2018

2011. 2014. The Blue Growth 2016. Agreement on 2017.

José Graziano 2013. Initiative is a new 2015. Approval Svalbard,
Port State Measures
da Silva Fiftieth approach to marine
of 2030 Agenda the biggest
resources that is (PSMA) against illegal, seed vault in
(Brazil), is anniversary of the for Sustainable
Codex Alimentarius. necessary to protect unreported and the world,
elected eighth world food security Development. FAO is unregulated fishing turns ten
FAO Director- and sustainable custodian to 21 of the entered into force. years old.
General. development. 230 indicators.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 247

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

FAO LOGO HISTORY

The three wheat spikes that formed 1946. Logo created 1947. A first official version of the 1964. This is the logo approved by Available in black, white and a
the logo of the International Institute of for the Copenaghen FAO logo already appeared in Director-General B.R. Sen, which is specific tone of blue (Pantone 279),
Agriculture, FAO’s predecessor. Conference. some publications and documents. still used today. this is the logo used by the UN.

FAO’s first Director-General, Sir Mid-1947, a first official version of Engeler’s proposal is rejected, but
John Boyd Orr, addresses the need the FAO logo begins appearing the discussion continues. Among
for “an official FAO seal, to use in an irregular way on some FAO others, Mr. Cyprien, chief of Visual
on documents, printed on FAO documents. It is the same logo Media, proposes to get rid of
publications etc.” in 1946, one we find on the cover of the FAO “the unattractive square O” and
year after the foundation of the publication Legumes in Agriculture Mr. Cassola, chief of Graphics,
Organization. He suggests adopting from 1953. At the end of the proposes to eliminate the peculiar
the design created for the second 1950s, a discussion takes place on “sawn-off” appearance of the base
session of the FAO Conference, held changing some aspects of the logo. of the wheat ear”. Both proposals
in Copenhagen (Denmark), 2–13 Mr. Engeler, chief Printing and are accepted and the changes are
September 1946: a small black and Offset section, takes up the task of used for the first time in the FAO
silver button with an FAO logo. “reshaping the emblem to greater logo developed for the Freedom-
effect”. He describes his view on the From-Hunger-Campaign (launched
This button was designed by purpose of a logo as follows:
in 1959). In this particular case the
Harald Nielsen, a silversmith who
space outside the logo has also
worked for Georg Jensen Silversmiths “An emblem has to announce an
been used to create a specific
in Denmark. Nielsen’s design idea and epitomize a pledge.
campaign-related logo.
was inspired by the Art Nouveau Symbolic representation is the most
movement and characterized by important means of concentrated
Still in 1959, Mr. Engeler comes up
strong clear lines. Central to the logo expression. It must be a characteristic
is an ear of wheat: a continuation of combination of the elements of the with another proposal which this
the three ears of wheat that formed design in abstract from, and it must time around is accepted: the tips
the logo of FAO’s predecessor, the At that point Sir John Boyd Orr have an aesthetic as well as a and the stem of the wheat ear are
International Institute of Agriculture. proposes the Latin motto Fiat graphic effect. The design must be extended to divide the circle of the
panis, meaning “Let there be a creation of our times capable of logo in three (triangle) sections.
The Latin motto Ut educas panem de bread” or more freely translated being understood in times to come.”
terra (“That he may bring forth food “Let there be food”, which It is this FAO logo which is
out of the earth” which refers to all becomes the official FAO motto We do not have a drawing of approved by Director-General B.R.
the interests of FAO, from nutrition to still in use today. “The motto Engeler’s proposal, but according Sen and is registered on 1 July
agriculture to forestry to fisheries) was signifies the primary purpose of to his own words, he changed, 1964 with the United International
the preferred motto to accompany the FAO that of raising the levels of among others, the circle into a Bureaux for the Protection of
logo, but it was rejected eventually, food production and of nutrition triangle, since “this is an ancient Intellectual Property, and it is this
because it was too long. the world over.” symbol expressing organization”. logo we still use today.

248 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 DIRECTORS-GENERAL

1 JOHN BOYD ORR 2 NORRIS E. DODD

1945–1948 1948–1953
Scotland (1880–1971). USA (1879–1968). Before
His proposals for a his appointment he held
World Food Board led to various roles in agricultural
the creation of the FAO associations and agencies
Council in 1946. Nobel in his country. Under his
Peace Laureate in 1949 leadership FAO moved
for his studies in the field from Washington DC to
of nutrition. Rome.

3 PHILIP V. CARDON 4 BINAY RANJAN

1954–1956 SEN
USA (1889–1965). 1956–1967
Received an MSc in India (1898–1993).
agricultural economics He was Secretary of the
from the University of Ministry of Agriculture and
California. Before joining Ambassador. First Director-
FAO, he was Director of General from a developing
the US Department of country he launched the
Agriculture. Freedom from Hunger
Campaign in 1960.

5 ADDEKE HENDRIK 6 EDOUARD SAOUMA

BOERMA.1967–1975 1976–1993
Netherlands (1912–1992). Lebanon (1926–2012). He
He was Director-General was FAO Director of Land
for Food in his country and Water Development
in 1945. First Executive until 1975. As Director-
Director of the World Food General he set up the
Programme in 1962 before Technical Cooperation
taking on the role of FAO Programme for the provision
1 2 3
Director-General. of urgent assistance.

7 JACQUES DIOUF 8 JOSÉ GRAZIANO

1994–2011 DA SILVA.
Senegal (1938). A 2012–2019
4 5 6
Member of Parliament, Brazil (1949).
Secretary General of Graduate in Agronomy,
the Central Bank for University of São Paulo.

© YU CHENG SONG
West African States, and He led the Zero Hunger
Senegalese Ambassador programme in Brazil as
7 8
to the United Nations. Extraordinary Minister for
He holds the longest Food Security and the Fight
tenure at FAO of any against Hunger. In 2015
Director-General. he was re-elected to office.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 249

 FAO I N S EV EN DEC ADES

CANADA, 1945
The Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) was born
on the afternoon of 16 October 1945
when its constitution was signed by 34
countries. By the end of the sessions, FAO
had 42 Members.
©FAO

250 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHOOSING THE LOCATION FOR FAO HEADQUA RTERS

FAO’s beginnings were quite Rome was the most logical choice. of monetary savings by moving to a religion”. In this connection, the
nomadic: originating in 1943 in Hot Nevertheless, by 1945 a decision soft-currency area”. Doubt regarding Commission, also took notice of a
Springs, Virginia, founded in 1945 in had still not been taken. In the this position was expressed by communication received from the
Quebec City, Canada, and temporarily meantime, on 1 August 1946 FAO the Delegates of Chile, Cuba, the (U.S.) National Association for the
located in Washington, D.C. while officially assumed the responsibility for Philippine Republic, and the United Advancement of Colored People,
the FAO Conference deliberated over the IIA, to ensure “that the goodwill States of America, who felt “that the which opposed the University of
where to permanently establish built up in member countries by the move would be expensive, that trade Maryland site. All speakers agreed
the headquarters. There were five Institute over forty years of pioneering unbalances and inconvertibility of that the new site should “afford
candidate countries (the United Nations work will be maintained”. currencies are temporary, and that favorable cultural, intellectual,
was considered, for the purposes of the the temporary monetary advantage and social circumstances for the
vote, a separate country): 1. Denmark The transition was carried out would later be lost”. work of the Organization, for
– Copenhagen. 2. Italy – Rome. 3. by the FAO Regional Office for staff and families, and for visits to
Switzerland – Geneva, Lausanne, Europe, which was also temporarily Delegates of Brazil and Chile Headquarters”.
Vevey or Montreux. 4. United States located in Rome. Finally in 1949, emphasized “the savings that could
of America – four sites in or near delegates voted at the Fifth session be effected by moving Headquarters The voting process was finally
Washington, including the University of the Conference in Washington, to the United Nations site, where launched, and after five ballots FAO
of Maryland. 5. United Nations – part D.C., but not without first expressing centralized services could be learned that its permanent location
of the permanent headquarters in New their divergent views on the five obtained at low cost”. Delegates was to be Rome, Italy. The Italian
York City. candidates. Delegates from of the People’s Republic of China, Government offered the former seat
Denmark, Finland, France, Haiti, Haiti, Liberia, Mexico and others of the Ministry of Italian Africa,
As the home of the International Iraq, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, stressed “the importance of selecting located at Viale Terme di Caracalla
Institute of Agriculture (IIA) for the Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and a site free from segregation or in Rome, as the new headquarters
first half of the twentieth century, Yugoslavia stressed “the probability discrimination because of race or for FAO.

RESULTS OF THE BALLOTS CAST ON THE HEADQUARTERS SITE

Proposed Sites BALLOTS

1ª 2ª 3ª 4ª 5ª

Denmark 2 – – – –

Italy 24 28 29 29 30

Switzerland 3 2 – – –

United Nations 13 6 3 – –

United States of America 15 21 25 27 28

Abstentions 1 1 1 2 –

Total votes cast 58 58 58 58 58

Not voting 3 3 3 3 3

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 251

5
2 5 5 An agile network: FAO’s
Decentralized Offices
2 7 8 Partnerships for a world free
from hunger
2 8 9 Communication at FAO
 AN

OPEN

FA O
 A N OP EN FAO

254 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1

A N AGILE NET WOR K: FAO’S

DECENTR ALIZED OFFICES

F
KENYA AO is present in more than 150 countries,
A beneficiary of a
joint FAO/RABO-
operating through different office and
bank project, representation arrangements. This global network
working on her of decentralized offices is continuously evolving to meet
land.
countries’ emerging needs and development priorities, and to
©FAO/PETTERIK
WIGGERS heighten the Organization’s impact in the field – at country,
subregional and regional levels.
The world has evolved politically, economically and
technologically, both since the founding of FAO in 1945 – when
most of today’s Members were not independent – and since the
establishment of the first decentralized offices. While the majority
of the world’s poor and chronically undernourished are now living
in middle-income countries, the number and scale of severe crises
is rising, and the impact of climate-related natural disasters is
expected to accelerate. Low-income food-deficit countries and, in
view of climate change, Small Island Developing States (SIDS),
call for special attention. At the same time, innovative approaches
and partnerships are required to leverage support for vulnerable
populations, including in middle-income countries.
The coverage and nature of FAO’s field presence is necessarily
adaptable to changing country contexts, the emergence of crisis
situations, levels of resilience, and other considerations such as
where the Organization’s partners are based.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 255

 A N OP EN FAO

“ST RENGT HENED CA PACIT Y GLOBAL GOALS, LOCALIZED ACTION

OF FAO’S DECEN T R ALIZED Regional Offices
OFFICES IS BEING FAO’s five Regional Offices lead FAO’s multidisciplinary response to
PROGRESSI V ELY ASSU RED TO major food security, agricultural and rural development priorities in
their geographic areas. They play a fundamental role in shaping FAO’s
ADDRESS T HE NEEDS OF T HE policy agenda through management of FAO’s Regional Conferences
MOST V U LNER ABLE COU N T R IES – an integral part of the Organization’s governance process. Regional

A ND POPU LATIONS, TAKING Offices represent and advocate for FAO with regional entities,
including intergovernmental organizations and economic integration
FULL ADVANTAGE OF organizations. They also promote partnerships with fellow UN
THE KNOWLEDGE AND agencies and other development stakeholders.

RESOURCES THAT EACH Subregional Offices

COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER.” FAO has ten Subregional Offices, which provide cutting-edge
expertise in response to requests from governments. They are the first
JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA port of call for technical support, assisting with policy advice, capacity
FAO DIREC TOR-GENER AL building and specific projects in their geographic area. Subregional
Offices assist with country programming and resource mobilization as
well as advocacy and partnerships, representing FAO in relations with
subregional institutions.

Country Offices
FAO’s Country Offices – or representations – are at the forefront of
action to fight all forms of hunger and to build people’s resilience to
DISTRIBUTION OF FAO STAFF the adverse effects of climate change and other global challenges. It is
here that FAO reaches its maximum potential by providing strategic
policy advice and making targeted technical expertise available where
The TOTAL STAFF it is most needed: in the field.
importance (under Regular Programme budget only) FAO’s close country-level cooperation with host governments
of FAO’s 3 171 and other national partners is an indispensable asset for achieving
decentralized member countries' global goals, and likewise for working towards the
offices is Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those involving
evident by the agricultural development and food and nutrition security. FAO’s role in
fact that
40 percent 40% UN Country Teams and its proximity to other development partners in
the field brings greater opportunities for national capacity building and
of staff members DECENTRALIZED
are located OFFICES the use of local expertise.

60%
in decentralized 1 258
offices, to Liaison and Information Offices
which about HEADQUARTERS FAO’s decentralized network also comprises six Liaison Offices (based
30 percent of the 1 913 in Brussels, Geneva, Moscow, Tokyo, New York and Washington) and
regular budget two Information Offices, located in Spain and Portugal.
is allocated. The role of the Lisbon-based office includes strengthening FAO’s
partnership with the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries.

256 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
A N AGI LE N ET WOR K: FAO’S DEC EN T R ALI ZED OF F IC ES

40 YEARS OF COUNTRY
REPRESENTATIONS

Seventy percent
of FAO country
representations
were opened
between 1977
and 1979. Since
2017, therefore, FAO and host governments have been
marking the advances made to date. After four decades of
fruitful collaboration, FAO today is a renowned knowledge
organization with its feet firmly on the ground and its work
aligned with government priorities.

A rolling three-year anniversary initiative has highlighted the

importance of FAO’s cooperation with Member States in
meeting the SDGs through localized action, resulting in a
renewed commitment to concerted action under Agenda
2030 – both at the country level and beyond.

See below for the countries that have marked their 40th
anniversary between 2017 and 2019.

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African

Republic, Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, the Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali,
Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone,
Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

Near East and North Africa: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,

NIGER
Lebanon, Mauritania, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic
and Yemen. FAO Director-
General José FAO AND THE UN
Latin America and the Caribbean: Barbados,
Graziano da
Silva delivering
DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM REFORM
Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Chile, Colombia, his remarks during
the inauguration
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, of the FAO cistern
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico and Uruguay. project in the In 2018, a new UN Resolution paved the way for what
village of Darguè, the UN Secretary-General termed: “the most ambitious and
Maradi region.
Asia: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic comprehensive transformation of the UN development system in
©FAO/IFAD/
of), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Nepal, WFP/LUIS TATO decades”. The fundamental purpose of this concerted action to
Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam. reposition the UN development system – particularly at country
level – is to ensure delivery on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Europe and Central Asia: While the permanent Development. FAO has welcomed the reform, particularly its country-
presence of FAO through country representations in driven approach, which is already a prevailing practice as part
Europe and Central Asia is more recent than for the other of the Organization’s decentralization strategy. Close coordination
regions, the Organization’s first projects in the region were and collaboration among UN Country Team members is also a key
implemented over 40 years ago, starting from 1977. element of the reform.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 257

 A N OP EN FAO

GEOGRAPHIC
COVERAGE AND
LOCATION
FAO is present in more than 150
countries through different office and
representation arrangements.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Regional Office Santiago, Chile
subregional offices
caribbean: Bridgetown, Barbados
mesoamerica: Panama City, Panama

NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Regional Office Cairo, Egypt
EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA
subregional offices
north africa: Tunis, Tunisia Regional Office Budapest, Hungary
gulf cooperation council states and yemen: subregional offices
Abu Dhabi, UAE central asia: Ankara, Turkey

AFRICA Liaison Office

with the european union and belgium
Regional Office Accra, Ghana LATIN AMERICA
Brussels, Belgium AND THE CARIBBEAN
subregional offices
Liaison Office Regional Office
western africa: Dakar, Senegal
with the united nations Santiago, Chile
central africa: Libreville, Gabon
Geneva, Switzerland
eastern africa: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
southern africa: Harare, Zimbabwe
Liaison Office
with the russian federation
Moscow, Russian Federation
NORTH AMERICA
Liaison Office Information Office
for north america Washington, USA Madrid, Spain
Liaison Office Information Office
with the united nations New York, USA Lisbon, Portugal

258 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 EUROPE AND
CENTRAL ASIA
Regional Office
Budapest, Hungary

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Regional Office
Bangkok, Thailand

NEAR EAST AND

NORTH AFRICA
Regional Office
Cairo, Egypt
AFRICA
Regional Office
Accra, Ghana

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Regional Office Bangkok, Thailand
subregional offices
The boundaries and names shown and the designa-
tions used on this map do not imply the expression pacific islands: Apia, Samoa
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO
concerning the legal status of any country, territory,
city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the Liaison Office
delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed
lines on maps represent approximate border lines with japan MAP: UN. February 2019. Office of Information and Communications
for which there may not yet be full agreement. Yokohama, Japan Technology, Geospatial Information Section.
Data refer to March 2019.
 A N OP EN FAO

AFRICA
Regional Office: Accra, Ghana (est. 1959)

Subregional Offices:
Central Africa - Libreville, Gabon (est. 2006)
Eastern Africa - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (est.2007)
Southern Africa - Harare, Zimbabwe (est. 2006)
West Africa - Dakar, Senegal (est. 2018)

FAO Regional Initiatives

„ Africa’s Commitment to End Hunger by 2025 SENEGAL Strategic partnerships, including close collaboration with other UN
„ Sustainable Production Intensification and
Value Chain Development in Africa Women of the agencies working in the field, are integral to FAO’s decentralization strategy
association Japo
„ Building Resilience in Africa’s Drylands Ande Liggeye,
and essential for supporting African countries’ achievement of the SDGs
supported by and Malabo commitments. Together with the Rome-based UN Agencies,
a local NGO, FAO has engaged in high-level policy dialogues with governments and
Symbiose,

I
picking mint other stakeholders on topical global issues such as resilience, preparedness
n fighting hunger, malnutrition and poverty, among and discussing and response to the El Niño and La Niña phenomena.
the benefit of
the chief challenges faced by Africa are low levels of producing their Recognizing the problem of food safety as a hindrance to effective
productivity, weak agricultural value chains and a high degree of own herbs. interregional trade and improved food security and nutrition in Africa,
vulnerability to climate-induced and conflict-related crises. Together ©NOOR FOR the first FAO/World Health Organization (WHO)/African Union (AU)
FAO/BENEDICTE
with partners in Africa, FAO is working towards a more competitive, KURZEN International Conference on Food Safety was organized in Ethiopia in
productive and diversified agriculture sector across the continent. The February 2019. Ministers and representatives of national governments,
emphasis is on employment generation, particularly for young people, senior policy makers and non-governmental groups gathered to identify
women’s empowerment, and practical support for smallholders who need key actions and strategies to address challenges to food safety globally and
tools and other inputs as well as access to timely information. to strengthen political commitment to scaling up food security and nutrition
In close collaboration with the African Union and the Regional and food safety in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. FAO was
Economic Communities, FAO is supporting countries’ drive towards represented at the Conference through the Subregional Office for Eastern
‘’Ending Hunger and Malnutrition” by 2025. In addition to supporting Africa and the country representation.
policy development and investment planning, FAO is focusing on improved
food security and nutrition monitoring systems, gender equality and social Senegal
protection. Regional, subregional and country efforts are dedicated to the Senegal and FAO have enjoyed a dynamic
sustainable intensification of production and associated post-production partnership since the opening of the FAO
issues, including better handling, processing and distribution of agricultural representation in Dakar in 1977. With FAO’s
products, improved food quality and safety, as well as access to markets. support, Senegal has succeeded in leveraging
Improved resilience and response to disasters and crises at regional, the necessary means to modernize and intensify
national and community levels is always a top priority. its agriculture sector, build food security and

260 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
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“AFRICA FACES
MANY CHALLENGES
TO AGRICULTURAL
GROW TH. IT IS
IMPORTA N T FOR
GOV ER NMEN TS TO
PR IOR ITIZE AGR ICU LT U RE
TO SUPPORT T HE
DEV ELOPMEN T OF VALU E
CH A INS, ENH A NCE
IN V EST MEN TS, A ND TO
HELP FA R MERS ORGA NIZE
T HEMSELV ES A ND LINK
UP TO M A R KETS’’.
ABEBE HAILE GABRIEL
ASSISTA N T DIREC TOR-GENER AL A ND FAO
REGIONAL REPRESEN TAT I V E FOR A FR IC A

KENYA Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, the Resilience Team

for East Africa, a regional Information Technology (IT) team and
Workers at
Victorian Foods colleagues from FAO’s Investment Centre.
improve diets. Through its Dakar-based Subregional Resilience Team for Fish Factory clean Over the decades, FAO has worked with the Government to
up pieces of Nile
West Africa and the Sahel (REOWA), FAO works to develop resilient perch fish skin advance Kenya’s agriculture sector, consolidating key agricultural
and sustainable livelihoods throughout the subregion. Promoting an obtained from institutions, strengthening drought response and improving
Lake Turkana
innovative social protection approach involving productive transfers as part of the nutrition and food safety. In the 1960s and 1970s, FAO built Kenya’s
(CASH+), adaptation to climate change and pro-nutrition strategies, process to obtain unique Dairy Training and Dairy Research Institutes, which
Nile perch
REOWA supports 17 countries affected by disasters and crises. products which
continue to serve as a regional resource, attracting students from
In January 2018, the Government of Senegal and FAO signed an are produced, other countries in Africa. They have contributed to the growth of
agreement establishing the FAO Subregional Office for West Africa in transported and the dairy industry, making it the largest and most sophisticated in
distributed by
Dakar. Building on an already solid relationship, this move assures a the Kitale based sub-Saharan Africa. The dairy subsector today accounts for about 8
greater role for the country in supporting subregional policy dialogue Kenyan company. percent of Kenya’s GDP.
and strategies for food, agriculture and rural development priorities, ©FAO/LUIS TATO With the Government and other partners, FAO contributed to the
particularly with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals. eradication of rinderpest, estimated to have cost the economy
USD 430 million. This historic achievement was officially declared
Kenya in 2011. Today, FAO remains active in Kenya’s livestock sector: since
Close cooperation between FAO and Kenya 2015, it has arranged the vaccination of more than 7 million head
predates the establishment of FAO’s country of livestock, thereby preventing premature mortality of herds and
representation, which was set up in 1977. building livelihood resilience among pastoral communities.
Today there is a network of suboffices in Another recent priority has been the training of 200 000 farmers to
Kenya, and the representation hosts the increase production and productivity, form producer groups and assure
regional component of FAO’s Emergency linkages to a market worth over USD 50 million.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 261

 A N OP EN FAO

In line with its "Vision 2030", Kenya is committed to full NIGER Niger
implementation of the Malabo Declaration and the “Zero Hunger by 2025” A farmer hands Since the opening of the Niger representation
Initiative. With a major and growing country programme portfolio, FAO is over her goats in 1978, FAO and the Government have
to be taken
at the forefront of the necessary development and emergency assistance to care of by local worked together to improve livelihoods,
agriculture-related sectors. herdsman, near particularly in rural areas of the country. Early
Gafati. Gafati
is one of the
interventions focused on food security, rural
communities development and sustainable agriculture. FAO
that the African has been at the forefront of many national processes related to the
Solidarity Trust
AWARD FOR Fund (ASTF) has
supported in
formulation of policy documents, agricultural development strategies
and regulations, including the national “Zero Hunger” strategy, or the
ZERO HUNGER ACTION implementing the
3N "Nigeriens “Nigeriens nourishing Nigeriens” initiative. Several good practices
nourishing – such as the warrantage inventory credit system, Dimitra community
Nigeriens" zero
hunger initiative. listening clubs, and agro-pastoral fields schools – have been developed
During the National or implemented by FAO and have now been adopted by other partners.
©FAO/ANDREW
Leadership Forum in ESIEBO The Niger is among the West African countries to have benefited
September 2018, the FAO from FAO’s support to the early detection of the Highly Pathogenic
representation in Kenya won
Avian Influenza using nuclear-derived techniques. FAO is also
an award for its work in the
involved in the VETLAB project to strengthen veterinary diagnostics
country, with special mention of
its contribution to the achievement laboratories for rapid and specific diagnosis of transboundary animal
of SDG 2: Zero Hunger. The diseases in Africa. The Niger's designated national veterinary lab is
event was hosted by the Bill and part of FAO-supported VETLAB Network linking veterinary facilities
Melinda Gates Foundation at the from 44 countries in Africa (and 19 in Asia). As one of the ten member
University of Nairobi. countries of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in

262 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
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the Western Region (CLCPRO), the Niger plays a key role in the implementation of
the preventive control strategy in the region. COUNTRY TEAM AWARDED FOR
EXCELLENCE IN FIELDWORK
Madagascar
Madagascar has been a Member of FAO since 1961. Technical
cooperation started in 1981 following the opening of the FAO
representation in Antananarivo. Since then, nearly 60 percent
of activities have focused on improving agricultural production,
and 25 percent on humanitarian and household resilience-
building interventions.

Combating the Malagasy Migratory Locust: A three-year emergency programme

was jointly formulated and implemented by FAO and the Madagascar’s Ministry
of Agriculture between 2012 and 2016 to cope with a locust upsurge. The timely
response helped save the livelihoods of the Malagasy population, avoiding the
further deterioration of food insecurity. In all, FAO and national partners have
implemented three successive campaigns to control locust populations. The first
(2013/14) successfully halted the plague, the second (2014/15) reduced the plague,
while protecting crops and pastures, and the last (2015/16) almost achieved remission.
Thanks to the multi-funded three-year programme, a locust preventive control strategy
and annual locust campaigns have now resulted in the Government of Madagascar
National Anti-Locust Centre, a pesticide warehouse and well-trained staff.

The Madagascar country ITALY

RESILIENCE BUILDING team of Rome-based UN From left to right, Kanayo
TAKES A LEAD ROLE agencies (RBAs), comprising FAO,
the International Fund for Agricultural
Nwanze, IFAD President,
IFAD Representative, FAO
Director-General, FAO
Development and the World Representative, WFP Executive
Food Programme, was awarded Director Ertharin Cousin and
WFP Representative during the
FAO’s work in the Niger has recently returned to focus on emergency for excellence in fieldwork in Rome-based Agencies (RBA)
assistance and resilience building for vulnerable communities, in coordination 2015–2016. The three country Award Ceremony in Rome.
with the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural representatives received the award ©FAO/GIULIO NAPOLITANO
Development. Hundreds of thousands of farmers, agro-pastoralists, fishers and in March 2017 in recognition of their
artisans have gradually emerged from extreme poverty and become organized strong and effective collaboration.
to increase food and agricultural production, even in the face of a challenging
environment, exacerbated by climate change and security concerns. The team had been working to households and communities to
support vulnerable populations improve their own food security
To support national authorities in addressing the recurrent food crises affecting living in areas exposed to recurrent and nutrition, for example by
the Niger, in 2005 the FAO country office set up an emergency and cyclones, floods and droughts and increasing agricultural production and
rehabilitation programme, under which agricultural, livestock and nutrition insecurity in the southern part of the processing, improving post-harvest
interventions are designed to strengthen households’ capacities for disaster risk country. This challenging situation techniques; creating access to markets
management. Through this successful programme, between 2005 and 2016 had been aggravated by a five-year and diversifying sources of agricultural
hundreds of projects were implemented for a total value of USD 90 million, period of political instability, which income – mainly through the EU-
sourced from different donors. Assistance reached more than 4 million people, had shaken the country’s economy. funded project Actions Intégrées en
half of whom were women. The team’s approach was catalytic Nutrition et Alimentation (Integrated
in strengthening the capacities of Actions in Nutrition and Food).

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 263

 A N OP EN FAO

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Regional Office: Bangkok, Thailand, est. 1956

Subregional Office: Pacific Islands – Apia, Samoa (est. 1996)

Liaison Office: With Japan – Yokahoma, Japan

FAO Regional Initiatives

„ Zero Hunger
„ Blue Growth
„ Climate Change
„ One Health
„ Small Island Developing States
(Pacific Component of Interregional SIDS Initiative) INDIA system approaches and its normative work and policy advocacy helps to
Farmer Field centre nutrition in national food security and agricultural strategies, and

O
Schools (FFS) to keep agriculture, fisheries and forestry prominent in national plans
agroecosystem
ver the past decades, Asia and the Pacific has analysis of Fall for sustainability, disaster risk reduction and resilience. In the Pacific,
undergone significant transformation. Today, armyworms government priorities are to build resilience to the impacts of climate change
(FAW) India.
it is a dynamic, expanding and interconnected region. and to strengthen food security and nutrition to address NCDs. FAO seeks
Many countries that were once dependent on food aid are ©FAO to make food systems nutrition-sensitive and climate-resilient through
now economically strong, and instances of South–South cooperation, policy changes, sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry production and
whereby countries share relevant knowledge and expertise with value chains that provide safe, nutritious and affordable food.
partner countries (either within or beyond the region), have become
well established. FAO representations have played an important part India
in such developments. While recording higher economic growth rates India’s record of progress in agriculture has been
than any other region in the recent past, Asia and the Pacific continues impressive. With more than a five-fold increase
to be home to nearly 60 percent of the world’s undernourished in food grains from 50 million tonnes in the early
population. In many ways, the Asia and the Pacific region differs from 1950s to more than 270 million tonnes by 2017,
other regions – from its size to its dynamism. Shifting demographics, India has moved from food aid dependence to
a changing socio-economic climate and modified diets are influencing becoming a net food exporter. With a country
the emerging issues affecting the region’s food security and sustainable representation established in 1977, cooperation between India and FAO
development. These include the growing challenges of obesity has evolved over time in response to the complexities of Indian and global
and Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs), water scarcity and the agricultural systems and the country’s priorities.
degradation of natural resources, and the increasing frequency and
severity of natural disasters. Operation Flood (1970–1996), which led to the so called “White
FAO’s Asia and Pacific office is working with an “under one roof” Revolution,”marked a turning point for the country’s dairy sector. It brought
modality to find common ground on the importance of food and a three-fold increase in milk production and decreased India’s reliance on
agriculture for sustainable development across sectors and stakeholders. food aid. Today, the dairy sector is a lead employer of rural people, especially
Its technical assistance increasingly applies cross-sectoral and whole women. FAO has also worked closely to support India’s fisheries industry,

264 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
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“WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN

JUST FEED PEOPLE. WE NEED TO
NOURISH THEM. THIS IS EVIDENTLY
A BIG CHALLENGE. WITH TIME
R ACING IN THE COUNTDOWN
TO 2030, OUR OVER ARCHING
OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP OUR MEMBER
COUNTRIES – INDEED TO HELP
ALL STAKEHOLDERS – MEET THOSE
GOALS.”
KUNDHAVI KADIRESAN
ASSISTA N T DIREC TOR-GENER AL A ND FAO REGIONAL
REPRESEN TAT I V E FOR ASI A A ND T HE PACIFIC

which now employs more than 15 million people and is a major INDONESIA the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami swept away the lives of more than
exporter. Through the regional Pesticide Risk Reduction programme, Fishermen building 200 000 people and destroyed the livelihoods of about 1.4 million survivors. The
FAO has promoted effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in new fishing Indonesian provinces most affected were Aceh and Northern Sumatra, where
boats. FAO has
India, including strengthened governance of the importation and use partnered with the agricultural systems were completely obliterated. Damage to crops, livestock,
of pesticides (including IPM education for farmers). In the region, IPM American NGO fishponds, boats and fishing gear disrupted food production, causing extreme
Austin International
adoption has more than halved pesticide use, eliminated WHO Class I Rescue Operation food insecurity. FAO was quick to support the Government’s response by
pesticides and improved handling and disposal practices. in the rebuilding implementing a large emergency and recovery programme, providing expertise
of fishing boat
Today, India is an important agricultural knowledge partner, sharing fleets by providing
to restore coastal communities, agricultural and fisheries-based livelihoods and
technical expertise with other countries. Through FAO’s South–South leadership for promoting the wise use of natural resources (unsustainable practices such as
Cooperation Programme, India is sharing experiences from a programme the entire boat- pre-tsunami overfishing in Aceh were stopped).
rebuilding initiative
promoting social inclusion in agriculture: DeenDayal Antyodaya Yojna and keeping track In 2005, Indonesia became a global epicentre for the human H5N1 highly
(DAY) – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). India has also of the type of pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), recording more human cases and fatalities
boats that should
supported Ethiopia and Ghana in developing an integrated approach be introduced to than any other country by 2014 as well as millions of poultry deaths. The
to rural poverty reduction, including establishment of a good practices avoid overfishing. persistent HPAI threat to animal and human health in Indonesia brought about
learning centre. ©FAO/ADEK the arrival of FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases
BERRY
(ECTAD) in 2006. With funding from USAID, AusAID and the Japan Trust
Indonesia Fund, FAO-ECTAD has been working closely with the Indonesian Government
The FAO representation in Indonesia opened to enhance capacities for controlling HPAI. Around 3 000 animal health officers
in 1978, leading to long-term collaboration with have been trained and the Avian Influenza Control Programme has been rolled
the Indonesian Government, national agencies out at village level and along the poultry market chain.
and many other partners across the food and From 2013 to 2018, FAO assisted the Ministry of Agriculture and provincial
agriculture sectors. More than 650 projects and authorities in helping over 16 000 smallholders in Eastern Indonesia in the use
programmes have been implemented by FAO of conservation agriculture techniques to adapt to the drought caused by the
throughout the country, with the assistance of more than 1 600 national and El Niño Southern Oscillation. With funding from USAID, 800 farmer groups
international experts. Over the years, FAO has played a significant role in promoted improvements that enabled farmers to cope with drought while
supporting Indonesia’s natural disaster recovery efforts. In December 2004, increasing production and improving soil.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 265

 A N OP EN FAO

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA

Regional Office: Budapest, Hungary (est. 2007)

Subregional Office: Central Asia – Ankara, Turkey (est. 2006)

Liaison Offices:
With the European Union and Belgium – Brussels, Belgium
With the United Nations – Geneva, Switzerland
With the Russian Federation – Moscow, Russian Federation

FAO Regional Initiatives

Pacific Island Countries „ Empowering smallholders and family farms for
TONGA
improved rural livelihoods and poverty reduction
Covering 14 countries, FAO's Subregional Supporting „ Improving Agri-food Trade and Market Integration
Office for the Pacific Islands is hosted in Samoa, agribusiness „ Sustainable Natural Resource Management under a
where FAO assistance has included a focus on and rural
development. Changing Climate
building the evidence base and capacities for
©FAO/

T
policy-making, strengthening animal and plant ANTON
protection and boosting agricultural productivity GLAESER
he Europe and Central Asia region covers more
and marketing in the face of climate change. than 50 countries. With a wide variety of topographies,
FAO’s Multi-Country Programming Framework for the Pacific Islands climates and growing conditions, the region’s different
(2018–2022) sets out one common priority area to guide FAO’s partnership and agricultural and food systems face important challenges. Beyond
support to the Governments of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, structural issues such as farm size and efficiency, there is a need to increase
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, sustainability in order to maintain the potential of agriculture and increase
Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The national development strategies and plans of resilience in the face of natural hazards aggravated by climate change.
these Pacific Island Countries recognize the vital importance of sustainable Despite progress being made in the level of food security in the region,
development of natural resources and the role of agriculture, forestry and different forms of malnutrition persist, including stunting, micronutrient
fisheries for food security and nutrition, livelihoods and economic development. deficiencies and a growing prevalence of obesity. Additional regional
In many countries, these sector policies and plans specifically aim to reduce challenges are rural–urban and gender differences in poverty, income,
dependency on imported food and to increase consumption of local nutritious educational and professional opportunities; migration and the effects
food. Linked to the context of geographical isolation, economic transition, and of climate change. To support Members in achieving the SDGs, FAO is
increasing climate change in the Pacific, NCDs are the single leading cause spearheading coordinated efforts to empower smallholders and family
of death in the subregion. FAO is providing support to governments in the farms by helping to improve agri-food trade and market integration,
formulation of policies that create enabling conditions for influencing business sustainable natural resource management in the face of a changing
practices and personal behavioural changes to reduce obesity and micronutrient climate in relation to food security and nutrition.
deficiencies. FAO is also strengthening national Codex Committees and the
capacity of food laboratories to facilitate the production, export, import and Policy support in the Western Balkans: FAO’s policy support to this
consumption of safe, nutritious food. Additionally, the Organization is enhancing diverse group of countries includes the provision of training on impact
the capacities of government extension services to promote climate-smart and assessment and policy monitoring to examine the effects of budget
nutrition-sensitive agriculture across the subregion. support on farm income and competitiveness and on the well-being of

266 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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“FAO’S COUNTRY OFFICES PROVIDE

THE NECESSARY CONNECTION
BETWEEN MEMBERS’ PRACTICAL
NEEDS AND FAO’S KNOWLEDGE.
THIS CONNECTION NOT ONLY GIVES
US THE NECESSARY FEEDBACK
BUT ALSO ALLOWS US TO REACT
IMMEDIATELY TO THE REQUESTS OF
GOVERNMENTS AND FARMERS.”
VLADIMIR RAKHMANIN
ASSISTA N T DIREC TOR-GENER AL A ND FAO REGIONAL
REPRESEN TAT I V E FOR EU ROPE A ND CEN T R AL ASI A

rural residents. Similarly, in order to support smallholders, promote GEORGIA benefits from a close connection with the multidisciplinary team of experts based
food exports and explore new trade opportunities, FAO studies best One of 22 in the Regional Office. This facilitates dialogue on challenges facing the country
practices regarding organic agriculture and products linked to their agrarian as well as action on new activities requested at short notice. Key results include
meteorology
geographic origin – including fresh fruit and vegetables, medicinal stations
successful policy support and capacity development delivered to the Ministry of
plants, meat, dairy, fish products and handicrafts. established by the Environment Protection and Agriculture which has contributed to the formulation
FAO project in of national agricultural and rural development strategies. Notably, FAO supported
Kakheti region.
Georgia the Government in the SDG nationalization process, including an Action Plan
©FAO
Together with the Government and other for SDG implementation and monitoring. Further FAO achievements include
partners, FAO has provided technical the strengthening of capacities for ensuring Georgian agricultural products access
assistance to develop Georgia’s agriculture international markets; improving animal disease control; establishing a national
sector with the aim of improving rural agency for agricultural cooperatives, a seed law accompanied by a state-of-the-
livelihoods, increasing productivity and art certification scheme and a “pilot farm registry.” To help conflict-affected
contributing to sustainable economic populations, FAO has co-invested more than USD 3 million (with EU support) in
growth. Support is being provided for the development of efficient agricultural livelihoods for internally displaced people.
systems for food safety, animal health and plant protection, and
compliance with EU regulations and standards. FAO’s first Global Azerbaijan
Environment Facility (GEF) project in Georgia is currently being The partnership between Azerbaijan and FAO has grown
formulated, with a focus on reversing land degradation. over the past 20 years, resulting in the establishment of a
To facilitate assistance in an agile manner, FAO opened a“multiple Partnership and Liaison Office in Baku in 2015. Assistance
accreditation”office in Georgia in 2004. The FAO Representative, has been delivered through a range of interventions
based in FAO’s Regional Office in Hungary, visits Georgia regularly focused on increasing agricultural productivity and the
to maintain a strategic dialogue with the Government and to oversee successful implementation of Azerbaijan’s agrarian
FAO’s country programme. Under this arrangement, notable results reforms. Recent cooperation has included technical and policy support across
have been achieved in terms of project delivery, and long-term financial the food and agriculture sector, with a focus on rural youth and women’s
support has been mobilized from resource partners. The country office empowerment as well as assistance for transboundary plant diseases.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 267

 A N OP EN FAO

In light of Azerbaijan’s significant economic growth, a recent [LEFT] and the development of knowledge as well as the exchange of experience
FAO–Azerbaijan Partnership Programme marked a move away from AZERBAIJAN among countries transitioning from planned to market economies. Turkey
predominantly development-based cooperation towards a knowledge- An employee at a is also an active resource partner, providing indispensable technical and
honey production
intensive partnership, based on the country’s increased capacities and farm conducts financial support to FAO’s activities, particularly within the subregion.
synergies with the national planning process. The Government and FAO’s morning inspection The multidisciplinary technical expertise of the Subregional Office
of beehives.
country team will collaborate with national stakeholders committed to covers animal production and health, plant production and protection,
©FAO/TOFIK
promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development, building on BABAYEV fisheries, forestry, land and water management, rural investment, and
key national plans and strategies such as the “Strategic Road Map on food security and agricultural policy.
Agriculture”. The vision of this road map extends to 2020, 2025 and beyond [RIGHT]
in view of the Government’s endeavour to diversify the economy to non- TURKEY A dynamic partnership programme: The FAO–Turkey Partnership
oil sectors. The Azerbaijani Government is now also taking on the role Syrian and Programme, currently in its second phase (2016–2020), provides a
of resource partner, aiming to fund FAO projects through regional and Turkish children comprehensive framework for cooperation. It focuses on food security,
at Bahcesehir
global interventions in addition to national initiatives. College, Mardin, agricultural and rural development, natural resource management
learn how to make (including forestry and fisheries), agricultural policies, food safety, and
apricot jam from
Turkey apricots they grew
animal and plant genetic resources for countries in the subregion –
The partnership between FAO and Turkey has as part of the FAO Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and
grown since the creation of the Country Office in project Enhanced Uzbekistan – and other countries of mutual interest for FAO and Turkey.
Resilience
1982 and the Subregional Office for Central Asia through Increased
in 2007 – co-located in Ankara. The advent of the Economic Sustainable forestry: The FAO–Turkey Forestry Partnership
Opportunities for
Subregional Office – set up with support from Syrian Refugees Programme is focusing on sustainable management of forests and trees,
the Government of Turkey, has enhanced FAO’s and Host land and natural resource management and land degradation neutrality
Communities.
ability to respond to national needs as well as regional priorities of other as well as institutional reform through training and enhancement of
©ROBIN
countries in the subregion. HAMMOND/ national capacities. Programme assistance focuses on the subregion
Most countries in Central Asia are moving from planned to market NOOR FOR FAO but also extends to countries further afield. Through sustainable forest
economies and are reforming their institutions. The countries have high and tree management, the aim of the Partnership Programme is to
potential for developing their agriculture sectors and achieving their food contribute to conserving nature and improving rural livelihoods and
security objectives and FAO’s assistance covers institutional capacity building poverty reduction, in line with the SDGs and FAO’s strategic objectives.

268 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
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“THE NEW PARTNERSHIP

AND LIAISON OFFICE WILL
ENABLE US TO MAKE A
CONCRETE CONTRIBUTION
TO SDGs AND WORK
TOGETHER TO CHANGE THE
FUTURE OF MIGRATION IN
MESOAMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN.”
JULIO BERDEGUÉ
ASSISTA N T DIREC TOR-GENER AL
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN

T
MEXICO hrough the 2025 Hunger-Free Latin America and the
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Women from Caribbean Initiative, the region was the first to commit to
Regional Office: Santiago, Chile (est. 1952) the Huaves the complete eradication of hunger. This political commitment
ethnic group
carrying maize is based on the conviction that Zero Hunger is an achievable target, as
cobs in baskets three of the region’s countries have already eradicated hunger, 15 have achieved the
on their heads
and material for first Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people suffering
weaving baskets from hunger, and 11 have achieved the World Food Summit target of reducing the
under their arms.
total number as well as the proportion of undernourished people. The region’s food
©FAO/R.
security policies and programmes, and its role as a leading food producer, place Latin
GRISOLIA
America and the Caribbean at the forefront of the global fight against hunger. Many
of its flagship initiatives are being adapted and applied to other regions.
The FAO Regional Office supports countries by monitoring food security levels,
assisting with hunger-eradication strategies and laws, promoting family farming,
agricultural and rural development and climate-change adaptation policies.
Throughout the region, there is an emphasis on support to women and to indigenous
peoples. Through its Subregional Offices in Barbados and Panama, FAO supports
Mesoamerican and Caribbean countries working towards Zero Hunger, reducing
Subregional Offices:
Caribbean – Bridgetown, Barbados (est. 1996) obesity, developing food value chains, enhancing disaster risk management and
Mesoamerica – Panama City, Panama (est. 2007) addressing climate change.

FAO Regional Initiatives Mexico

„ Hunger-Free Latin America and Caribbean Initiative The 40th anniversary of FAO’s country office in Mexico
„ Family Farming and Inclusive Food Systems for
Sustainable Rural Development coincided with its transformation in October 2017 to a
„ Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Adaption to Partnership and Liaison Office – the first in the region.
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management This development shows recognition for the longstanding
and fruitful partnership between Mexico and FAO as
well as for Mexico’s contribution to regional and global

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 269

 A N OP EN FAO

for Environmental Sustainability (EMSA) and such engagement is an

example of Mexico’s role in supporting South–South cooperation.

El Salvador
While FAO began operations in El Salvador
in 1956, the country representation opened
in 1977. Since then, FAO and El Salvador
have combined efforts to improve rural
communities’ livelihoods and increase
management of natural resources,
including risk and disaster management. Over the years, a
significant focus has been on sustainable agricultural and rural
development, adaptation to climate change and public policies to
guarantee food and nutrition security.
The El Salvador Country Office is currently running more
than 40 projects, all aligned with the SDGs and national
development priorities, and with actions aimed at improving the
resilience of Dry Corridor agricultural systems to climate change.
Central to this strategy is the USD 127.7 million RECLIMA
programme, recently approved by the Green Climate Fund.
Earlier FAO interventions – such as agricultural recovery
after tropical storm Stan and the Ilamatepec (Santa Ana) volcano
eruption in 2005 – helped lay the basis for longer-term rural
sustainable development. FAO has a varied history of presence in Mexico: EL development, as they were underpinned by strategies to organize
prior to hosting a country office, as early as 1951 the country was home to SALVADOR civil society and local communities. FAO’s support has helped
the Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, which Crop to diversify smallholder production and improve agricultural
diversification:
then became the Subregional office for North Latin America between 1956 farmer working in
practices, also paving the way for formulation and adoption of the
and 1969. During this period, several technical cooperation projects were maize plantation National Family Farming Plan in 2011.
implemented, two of which stand out for having initiated FAO’s country- where henequen FAO works hard to ensure social inclusion, including
is also grown.
level activities in Mexico: The National Forest Inventory (1952–1960); and the participation of women and indigenous peoples in the
©FAO/GIUSEPPE
the creation of a postgraduate course for the National Veterinary Medical BIZZARRI development of public policies and programmes to improve the
School at Mexico’s National Autonomous University (1967–1972). food and nutrition security of vulnerable population groups.
Eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly in 1982 was a significant result Food and nutrition education are a priority for FAO in El
of country-level cooperation with Mexico. It was the first time the pest had Salvador, and an example of the Organization’s holistic approach
been eradicated in a continental area using the Sterile Insect Technique. The to food systems. School feeding programmes, for example, began
eradication programme was set up in 1977 by the governments of Mexico, as a means of food distribution and grew into a “Sustainable
Guatemala and the United States of America, with support from FAO and School Model” involving school gardens with an educational
other partners. With the International Year of Family Farming in 2014, FAO focus, fresh food from family farming, and young people who
supported the creation of a Mexican Network for Family, Indigenous and have become responsible consumers as well as promoters of
Peasant Farming, which today comprises more than 120 organizations. For healthy food and nutrition.
the past 20 years, FAO has provided training and methodological assistance
to government offices, resulting in strong capabilities for the evaluation of Jamaica
rural development programmes. Regarding the SDGs, FAO is currently In 1978, FAO established a representation
assisting the Government in developing indicators and methodologies in Jamaica, which now also covers the
for monitoring progress. Monitoring support is also provided for forest Bahamas and Belize. Currently, FAO takes an
resources through FAO’s technical assistance to the Mesoamerican integrated multisectoral approach to reducing
Virtual Centre of Excellence in Forest Monitoring. This has produced a hunger, eliminating poverty and promoting
reference for the ten countries belonging to the Mesoamerican Strategy the sustainable management and use of the

270 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 C H A P T E R 5 .1
A N AGI LE N E T WOR K : FAO’S DEC E N T R A LI Z E D OF F IC ES

NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Regional Office: Cairo, Egypt (est. 1952)

Subregional Offices:
North Africa – Tunis, Tunisia (est. 1996)
GCC States and Yemen, Abu Dhabi, UAE (est. 2008)

FAO Regional Initiatives

„ Near East and North Africa’s Water Scarcity Initiative
„ Building Resilience for Food Security and Nutrition
„ Small-scale Family Farming
country’s natural resources. High-priority areas are food security and COLOMBIA
nutrition and value chain development. Through inter-ministerial Colombia is one
of eight countries

T
collaboration, FAO has implemented a mechanism to increase the
in the region
procurement of local produce from community agricultural producers supporting he Near East and North Africa region
for local school feeding programmes. This supports the national Food school feeding encompasses countries that are vastly different
and direct
and Nutrition Security Policy and Action Plan and CELAC’s Plan for purchases from in terms of wealth, population and natural
Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication 2025. family farmers. capital endowment, but which face common
This approach
Through South–South Cooperation between Chilean institutions secures quality
challenges with respect to sustainable agricultural development
and the Jamaican Government, FAO has facilitated the strengthening food for students and food security. Among these are water scarcity, high food import
of technical and institutional capacities in nutrition surveillance. and promotes dependency, population growth, rural–urban migration in the
consumption of
Efforts to improve a Nutrition Surveillance System will continue. This fresh and healthy context of agriculture and youth employment and the impact of
will produce more efficient and accurate data on Jamaica’s dietary food, while climate change.
opening up new
practices and consumption patterns to promote better food and markets and FAO is committed to long-term sustainable development in the
nutrition practices within the first 1 000 days of human life. boosting family region. Through country and regional programmes, it has worked
farmers’ incomes
FAO has supported the Government with strategic planning, as well as local with host countries to implement interventions, activities and projects,
including an upgraded Value Chain Strategy and Action Plan for development. all supporting the development priorities of member countries,
Ginger Production, a Small Ruminant Development Strategy, a ©FAO including improved living and nutrition standards and sustainable
Food Losses and Waste Reduction Strategy, and a Sea Cucumber natural resource management. It is supporting the development of
Management Strategy. These sectors can help significantly strategies and policies that contribute to eradicating food insecurity,
to boost the economy, support sustainable resource use and hunger and malnutrition, and building resilience to shocks and
improve livelihoods. crises as a means to achieve regional stability and peace – of pivotal
In March 2018, Jamaica hosted and chaired the 35th FAO Regional importance for achieving Zero Hunger by 2030.
Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean to agree on regional Strategic partnerships are being built and strengthened with
priorities for 2018–2019. The event coincided with the FAO country various stakeholders in the Arab region, including other UN agencies,
representation’s 40th anniversary celebration. regional organizations, non-governmental entities and civil society.

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 A N OP EN FAO

“FAO REPRESENTATIONS
IN THE REGION
SOLIDIFY OUR
PARTNERSHIP WITH
MEMBER COUNTRIES
TOWARDS ACHIEVING
THE 2030 SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS.”
ABDESSALAM OULD AHMED
ASSISTA N T DIREC TOR-GENER AL
AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE
NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Egypt EGYPT established the country’s Food Security Policy Advisory Board
Co-located with the Regional Office in Cairo, Combating Red to boost technical and institutional capacities for food security
since its establishment in 1978, FAO’s country Weevil in Date and nutrition policymaking. Several information management
Palm Trees.
representation in Egypt has been a key player systems have been developed and technical expertise has been
©FAO
in several agricultural and rural development provided for enabling poor families to grow fresh fruit and
activities. In the 1980s, FAO supported vegetables on rooftops, terraces and patios.
the Egyptian Government in introducing FAO looks forward to continuing its work with Egypt through
agricultural policy changes, while in the 1990s, the focus was on the jointly developed Country Programming Framework,
building specialized systems for improved crop management. focusing on agricultural productivity, food security in strategic
In the 2000s, in addition to a focus on empowering Nile Basin food commodities, and sustainable use of natural agricultural
countries, FAO has been engaged in a range of priority activities. It resources.
promoted conservation, fostered growth through investment, acted
to improve nutrition and food security, address water scarcity and Lebanon
climate change, natural resources management and transboundary FAO started to implement projects in
animal diseases. Developing fisheries, promoting good agricultural Lebanon in 1960 and cooperation was
practices, reducing food loss and waste, and engagement in South- further strengthened in 1977 with the
South Cooperation with Nile Basin countries have also been key opening of the Country Office in Beirut.
features of cooperation. Over the years, FAO has implemented
In addition to supporting the development of Egypt’s Sustainable more than 200 projects in Lebanon in
Agricultural Development Strategy (SADS 2030), FAO has backed very close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and
policies for sustainable re-use of wastewater in agriculture and other Lebanese institutions. These projects covered a wide

272 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 Enhancing the resilience of communities hosting Syrian
refugees is yet another important area of work, where investment
in rural infrastructure and agri-food value chains is being
promoted with a view to generating employment and other
livelihood opportunities.
To strengthen sustainable management of natural resources
and adaptation to climate change, FAO is supporting the
application of climate-smart agricultural techniques, including
efficient irrigation techniques; soil and water conservation; good
agricultural practices and long-term reforestation and forest
management efforts.

Syrian Arab Republic

Since the opening of the FAO representation
in the Syrian Arab Republic in 1978,
cooperation with FAO has produced notable
range of interventions covering crop and animal production and LEBANON results in the country’s agriculture sector.
protection, fisheries, reforestation, land and water conservation, A herder with his Examples include improved fisheries and
goats. Through
agri-processing and marketing, food safety and standards, and a project in the aquaculture management in the 1980s,
agricultural statistics, among others. southern part of policies to boost irrigation efficiency in the 1990s, and the founding
the country, FAO
In the context of the Syria crisis, with the Lebanese Ministry of has improved
of Syria’s National Agricultural Policy Centre in 2000. In 2009,
Agriculture and the World Food Programme, FAO is currently co- food and after a prolonged drought, FAO supported the Government’s
leading the coordination and planning mechanism for food security nutritional security drought response plan to restore food production and safeguard
as well as the
within the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan. FAO has also been at the economic status of agricultural livelihoods. With the current humanitarian crisis and
forefront of win-win interventions, advocating for the temporary low-income rural high numbers of food-insecure people, there has been a shift in
families.
employment of Syrian workers to rehabilitate and upgrade focus from technical and policy assistance to resilience building for
©FAO/KAI
rural infrastructure and thereby contributing to the longer-term WIEDENHOEFER
food and nutrition security. FAO’s work in this area will continue
sustainable development of Lebanon’s agriculture sector. to concentrate on strengthening the capacity of rural and peri-
FAO’s programme in Lebanon supports the inclusion of women urban populations to adapt to and recover from the impacts of
and youth in agricultural and rural development, sustainable conflict. Since the beginning of the crisis, FAO has supported
natural resource management and resilience. Activities include livestock vaccination campaigns and helped more than 1.4 million
support to agricultural production systems to overcome production livestock owners to increase their assets and improve meat and
constraints, boosting investment in agriculture and assisting dairy production for their own consumption. More recently,
small-scale and vulnerable farmers in their efforts to reduce FAO has been conducting emergency marketing mapping and
production costs, increase quality and overcome post-harvest supporting the creation of a national agriculture coordination
barriers. Strengthening agricultural cooperatives and farmer mechanism. At the community level, it has been supporting
associations is another key component. training in nutrition-sensitive agriculture in schools.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 273

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274 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2

PA RTNERSHIPS FOR A
WORLD FREE FROM HUNGER

I
INDIA n 2013, FAO adopted an open-door policy in
Portrait of one of order to strengthen ties with civil society, the
the indigenous
peoples that private sector, academic organizations, research
participated in bodies, the media and cooperatives. By joining
the event "Just
before the festival",
forces, FAO and its more than 150 partners can more effectively
organized by FAO contribute to eradicating chronic hunger and poverty and
in India. improving access to food.
©FAO/EDWIN
MULLER Marcela Villarreal, Director of FAO’s Partnerships Division,
explains it very concisely: “FAO has understood that to eradicate
hunger and all forms of malnutrition, including obesity, another step
forward is needed; it must open up to the world and begin to join
forces with everyone who is involved in our struggle.” For this, the
Organization is promoting appropriate investment in agriculture
and rural areas, and it has established mechanisms to determine the
potential opportunities of partnering with non-government entities.
In line with the 2030 Agenda’s call to leave no one behind, FAO
is leading the contribution of innovation throughout the entire food
system, taking into account the expertise of the different stakeholders,
including the private sector, non-governmental organizations,
farmers, universities and parliamentarians.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 275

 A N OP EN FAO

FAO'S SIX AREAS UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

OF COLLABORATION

U
niversities and research institutions foster
critical thinking and generate knowledge and
Political commitment and major alliances with key innovations, which are essential in the fight
stakeholders are crucial to meet the Zero Hunger Challenge. against hunger and food insecurity. Through
Partnerships with NGOs, producer organizations, cooperatives, parliaments and alliances with more than 60 academic institutions, FAO seeks to close
the private sector are at the heart of FAO's mission to help build consensus for a the gap between research, innovation and implementation. Knowledge
world without hunger. Below are FAO's six areas of collaboration. and ideas generated from these partnerships can be applied to
issues such as sustainable agricultural production, food security and
nutrition, food losses and waste, and rural poverty reduction.
1. UNIVERSITIES & Rabobab Foundation, ENI and
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS Telefónica.
Agrinatura
FAO cooperates with more than
FAO and Agrinatura – a consortium of 31 European universities and
60 accredited institutions from 4. PARLIAMENTARY
around the world to develop joint ALLIANCES research centres – have partnered to accelerate agricultural innovation
projects, prepare technical manuals FAO works with 40 regional, and boost cooperation between universities and research centres
and teach FAO-inspired courses. subregional and national throughout Europe and in developing countries. Through a European
Examples include: Agrinatura, Parliamentary Alliances Commission funded project, the partnership seeks to promote
Texas A&M University, RUFORUM, worldwide to guarantee the right agricultural innovation among small farmers in countries in Asia
Roma Tre University, and to food for all, particularly through (Bangladesh and Laos), Africa (Angola, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and
Wageningen University. enacting laws, directing political Rwanda), and Latin America (Guatemala and Honduras).
discussion, approving budgets and
2. FARMER ensuring adequate processes for Texas A&M University
ORGANIZATIONS & NGOs accountability. In the Horn of Africa, droughts can wreak havoc on national
Civil society organizations play
sustainable livestock production systems, affecting both nutrition and
a critical role in the fight against 5. RESOURCE PARTNERS
livelihood resources. Those most at risk are small-scale herders in arid
hunger given their technical FAO works with resource partners
expertise, their representation of from national governments, UN and semi-arid lands, where livestock rearing can account for as much
the hungry and poor, and their agencies, Institutional Resource as 90 percent of employment and family income. To support people in
increasing presence in the field. Partners, International Financing meeting the challenges of climate shocks, FAO works in partnership
FAO has established partnerships Institutions, the private sector and to provide better tools to monitor and assess both short and long-term
with 32 CSOs and 7 cooperatives, foundations, including the Global trends that affect food security in Africa.
including La Via Campesina, Environment Facility, the World In 2017, FAO and Texas A&M University piloted a web-based
Consumers International, SEWA Bank and the Central Emergency support tool, the Forage Condition Index, as part of the Predictive
and Slow Food. Response Fund. Livestock Early Warning System. Using a statistical forecasting
methodology combined with near real-time and historical climate
3. PRIVATE SECTOR 6. SOUTH–SOUTH data, the system is able to generate forecast forage conditions for up to
The Organization has established COOPERATION
six months in advance by simulating livestock species preference for
strategic partnerships with more For more than 20 years, FAO has
forage in a competitive environment.
than 50 enterprises, companies worked with close to 100 partners
and businesses in the fight against to support the mutual sharing and
hunger to increase investments in exchange of knowledge, good RUFORUM: Regional Universities Forum for Capacity
agriculture, foster entrepreneurship practices, policies and technology Building in Agriculture
and improve knowledge between and among countries in Since 2017, FAO has partnered with RUFORUM, a consortium of 106
dissemination. Partners include the global South. universities across 36 countries in Africa, to develop capacities which will

276 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2
PA R T N E R S H I P S F O R A WO R L D F R E E F R O M H U N G E R

Roma Tre University

FAO signed a partnership agreement with Roma Tre University in
2016, with the overall goal of enhancing graduate programmes and
raising awareness around issues related to food security and agriculture.
During the past few years, FAO delivered a series of lectures to students
in the Human Development and Food Security Master’s programme
to share knowledge and expertise on food security, nutrition, gender
and SDGs and enhance awareness of FAO’s work in these areas.
Both partners have collaborated on research and development of
methodologies and good practices concerning cooperatives and
producer organizations in particular, with an aim to explore their role
and contributions to rural poverty reduction. In 2018, FAO and Roma
Tre University documented successful strategies on the inclusion of poor
farmers in cooperatives and producer organizations (POs).

Wageningen University & Research

FAO and Wageningen University & Research have collaborated
for decades in the fight against hunger. However, recognizing
that formal collaborations could provide a concrete framework
for more effective delivery, FAO and Wageningen entered into
partnership in 2008 with a vision to foster innovations and new
approaches to boost food security and sustainable food systems.

HOW TO PARTNER WITH FAO

improve food security, support sustainable agriculture and help to AFRICA
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region. RUFORUM
participants in
FAO chooses partners that respect the UN’s
With FAO’s support, RUFORUM has implemented a Community- Benin (above) and principles and guidelines, according to the UN Global
Based Field Attachment Award (CFAPA) program to promote youth Uganda (below). Compact, focusing on environmental, social and governance
support for the SDGs, in particular SDG 2: end hunger, achieve food ©FAO/MARIUS sustainable practices and activities. FAO will use a specific
AFFORENTE screening system that aims to minimize risks and guarantee
security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. (BENIN) AND
The CFAPA program is designed as graduate student FAO/RUTHIE that potential partners are in line with FAO’s mandate and
MUTTYABA with FAO’s Partnerships Strategy.
placement in a rural community, giving students a chance to (UGANDA)
apply, scale-out and disseminate the findings of their research in
Partnering with non-state actors can be done in relation to
a way that contributes to increased sustainability and resilience
three pillars:
of small-scale agriculture, improved livelihoods and reduced „ Financial resource mobilization for ongoing/potential
rural poverty. The program aims to provide an opportunity projects and activities requested by governments.
for students to link academic work with the experience of „ Technical capacity and expertise (through knowledge
rural community, engage in knowledge exchanges with local and information exchange, and in-kind contributions,
farmers, and develop practical skills to apply research findings in participation in policy discussion and standard setting).
development-related field projects. „ Awareness raising and advocacy.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 277

 A N OP EN FAO

“NO ONE
ORGA NIZATION CA N
ER ADICAT E H U NGER
A ND REDUCE POV ERT Y
ALONE; ONLY IN
PARTNERSHIPS WITH
A BROAD RANGE OF
STAKEHOLDERS CAN
WE ACHIEVE THIS.”
JOSÉ GR AZIANO DA SILVA
FAO DIREC TOR-GENER AL

Through coordinated and complementary actions, the partnership ITALY market opportunities. Cooperatives are also important vehicles
facilitates cross-cutting approaches to address food insecurity and Group photo
for reducing poverty and creating jobs as they contribute to
is constantly evolving to address today’s challenges, including at the signing socio-economic development, and ultimately to food security.
climate change, diminished natural resources, forced migration, ceremony of
the agreement
urbanization, obesity and undernourishment. between FAO La Via Campesina
and La Via La Via Campesina is one of the largest international social
Campesina,
FARMER AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL at FAO movements. It brings together more than 200 million small-
ORGANIZATIONS headquarters. scale farmers and producers, landless farmers, women, youth,

C
©FAO/GIULIO indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers from
NAPOLITANO
ivil society organizations (CSO) play a crucial 164 organizations in 79 countries worldwide. The network, an
role in food security and poverty reduction. autonomous and independent movement, defends small-scale
In recent years, they have managed to create a space for sustainable agriculture as a way of promoting social justice and
dialogue with Member States and other stakeholders dignity and building societies free of hunger and malnutrition.
at regional and global levels, contributing to the creation of policies In 2013, FAO and La Via Campesina formalized an
as well as relevant regulatory debates. Through partnerships with institutional framework for a partnership between the two
Civil Society Organizations, FAO aims to strengthen ties with social organizations and defined proposals of collaboration in areas
movements, member-based organizations and NGOs that share the of common interest. The agreement marked a milestone in the
goal of eradicating hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. Such partnership between FAO and civil society organizations. FAO
partnerships allow for CSOs to share skills and traditional knowledge supports the effective participation of La Via Campesina in
in various areas, while helping to raise awareness on the importance political processes at different levels and promotes dialogue for
of the fight against hunger by promoting and disseminating FAO’s designing sustainable local initiatives, projects and emergency
technical knowledge through their broad networks. interventions. The partnership is based on knowledge sharing,
Cooperatives are autonomous, member-driven organizations dialogue, policy development and cooperation in normative
which represent a unique business model with a social activities. It also addresses various issues of mutual interest,
conscience. They adopt principles of nondiscrimination, help including those related to land, seeds and agro-ecological practices
empower their members, and offer a range of services, including of small-scale farmers.

278 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2
PA R T N E R S H I P S F O R A WO R L D F R E E F R O M H U N G E R

International Planning Committee for

Food Sovereignty
In 2014, FAO and the International Planning Committee for
Food Sovereignty (IPC) agreed on closer cooperation, helping
millions of food producers, including women, to have a greater
voice in debates on issues related to food security and nutrition.
IPC is a global platform for small-scale food producers, rural
workers’ associations, grass-roots and community-based
organizations and social movements that brings together over
800 organizations and 300 million small-scale food producers.
Among the priority work areas identified in the agreement
are the promotion of the implementation of FAO’s Voluntary
Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land,
Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security at
national and grass-roots levels; the execution of FAO’s Policy on
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples; and securing the approval and
implementation of Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-
Scale Fisheries, which are being developed by FAO’s Committee
on Fisheries (COFI).

Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)

In 2016, FAO and India’s Self Employed Women’s Association
(SEWA) agreed on intensifying joint efforts to empower rural
people – particularly women, who are key to eradicating poverty
and hunger and promoting nutritious and healthy food systems.
The partnership is underpinned by the common objectives of
reducing rural poverty and ensuring food security, recognizing
that high poverty levels, especially in rural areas, stem from
many factors, including limited income-generating opportunities,
inadequate livelihood options and a lack of participation in
decision-making processes. Both FAO and SEWA believe that
generating evidence, experience and knowledge around the INDIA giving FAO the opportunity to work more closely with the network
inclusion of women and young people in the rural economy of CI’s member organizations who communicate with and advocate
SEWA–FAO
serves as a crucial means to ensure sustainable food security and Partnership. for consumers. It will help strengthen consumer protection from
nutrition and to inform policy dialogue. Promoting food hazards, by promoting awareness among consumers on
rural women's
empowerment. safe food handling, standards for food processing along the value
Consumers International ©FAO/CHRISTINE chain, healthy nutritional habits and sustainable diets. FAO and
In 2017, FAO partnered with Consumers International (CI), LEGAULT CI are already collaborating successfully in Latin America and
which works to ensure that consumer voices, needs and the Caribbean, advocating for and supporting the development of
perspectives are recognized in policy debates. CI was founded public policies to improve access to healthy food and optimizing
in 1960 and represents more than 240 consumer rights groups in nutrition information.
120 countries. Both partners recognize that consumers around
the world can be a powerful force for change towards more Coldiretti
sustainable and equitable food systems. In 2018, FAO joined forces with Italy’s main farmer organization,
The partnership aims to enhance Consumer International’s Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti (Coldiretti), with
access to FAO’s wealth of knowledge and information, while the goal of achieving Zero Hunger and promoting healthier diets

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 279

 A N OP EN FAO

for all. Founded in 1944, Coldiretti has more than 1.6 million ITALY The two organizations have an ongoing collaboration in
members, and is a member of the World Farmers’ Organisation, [ABOVE LEFT] several countries. In Bolivia (Plurinational State of), in cooperation
with which FAO works closely. October 2018: with Fundación Pasos, Slow Food helped a farmers’ association
General view of
Under the agreement, FAO and Coldiretti will promote Coldiretti Farmers to develop a participatory certification process and improve
exchanges of knowledge and good practices on sustainable Village during FAO training on black amaranth production (cultivation, management,
Director-General, Jose’
agriculture, use of natural resources, food value chain Graziano da Silva
transformation and storage), product development, and marketing.
organization, innovation for a sustainable agri-food sector, and and IFAD President In Cuba, products with potential to be included in the Mountain
inclusion of smallholder and family farmers in policy-making Gilbert F. Houngbo Partnership Products initiative in the Escambray Mountains
visit at Rome’s Circus
processes that affect them. The partnership paves the way Maximus. were mapped and analysed. In Georgia, FAO and Slow Food are
for joint actions to promote sustainable agriculture, including ©FAO/ALESSANDRA carrying out an inventory of traditional products and Geographical
organic and biodynamic farming, geographical indications, BENEDETTI Indication potentialities in the country, in collaboration with local
biodiversity, food loss reduction, and climate change adaptation partner OriGIn-Georgia, and assessing the gaps to be addressed in
and mitigation. BRAZIL the production and market system of Tenili cheese.
[ABOVE RIGHT]

Slow Food From left to right, FAO Civil Society Mechanism

In the context of the International Years of Quinoa, in 2013, and Director-General, José The Civil Society Mechanism (CSM) for relations with the United
Graziano da Silva,
of Family Farming, in 2014, FAO and Slow Food joined forces to and President and Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) is the largest
raise global awareness of the important role of quinoa and family Founder of the Slow international space of civil society organizations working to eradicate
Food movement, Carlo
farming in sustainable food production and poverty eradication. The Petrini, at the São José food insecurity and malnutrition. Founded in 2010, it facilitates civil
collaboration between the parties aims to improve the livelihood of Slow Food Market. society participation and articulation into the policy processes of the CFS.
populations living in rural areas and ensure more inclusive food and ©FAO/GIUSEPPE Participating organizations represent smallholder farmers,
BIZZARRI
agriculture systems at local, national and international levels. pastoralists, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, agricultural and food

280 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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and discussion around these topics. In recent years, FAO has facilitated
the establishment of 40 national parliamentary alliances covering the
regions of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Europe.
Drawing on its knowledge and expertise, FAO facilitates the sharing of
good practices on legal frameworks and public policies, and provides
relevant technical information and capacity building to parliamentary
bodies on key issues related to food security.

Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger

and Malnutrition
In October 2018, FAO co-organized the first Global Parliamentary
Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition in Madrid, in
collaboration with the Spanish Senate, the Spanish Agency for
International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Latin
America and the Caribbean Parliamentary Front against Hunger,
and with the support of the European Commission, IFAD and
APF. The summit sought to advance political will to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals. Around two hundred
parliamentarians from different countries all over the world
joined the Summit and affirmed their political commitments
workers, landless, women, youth, consumers, urban food insecure ITALY
related to achieving Zero Hunger. FAO continues to follow up on
and NGOs. In total, there are more than 300 million affiliated commitments to ensure concrete actions at a national level.
Participants at
members from all continents. the Civil Society
Each year the CSM holds its Annual Forum prior to the CFS Mechanism Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin
(CSM) Annual
Plenary Session, and it is open to all interested civil society Forum, at FAO America and the Caribbean
participants of the CSM. This two-day forum is a fundamental headquarters. Established in 2009, the Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin
moment and space for the CSM. At the Forum, CSOs are able to ©FAO/GIULIO America and the Caribbean (PFH LAC) is a multi-partisan platform
NAPOLITANO
debate, consolidate, articulate and finalize their positions, which that brings together legislators from parliaments in the region,
are then shared and brought to the CFS Plenary Session. principally aimed at strengthening the legislative frameworks in the
region’s parliaments to facilitate the realization of the right to adequate
food. FAO, together with the Spanish Agency for International
PARLIAMENTARY ALLIANCES Development Cooperation, supports the work of the PFH LAC
AGAINST HUNGER through training, planning, and organization of important events

P
such as regional fora. Since the establishment of the PFH LAC, four
arliamentarians are key stakeholders for the framework laws have been produced as guides for countries in the
implementation of political commitments in the region and more than 20 laws relating to food and nutrition security
area of food security and nutrition considering have been enacted nationally.
their legislative, budgetary and oversight
responsibilities. FAO supports parliamentarians as they seek to European Parliamentary Alliance Against Hunger
promote or enact legislation relating to food security and nutrition, In 2016, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from different
helping them raise awareness on these issues and connecting them parliamentary committees, political groups and various Member
with other parliamentary bodies around the world to enable dialogue States launched the European Parliamentary Alliance on the Fight

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Against Hunger, an informal working group made up of MEPs SPAIN Africa and the Arab World is a landmark achievement and a huge step
which will address issues related to food security, nutrition and Attendees of towards fighting food insecurity and hunger in the region. FAO’s most
sustainable agriculture. the First Global recent estimates indicate that food security and nutrition levels in the
Parliamentary
MEP Paolo de Castro, who was endorsed and appointed Summit against Near East and North Africa have sharply deteriorated over the last five
by Members as the Coordinator for the Alliance, underlined Hunger and years, undermining the steady improvements achieved before 2010.
Malnutrition,
the importance of the fight against hunger and the need for Palace of the
parliamentarians to push European institutions and stakeholders Senate, Madrid, PRIVATE SECTOR
October 2018.

T
to keep the issue of food and nutrition security high on the political
©FAO/THOMAS
agenda. CANET he private sector plays a fundamental role
in reaching Zero Hunger as part of the 2030
Parliamentary Network for Food Security in Africa Agenda in the fight against food insecurity,
and the Arab World malnutrition and rural poverty. According to
At the start of 2019, around 50 parliamentary representatives from Marcela Villarreal, “It is a mistake to see the private sector only as a
Africa and Arab World countries launched the Parliamentary Network source of funding. Companies can make contributions in kind such
for Food Security in Africa and the Arab World. The Network is an as agricultural inputs and logistical support; they offer services and
initiative of the Association of Senate, Shoora and Equivalent Councils support for workers and for the communities where they are based;
in Africa and Arab World (ASSECCA), supported by FAO through they create capability in rural communities and share knowledge
its Regional Initiative on Building Resilience for Food Security and and expertise. The private sector is a valuable source of information
Nutrition in the Near East and North Africa. and know-how, which can help FAO improve its operations in the
The launch of the Parliamentary Network for Food Security in food production industry and reduce hunger around the world”.

282 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2
PA R T N E R S H I P S F O R A WO R L D F R E E F R O M H U N G E R

Rabobank Foundation
Founded in 1973 and based in the Netherlands, Rabobank
Foundation is a corporate foundation funded by the Rabobank
Group, which donates a percentage of its annual profits to the
foundation’s activities. Its main activity is to support cooperatives
and member-based organizations through microfinance
mechanisms. The Foundation assists small farmers and their
cooperatives in rural areas of 24 Latin American, African and
Asian countries.
Small farmers’ access to credit in Africa is improving through
a combination of Rabobank’s financial expertise and FAO’s
technical know-how within its local networks. In 2013, FAO and
Rabobank Foundation began a partnership focused on boosting
food security through rural agricultural development. Projects in the
United Republic of Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya helped improve
smallholder farmers’ incomes, access to financial tools and ability to
invest in more efficient production of food crops.
In 2018, FAO expanded cooperation with Rabobank to new
thematic areas and countries, with the aim of building the
capacities of financial professionals and legislators to develop
rural and agricultural financial markets and to expand large-
scale field partnership through a programme of longer-term
interventions. NIGERIA the use of cutting-edge digital technologies for agricultural development,
Inauguration of food security and nutrition, and specifically, prepare and strengthen
ENI the first of ten farmers in the face of extreme weather events related to climate
boreholes to be
In Northeast Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, implemented
change. The partnership foresees joint initiatives targeting innovation,
FAO and Eni (the Italian multinational oil and gas company) are within the digitalization, data analysis and systems so that farmers can access vital
working together to provide local communities and internally framework of the information to improve their livelihoods and strengthen their resilience
joint FAO-ENI
displaced persons with water for domestic use and irrigation. “Access to Water” to climate change.
Following a request made by the Government, FAO and Eni will project to promote
secure access to
foster access to safe and clean water by drilling boreholes powered water in selected Kuehne Foundation
with photovoltaic systems. The project aims to contribute to the communities. In 2013, FAO and the Kuehne Foundation joined forces to support
humanitarian interventions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) ©FAO NIGERIA rural livelihoods through improved logistics. The collaboration involves
and host communities affected by the North East Lake Chad crisis, the design and delivery of on-the-spot training on humanitarian and
which has led to unprecedented levels of population displacements agro-industrial logistics to FAO field staff and local partners. The Kuehne
and prolonged disruption of agricultural, livestock and fishing Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation focusing on training, education
activities. The Access to Water project is the first initiative promoted in and research in the field of transport and logistics, provides capacity
the FAO/Eni collaboration. building and knowledge exchange in logistics for agriculture, both in
emergencies and for the development of efficient food and agricultural
Telefónica systems. The partnership outlines a broad framework of programmes to
In 2017, FAO and Spain’s Telefonica, one of the world’s largest alleviate suffering of populations affected by the growing number of crises
telecommunications companies, agreed to work together to leverage that impact food security and, second, to help actors of food supply chains

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deliver quality and safe food to consumers. The FAO and the Kuehne VIET NAM Google technology, such as Earth Engine. In 2016, a working
Foundation have currently developed a Food Logistics module for towns Researchers for team was set up within the Organization headquarters made
aimed at urban planners and municipalities. These tools are available to the the National up of Google and FAO experts in the use of high-resolution
Forest Assessment
Organization and its members for technical capacity building. (NFA) using laser satellite information as a tool for daily use in natural resource
technology devices management in order to support the various projects.
that measure both
Google tree height and
Google Maps and FAO agreed to work in close partnership to ensure thickness in areas Fertitecnica Colfiorito
that geospatial surveillance and mapping tools are more accessible, of the forest that are In 2017, FAO partnered with Fertitecnica Colfiorito Srl, an Italian
inaccessible
helping countries to tackle climate change with the latest technology market leader in pulses, to support smallholder farmers’ access
©FAO/JOAN
and building the capacity of experts working in the field of forestry MANUEL BALIELLAS to market. The initiative helps facilitate the access of agricultural
policies and land use. cooperatives in the southern hemisphere to the European pulses
The partnership between Google Maps and FAO is designed markets, using Fertitecnica’s distribution network. The partnerships
to foster innovation and expertise and sharply broaden access to will bring sustainably cultivated beans, chickpeas and lentils from
easy-to-use digital tools. Google Maps provided 1 200 trusted tester agricultural cooperatives in developing countries to the shelves of
credentials on Google Earth Engine to FAO staff and partners, as Italian and European supermarkets, providing important economic
well as training. FAO trained its own staff and technical experts in support to smallholder farmers while helping to promote healthy
Member States, upon their request, to use free and open source nutrition in Europe. Other initiatives foreseen by the agreement
software tools developed within its Open Foris Initiative and using include publications, an app that helps children and adults learn

284 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2
PA R T N E R S H I P S FOR A WORLD FREE FROM HUNGER

“THE PRIVATE
SECTOR PLAYS
A CRUCIAL ROLE
IN PROMOTING
RESPONSIBLE
INVESTMENTS IN
AGRICULTURE”
JOSÉ GRAZIANO DA SILVA
FAO DIREC TOR-GENER AL

about the benefits of legumes in a fun and interactive way,

and support to universities and research centres to develop
studies on new ways of cultivating and consuming pulses.

MARS
In October 2015, FAO and Mars Incorporated signed a PERU Promoting principles of responsible agricultural
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together Family farmers investment
harvesting
to achieve better food safety and quality along the food quinoa. In 2014, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) adopted the Principles for
chains, especially in developing countries. The agreement ©FAO
Responsible Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) in order
aims at promoting international standards for food safety to provide guidance to all types of agricultural investment including fisheries,
and quality, improving food safety management, based forests and livestock. In this context, FAO promotes inclusive business models
on scientific principles to reduce food-borne illness, and (IBMs) as one of the approaches that encourage the responsible integration of
facilitating global access to information. small-scale producers into markets, with the underlying principle that they offer
Under the agreement, Mars supports FAO’s food safety mutual benefits for farmers and the private sector.
program by providing access to food safety data and by In 2018, FAO, in partnership with the Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian
providing experts in key areas such as traceability. The Studies (SMAIAS) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development
FAO-Mars collaboration also focuses on reducing food (IISD), organized the“International Symposium on Contract Farming and
safety risks related to mycotoxin contamination. The Other Inclusive Business Models”in Harare, Zimbabwe. The multi-stakeholder
data and knowledge related to mycotoxin contamination symposium was attended by 120 participants and brought together institutions
developed by Mars Inc. is considered to be of great benefit that represent buyers (private sector companies) and farmers (cooperatives/
in expanding the functionalities of the FAO mycotoxin associations), in order to enhance discussions on how to improve agricultural
sampling tool, which has already drawn the interest of a contracts using the CFS-RAI and the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible
number of Member States as well as other UN agencies. Agricultural Supply Chains.

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SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION SENEGAL Development. In this context, particular emphasis has been

S
Through the placed on SSTC in the areas of science, technology, innovation
FAO South-South
outh-South Cooperation (SSC) is an integral Cooperation
and capacity development.
part of international cooperation for Programme, SSTC became formalized and institutionalized at FAO
development. Grounded on its unique principles and a Vietnamese
expert teaches
with the launch of the Special Programme for Food Security
flexible approaches, SSC, as a complement to North- Senegalese (SPFS) in 1994. The programme was implemented mainly for
South cooperation, provides developing countries a broader farmers about the support of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs)
methods of
framework to engage in mutually-beneficial cooperation in cultivating to improve their national food security through increased
pursuit of their individual and collective development goals. In improved rice productivity and sustainable food production. As an important
varieties.
recent years, South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) scheme within the SPFS, SSC enabled countries to benefit from
©FAO/J. KOELEN
has gained momentum and emphasis in the global development the experience and expertise of other developing countries,
discourse being recognized as an effective mechanism in largely through the deployment of experts from provider
the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable countries to work directly with farmers in rural communities of

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 CHAPTER 5.2
PA R T N E R S H I P S FOR A WORLD FREE FROM HUNGER

SOU T H-SOU T H
A ND T R I A NGU LA R A FEW EXAMPLES OF
COOPER ATION (SSTC) FAO’S SSTC INITIATIVES
IS INCREASINGLY
RECOGNIZED AS „ Parliamentarian- mutual support between local
AN EFFECTIVE to-Parliamentarian
exchanges.
governments to make their cities
and interconnected regions more
MECHANISM IN THE The Parliamentary Front against food secure. The initiative is built
IMPLEMENTATION Hunger (PFH), established in on the understanding that cities

OF THE 2030 AGENDA 2009 within the framework of

the Hunger Free Latin America
in developing countries face
similar socio-economic
FOR SUSTAINABLE and the Caribbean initiative, has challenges and through
DEVELOPMENT. played a key role in the fight
against hunger and malnutrition
collaboration and sharing
of good practices, they can
in the region including through support each other in their
supporting the creation of legal endeavors to achieve urban
frameworks and institutional food security and transition
arrangements to ensure access towards more sustainable
to adequate food and nutrition food systems.
as fundamental human right.
recipient countries. SSC was a key factor for success of the SPFS. „ Farmer-to-Farmer
Projects implemented under the programme demonstrated the „ Producer Organizations exchanges.
intensified use of diverse technologies to increase the yield of and Parliamentarians. Farmer-to-farmer exchanges are
major staple crops sustainably. FAO utilizes an innovative and another decentralized approach
In 2012, FAO established an SSC Unit as part of its reform flexible approach to bring to SSTC through which FAO
agenda and efforts to ensure stronger institutional support for together parliamentarians and facilitates knowledge exchanges
SSTC. To bolster FAO’s institutional support to SSTC and to producer organizations under and experience sharing
enhance visibility of its work in this area, the SSC Unit became the SSTC umbrella with the aim among farmers and producer
a full-fledged Office of South-South and Triangular Cooperation of replicating good practices organizations at the local and
in 2019. Convinced that all countries have innovative solutions in the fight against hunger and grass-roots level. While the
to offer, and observing that in recent years, developing malnutrition. FAO brings these approach has gained more
countries, in particular emerging economies, are increasingly two actors together because traction in recent years, it was
cooperating and exchanging development solutions with other of their complementary roles: already applied by FAO as
producers have technical skills part of the Farmer Field Schools
developing countries, FAO is fully committed to facilitating
while parliamentarians enact (FFS) as early as the 1990s,
these connections.
legislation and are key to before SSTC institutionalized in
Three features of FAO’s recent approaches to SSTC include:
institutionalizing government FAO. By focusing exchanges
1) upstream policy engagements and the facilitation of policy policies that support producer at the grass-roots level, the
dialogues and policy exchanges related to agriculture, food security organizations. approach has been effective in
and nutrition; 2) active engagement in SSTC with non-state actors meeting the capacity needs of
including parliamentarians, local governments, private sector, „ City-to-City local actors, marginalized and
academia, NGOs, cooperatives, and farmer associations; and 3) a collaboration. vulnerable groups including rural
decentralized approach to involve local actors, municipalities and The City-to-City Initiative women, indigenous groups and
cities in SSTC. promotes the potential of the youth.

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288 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.3

COMMUNICATION
AT FAO

C
ITALY ommunication is at the heart of FAO’s
Inauguration of mission to help build consensus for a world
video installation
by video-artist
without hunger. The effectiveness and credibility of
Paolo Scoppola the Organization as a policy-making forum and unique
during the sixth multilingual centre of excellence, knowledge and technical expertise
edition of the
National Day for depends to a considerable degree on its ability to communicate its
prevention of food work to harness efforts to eradicate hunger.
waste, at FAO
headquarters. For this task FAO has a team of professionals whose role it is
to get the Organization’s message out to a vast global audience,
©FAO/GIULIO
NAPOLITANO comprising Member governments and their agricultural experts,
the scientific community, the media and the general public. To
communicate FAO’s message to so many different audiences, a
complex set of communication tools is utilised: keeping the website
up-to-date; preparing press releases; producing and distributing
audio and video content, photographs and infographics; keeping
the social media up-to-date (FAO is active on Facebook, Twitter,
Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Slideshare, Youtube
and Flickr); producing technical and educational publications; and
coordinating interviews with FAO technical experts and others, are
just some examples.

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COMMUNICATION IN SUPPORT OF FAO’S MISSION AND THE SDGs

C FAO COMM U NICATION EFFORTS W ILL

ommunication not only
showcases the positive
contribution of FAO’s ALWAYS SEEK TO BE COMPETITIVE,
work across myriad INNOVATIVE, PROACTIVE,
sectors, it also acts as a catalyst
in supporting the elimination of TARGETED AND APPROPRIATELY
hunger from the world. EQUIPPED TO ENGAGE W IT H TODAY’S
When Director-General José
FAST-CH A NGING GLOBAL
Graziano da Silva took office MEDI A, COMM U NICATION A ND
in January 2012, FAO built POLITICAL EN V IRONMEN T.
a new transformational
communication strategy
on this premise to ensure
coherence in corporate
messaging, outreach and
consistency in the overall and harmonizing communication processes and management
FAO brand. communication structures. This has helped to strengthen
management at global, internal coordination, improve planning and
The new communication regional and national levels. benchmarking, and ensure timely, accurate,
strategy saw the formation of These efforts are underpinned and consistent messaging on FAO’s strategic
a dedicated Office for Corporate by FAO’s commitment to ensure direction. And third, FAO Members and
Communication (OCC) and a streamlining that countries at all levels of development the general public increasingly perceive the
of key functional responsibilities relating to media – particularly the poorest – have access to the Organization as speaking with one voice
relations; Internet and social media; internal knowledge, public goods and services within across a range of communication channels.
communication; outreach and special initiatives; all areas of FAO’s mandate to achieve the 2030 Combined, these improvements ensure tailored
and publishing, library and archival services. Agenda for Sustainable Development, the communication products are readily available to
guiding framework for both FAO and the broader global media and other key audiences via FAO’s
The primary objectives of this communication UN family over the next decade. diverse communication platforms.
strategy remain: to support FAO as the lead
United Nations organization in the fight against The current approach has provided several key LOOKING AHEAD
hunger and malnutrition; to help fulfil the advantages. First, oversight for all communication As a dynamic player in a shifting
Organization’s mandate; and to support the activities has been integrated into one office to communication landscape, FAO recognizes
mobilization of resources for the Organization. ensure coherence and consistency of corporate that sustained innovation will be required to
Further aims include boosting FAO’s presence in messaging and communications outputs. This increase the visibility and reinforce the position
the global media, ensuring a uniform public voice has improved cost-effectiveness and resource of the Organization as the lead UN agency in
for the Organization in matters relating to the efficiency. Second, the conceptualization the fight to eradicate hunger and malnutrition.
fight against hunger, providing a coherent visual of publications and other communication In the coming years, FAO will continue to
identity across all media, and professionalizing products is better connected to FAO’s internal enhance the quality of communication services

290 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

it provides to expand its reach with its target equipped to engage with today’s fast-changing ITALY
audiences, and to support – in the most global media, communication and political The press conference
for the launch of The
effective way possible – the strategic framework environment. This chapter outlines in more detail State of Food Security
of the Organization and its work towards the key developments, successes and innovations and Nutrition in the
World 2018, held in the
achieving the 2030 Agenda. FAO communication across all FAO communication areas since Sheikh Zayed Centre at
efforts will always seek to be competitive, 2012, and lays out a path for communication FAO headquarters.
innovative, proactive, targeted and appropriately developments in the years to come. ©FAO/G. NAPOLITANO

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DIGITAL COMMUNICATION
AND INNOVATION

D
igital-first content: storytelling and Zero
Hunger FAO’s digital team is driving its presence on
rapidly-growing Internet-based platforms. It is using
adaptive, agile and novel approaches to make the Zero
Hunger message accessible and engaging to millions of people in direct,
meaningful, measurable and authentic ways and reviving a respect for
food and all those who help bring it to the table.
In recent years, as the Internet revolutionized the media sector,
FAO has emerged as a prominent digital actor on the international
development stage. A strategic effort, based on heightened engagement,
innovative storytelling and disciplined focus on core yet cross-cutting
issues has given FAO a lead role in the #Zero Hunger narrative that is
the down-to-earth meaning of the global pledge to eradicate hunger
by 2030. Measured by “Share of Voice” (SoV), a key indicator used by
brands to gauge the efficacy of their communications efforts, shows that
in 2018 FAO owned 80 percent of the #ZeroHunger conversation on
digital channels.
The new digital-first approach is focused both on producing and
tailoring content in ways that make it more engaging and compelling
and available in formats that audiences expect and appreciate. That
means adapting to mobile technologies – two-thirds of the world’s
population now have a mobile phone, and more often than not it’s a
“smartphone” connecting them to the Internet. The rapid rise of mobile
devices over desktop stations for Internet access is particularly marked in
Africa and Asia.
By harnessing the power of imagery and video in a storytelling
FAO.ORG GROWTH PER YEAR paradigm, FAO has made its content more accessible and also made its
brand more visible, especially for younger audiences. This dynamic and
interactive approach has tangibly boosted public engagement with FAO in
2018 +25% ways that materially support the Organization’s work. FAO also benefits
as digital analytics can flag unexpected and viral interest in subjects such
2017 +20% as soil health that might have been assumed to be the sole domain of
2016 +23% technical experts. The Office for Corporate Communication (OCC) has
updated its approach to media uses and bolstered a focus on producing
2015 +16% high-quality photos, videos and stories designed for different channels.
2014 +135% One important change has been to ramp up the use of storytelling
that can feature first-person narratives and give our audiences down-
2013 to-earth insights into people’s lives and challenges. This genre also
assures that we acknowledge people not as beneficiaries but as partners
Million users 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
in change while also revealing the impact that collaboration with FAO
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. COMMUNICATION AT FAO. has made in their lives.

292 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.3
COM M U N IC AT ION AT FAO

FAO COMMS IN NUMBERS

The new FAO.org: innovating our corporate platforms

In 2017, FAO.org was revamped with an eye to the latest design
principles, optimized for mobile use, and structured as a compelling
„ FAO website traffic has grown
from 14 million views in 2013
750 000
new followers.
portal for a wide variety of external users. The new home page offers
nine slots, rotated daily, allowing for the presentation of a wide variety
to 70 million views in On average, over 35% growth
2018 (around 20% per year). rate per year.
of public information services, ranging from stories, news releases
and announcements of events to highlighting thematic resources and „ In 2018 alone, „ The “Share of Voice” indicator
publications and showcasing multimedia content. The flexibility allows for FAO campaign videos reached shows that, in 2018, FAO
20 million views.
timely responses to breaking news and trends and for serving the variegated
audiences – including learners, connectors, achievers and sharers – with owned 80% of the
information they can use for research, advocacy and personal interest. #ZeroHunger conversation
„ In 2018, FAO has published on digital channels.
FAO has broadened its language coverage across all areas of the
domain and all digital channels, in order to reach geographically- and over 70 multilingual
„ In 2018, FAO published
culturally-diverse audiences. All corporate pages on FAO.org are available stories, promoting various
in the six official languages of the United Nations. Benchmark publications, thematic issues and success 829 books and
such as the annual The State of Food and Agriculture report, have since 2017
been endowed with digital landing pages – interactive, responsive, fully
stories on FAO’s work in the field.
1187 brochures.
audience-centred digital reports with strong data visualization components „ On Facebook, FAO is among
„ By the end of 2018,
– that offer the world’s increasingly educated public a middle“scrollytelling” the TOP FIVE UN the FAO Document Repository,
path between overly-abbreviated summaries and reading hundreds of organizations in terms of the official online publications
pages, offering a deep dive into authoritative material repackaged to stoke followers and engagement. archive, contained
interest and informed debate.
These changes have enhanced both user experience and overall utility, „ In 2018 alone, FAO’s social 85 000 documents
and tangibly contribute to making FAO’s brand and mission more visible media following has grown by and publications.
and accessible. Overall website traffic, measured in page views, rose to 70
million in 2018 from 14 million in 2013. SOURCE: FAO. 2019. COMMUNICATION AT FAO.

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THE NEW FAO.ORG

PODCAST
Reaching an ever-larger audience,
podcasts such as Target: Zero Hunger,
which unveils the many facets of global
food security, or Stories from the Field, a
compilation of FAO on-the-ground success
stories, can be broadcast or downloaded
at the listener's convenience. The complete
collection can be found here.
www.fao.org/news/podcast/en/

STORIES
The 'Stories' section presents first-hand accounts of real-life
experiences. With more than 70 multilingual stories from
around the world published in 2018, this section touches on
key themes for FAO and highlights the Organization's work in
the field. Read about Purity Karemi’s path towards becoming a
young farmer in Kenya and many other success stories here.
www.fao.org/home/stories-archive/en/

DIGITAL REPORTS ARCHIVE

Interactive, responsive, and audience-centred digital
reports offer a new way of consulting major publications.
From The State of Food and Agriculture report, which
broke the ground in 2017 with its own digital landing
pages, to the recently released The State of the World’s
Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, here you can deep
dive into authoritative material repackaged to trigger
informed debate.

294 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.3
COM M U N IC AT ION AT FAO

VIDEO E-LEARNING CENTRE

Whether looking for FAO’s latest video contribution FAO's courses cover a wealth of topics, including food
to biodiversity, or one or more of the nearly 100 and nutrition security, gender, and food safety. Carefully
video messages from the Director-General recorded in designed to easily identify learning objectives and engage
2018, here is the place to browse. FAO produces and learners, the courses are user-friendly and available in
distributes video content in a variety of formats and on different formats to match different technical settings,
different platforms. including CD-ROM, online and downloadable modules.
www.fao.org/news/video-at-fao/en/ https://elearning.fao.org/

STATISTICS AT FAO PUBLICATIONS

Eight databases cover a broad spectrum of topics related to food Free access to a wide range of FAO publications, as well as
security and agriculture: these include FAOSTAT, FAO’s corporate updates on latest releases, official distributors’ details, and
database. Data are available from 245 countries and 35 regional a whole section devoted to The State of the World series.
areas from 1961 to today. FAO also develops methods and Besides the 829 publications produced in 2018, you can
standards for food and agriculture statistics, providing technical browse through the complete FAO Document Repository,
assistance services and disseminating data for global monitoring. FAO’s official online publications archive.
www.fao.org/statistics/en/ www.fao.org/publications

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CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

Corporate social media channels

FAO’s communications team operates across major
social media channels, using each in ways that best fit
their communities and the Organization’s interests. FAO
operates multiple Twitter accounts with combined followers
exceeding 1.4 million. This medium is particularly used by
communities of practice, including scientists and journalists,
so accounts are curated to serve specialized audiences
FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM interested in subjects such as climate change, forestry,
1.3M 1.4M 240K emergency operations and statistics as well as Permanent
followers followers followers Representatives of the Organization’s member countries.
Facebook caters to the general public, and OCC uses the
platform to post visually-enticing material and videos, as
well as to offer “live” dialogues with FAO experts in relation
to events with global footprints such as the COP climate
summits or FAO-hosted high-level events such as international
symposia on agroecology, nutrition and biodiversity.
FAO is also present on LinkedIn, a site geared to
professionals, where it showcases work done by OCC and the
Organization at large to its nearly 300 000 followers – and even
YOUTUBE FLICKR LINKEDIN more when the items are shared. Accelerated by a new editorial
42K 1K 286K approach that capitalizes on surging global interest in food
followers followers followers in all its dimensions – cuisine and nutrition as well as food
security – FAO’s Instagram followers also rose by 95 percent in
2018 to nearly 200 000.
The guiding idea is to promote FAO as a centre of excellence
FAO SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH PER YEAR that is open to all, easy to access and interactive, thus
contributing to its transparency as a knowledge hub for some
of the world’s greatest challenges. The approach has rapidly put
2018 +40% FAO among the top five United Nations organizations in terms
2017 +21% of followers and engagement.
All told, FAO’s social media following has grown at an
2016 +42% annual rate of more than 35 percent in recent years. FAO
has formed partnerships with digital outlets such as the
2015 +39%
World Economic Forum and Now, as well as with companies
2014 +226% such as Facebook, Twitter and GIPHY, and collaboration is
expected to propel the Organization towards even greater
2013
digital reach. That said, technology is a tool and not a goal,
Users and OCC’s vision of service to the Organization is driven by
(in millions) 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 the conviction that the digital era only bolsters the rule that
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. COMMUNICATION AT FAO. content is king.

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FAO'S TOP DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS

https://www.youtube. https://www.youtube.com/ https://www.youtube.com/ https://www.youtube.com/

com/watch?time_ watch?v=HNXImhAkGuM watch?v=e3CWTisO5jk watch?v=4NmIDq81aRE
continue=2&v=GD-K8fMlrVk
IMAGINE LOSING NO MATTER HOW YOU IMAGINE A WORLD
WE SHARE ONE EVERYTHING IN LOOK AT IT: THIS IS OUR WITHOUT BEES
FUTURE. IF WE DON’T A MOMENT AND ONLY HOME
SHAPE IT, WHO WHILL? #MIGRATION WAS „ FAO campaign for World Bee
YOUR ONLY CHOICE… „ FAO campaign for the UN Day 2018
„ FAO #ZeroHunger campaign Climate Change Conference
feat. Lambert Wilson „ FAO campaign for the 2017 (COP23) feat. Thomas The campaign helped to
eradication of Peste des Petits Pesquet deepen the understanding of
The strategic decision to use Ruminants (PPR) the impact of the decline of
Lambert Wilson, the famous Who can have a better bees on the future of food.
actor, for the Zero Hunger The campaign portrayed an view of the planet than a One of the key success
campaign meant tapping issue that used to seem too famous astronaut like Thomas factors was the look and feel
into an audience that would technical and distant to FAO’s Pesquet? He comes with of the content and the fact
be willing to emulate him or digital audience: PPR. The his own large following that the campaign was linked
his actions.Influencers are video, which was the lead and authentic personal to the first International Bee
more valuable to brands piece of the campaign, made experience of seeing Earth Day.
and organizations now more the issue of losing livelihoods from above. He was able
than ever before, due to
their ability to dramatically
so much more relatable. In
fact, the campaign shows
to convey a strong message
that “every action counts” to
2.2 MILLION
increase reach and what it means to lose one’s millions of followers. video views
engagement. home and income and live in
fear of having nowhere safe
2.6 MILLION
3.9 MILLION to go as a consequence of
goat and sheep plague. video views
video views
2.7 MILLION
video views

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FAO AND THE MEDIA

F
AO’s media team works to enable the world’s
news channels to provide active and accurate news
COMPELLING V IDEOS,
about and insights into FAO’s multiple areas of work, and FEAT U R ING T HE VOICES
to emphasize how they are practically geared to eradicating OF FAO EX PERTS, FAO
hunger and putting food systems on a sustainable and healthy
footing. The world’s Sustainable Development Goals will require
BENEFICI A R IES A ND FAO’S
contributions from everyone, which means it is absolutely critical PA RT NERS IN T HE FIELD,
that people know what they are and how progress is being pursued H AV E BECOME A V ERY
and achieved. Global and local media are the most effective channel
for spreading information about the essential data FAO produces IMPORTANT ELEMENT
and its important programmes targeting Zero Hunger. IN MEDIA REPORTING
FAO claims authority in delivering benchmark facts to a world
that needs them – on food prices, forest cover, fish stocks and
AND SOCIAL MEDIA
more – and mainstream media tend to take their own initiatives to OUTREACH.
convey them to the broader public. OCC’s Media Relations Group
(OCCM) focuses primarily on outreach to existing media such as
newspapers, television broadcasters and radio networks. There
is ample evidence that this linkage is the first step towards much
broader constituencies including governments, researchers, private-
sector actors and civil society associations. relationships with China’s Xinhua news agency – now one of the ITALY
The media team’s ultimate target is increasing the visibility of most capillary news-gathering organizations in the world – and Journalists
working in the
FAO’s work to the rest of the world, whose support is crucial not with Mexico’s Notimex, Russia’s TASS and Spain’s EFE agencies, Media Centre
only in terms of budget dynamics but increasingly also in terms of all of which serve multiple countries, have helped boost global during the World
effective governance and successful implementation of programmes reach. A link with the United Arab Emirates’ WAM, a partnership Summit on
Food Security,
and initiatives. In 2018, FAO’s headquarters produced more than with Thomson Reuters Foundation, a philanthropic wing of the 16–18 November
195 news releases and web stories, 26 opinion pieces signed by media group dedicated to covering often under-reported news, 2009, FAO
headquarters.
the Director-General, and earned some 300 000 citations or direct is proving highly successful. The same is true of the tie-up with
©FAO/ALESSIA
publications in print and online media outlets in major languages the publisher of EL PAÍS, Spain’s largest newspaper, which has PIERDOMENICO
around the world – a sevenfold increase from a decade earlier. The a strong presence in Latin America and whose articles are often
monthly pace of media clippings, at well above 20 000, was almost syndicated in that region, where interest in FAO’s themes is
50 percent higher than the target of 14 000 set in the biennial plan. growing quickly. A new partnership with France Médias Monde,
which includes France24 and Radio France International, and
News releases Jeune Afrique will encourage opportunities for FAO’s voice to be
FAO’s press releases and web stories are usually adapted to heard more in the Francophone world.
and distributed in all six UN languages, and FAO is well ahead The Guardian, which boasts one of the largest digital audiences
of the curve on this UN agenda item. FAO has established of any news organization in the world, and National Geographic,
partnerships with influential media organizations identified a historic magazine with an influential subscriber base, have also
as having the budgetary and technical capacity to amplify the been key partners able to contribute significant resources through
Organization’s message and work in a large-scale way. Targeted actions such as map-making and spreading the word.

298 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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Video
Video products are essential to visualize success stories and
complex technical issues. Compelling videos, featuring the
voices of FAO experts, FAO beneficiaries and FAO’s partners
in the field, have become a very important element in media
reporting and social media outreach. Through its cooperation
with the European Broadcasting Union and UNifeed, FAO
is constantly making its video products available to international
broadcasters, and a wider audience through YouTube.
In 2018, FAO’s well-established distribution network with
major TV channels and news agencies (including Reuters
TV, APTN, AFP), the EBU, and UNifeed has contributed to

PARTNERSHIPS IN THE
GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
ENVIRONMENT

One of the things we news organizations in Arabic,

know with certainty – Chinese, English, French,
along with the fact that the Russian and Spanish, generally
only tolerable number for the with partners that allow for
number of hungry in the world their materials to be used by
is zero – is that partnerships other news organizations.
are essential to turn the These tie-ups aim to bolster
Sustainable Development FAO’s ability to deliver on
Agenda into reality. A number fundamental communications
of critical media partnerships functions: to inform, explain,
have been established engage, show proposals for
in recent years, aimed at change, facilitate participation,
increasing the visibility of and last but not least, to
FAO and its overarching goal mobilize resources to foster a
of eradicating hunger. The global transition to sustainable
Organization has selected food and agriculture systems
to form alliances with top-tier that leave no one behind.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 299

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A FISHY FASHION SHOW

Video is an increasingly popular discarded as a byproduct. Yet it can be turned

news medium, especially among youth. into a soft, flexible and durable fabric with
strong media coverage. Some 30 in-house events were
It is also particularly well suited for telling unique aesthetic characteristics.
covered and over 55 videos were produced, distributed certain stories with a strong “see it to believe
and picked up by top-tier broadcasters such as BBC, it” component. Such was the case with To convey the possibilities, FAO produced
Al Jazeera, France24, France’s TV5, China’s CCTV and the Blue Fashion Showcase that FAO and a video featuring, along of course with the
Italy’s RAI, among others. FAO is now experimenting partners organized in Nairobi in late 2018 fashion models and their marvelous purses,
with emerging technology that allows for its videos to as a side event to a conference on how dresses and shoes, the entrepreneurial efforts of
be tracked in real time when used on more than 2 200 sustainable management of marine resources a fish-processing company near Kenya’s Lake
channels in 76 countries. can contribute to development. The catwalk Turkana, where local perch can grow as large
FAO’s video team also organizes and supports in-house featured a lot of fish skin, which with great as two meters long – “a lot of intact fish skin
needs, arranging more than 70 field missions in 2018, innovation can be turned into a fascinating and to work on,” says the family that has turned an
recording nearly 100 video messages from the Director- valuable textile for haute couture and beyond. astute guess into a company that now exports
Cow leather carries a high carbon footprint, around the world. The event was a big hit in
General – for use at conferences or for public distribution
while synthetic fibers carry environmental Nairobi, and the video footage was aired
– and covering around 90 bilateral meetings with visiting
downsides. Fish skin, meanwhile, is often 146 times by 28 broadcasters in 16 countries.
dignitaries. An innovative new genre, short video
interviews for use on social media, is also proving popular. SOURCE: FAO. 2019. COMMUNICATION AT FAO.

300 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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Photography ITALY
Photography is the original multimedia format and remains a priority [ABOVE LEFT] HOW TO GET FAO VIDEOS & PHOTOS
at FAO. A team of photographers cover events in headquarters Filming of the Zero
Hunger Promo
and occasional field missions, delivering content rapidly for media with French actor
communications efforts and to valued stakeholders. FAO’s Photo Lambert Wilson.
FAO produces quality You can get FAO photos
footage related to its in several ways. The first
Unit also commissioned more than 25 professional assignments to
[ABOVE RIGHT] activities through different is through FAO's mediabase,
document the Organization’s field projects and events around the
FAO Photo Library channels. The FAO channel on the online photo archive, that
world in 2018, which led to more than 11 000 photos being added to staff cataloguing YouTube features packaged stories offers over 100 000 thematic
the FAO mediabase, an online corporate photo archive. photographs
as well as events and projects images, as well as some of the
on the FAO
Media outlets around the world, many of them top-tier, as well as mediabase online ready to watch video content. Organization’s historical analogue
the UN News service, frequently request and use FAO photos. There corporate photo If you wish to download video collection. You need to create
archive.
are now more than 4 000 registered users of the FAO mediabase, while products, the Video Catalogue is an account to search, view, and
another 9 000 requests were handled through the FAO Photo Library ©FAO/ the right place to browse. Designed place orders for high-resolution
ALESSANDRA
to external and internal users. A strategic partnership with the NOOR BENEDETTI for professional content users to photographs. Social media
photo agency for World Food Day in 2018 produced high-quality download high-quality video news channels offer another useful
content that was pitched to 1 418 editors of major publishing platforms packages and feature stories about way to access FAO photos: FAO
plus syndicated partners, offering a welcome boost to FAO’s visibility. the Organisation’s work, the Media Flickr accounts feature images of
Vault features high-definition clean FAO events and work in the field.
The content also generated around half a million engagements on
footage, available for immediate Professionally shot, and available
NOOR’s own social media platforms, thus bringing new audiences
download, subject to credit and for immediate download, all the
into FAO’s sphere of interest. copyright conditions. If you are pictures are subject to credit and
looking for archival videos, the copyright conditions. Should you
Audio and beyond FAO video library has recordings wish, you can also send direct
FAO continues to ride the wave of the global podcast revolution, of events and field missions requests for photo coverage and
a source of news and entertainment that is particularly popular from 1994 to the present. Direct photographs to photo-library@
among the world’s increasingly educated youth. OCCM’s podcast requests: video@fao.org. fao.org.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 301

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Target: Zero Hunger – which can be broadcast and also downloaded

to smartphones – began in the past few years and has been steadily
increasing to reach larger audiences. A new series – Stories from
the Field – focuses on FAO success stories in the field and the
communities benefiting from these projects.
The Organization’s professional radio studio enables international
broadcasters to conduct high-quality interviews with FAO experts. A
radio pitching strategy launched in 2018 led to more than 100 radio
interviews airing on major networks such as BBC, Germany’s Deutsche
Welle and Radio France International. In-house audio interviews
are also conducted and distributed, often in multiple languages to
international broadcasters, as well as through UN Radio’s network.

TOP TEN FAO PODCASTS

Tackling food loss & A digital future for

waste in Egypt Africa's rural youth
fao.org/news/podcast/ www.fao.org/news/
foodlossegypt/en/ podcast/digitalafrica/en/

How can we achieve Can agriculture help

Zero Hunger? tackle climate change?
fao.org/news/podcast/ www.fao.org/news/ ITALY FAO PUBLICATIONS
wfd2018/en/ podcast/cop24/en/

P
Press conference
launch of the latest roducing world-leading publications goes to
El estado de la seguridad Antimicrobial Resistance: edition of FAO’s
alimentaria y la nutrición Why it matters annual flagship the very core of FAO’s primary function – to
report The State collect, analyse, interpret and disseminate information
en el mundo 2018 www.fao.org/news/ of Food and
soundcloud.com/unfao/ podcast/amr/en/ Agriculture (SOFA), relating to nutrition, food and agriculture. In fact, FAO plays
el-estado-de-la-seguridad- held during the a unique role as a neutral forum, providing unbiased, high-quality
Committee on
alimentaria-y-la-nutricion- How can we transform World Food information across all areas relating to food, agriculture and sustainable
en-el-mundo-2018 our food systems? Security (CFS), natural resources management. Its more than 2 000 publications a year
fao.org/news/podcast/ FAO headquarters,
(Sheikh Zayed
range from authoritative analyses for policymakers and expert guidance
What role can the transformingfoodsystems/ Centre). for farmers to nutritional advice for families and general knowledge
livestock sector play? en/ ©FAO/ for young people. As a lead global publisher producing hundreds
www.fao.org/news/ ALESSANDRA
of publications every year, FAO brings together multidisciplinary
podcast/cop24-livestock/en/ Senegal's smart phone BENEDETTI
knowledge in statistical yearbooks and analyses, global assessments,
farmers fao.org/news/
reviews and outlooks, guidelines, manuals and specialized studies.
Why are so many people podcast/phone-apps-
hungry? fao.org/news/ senegal/en/Stories from FAO’s Office for Corporate Communication – Publications (OCCP)
podcast/hunger2018/en/ the field provides publishing support to all FAO units, at headquarters and in
the decentralized offices to facilitate the technical divisions in planning,
SOURCE: FAO. 2019. COMMUNICATION AT FAO. producing and broadly disseminating FAO publications.

302 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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CORPORATE
BROCHURES

These publications
report the strategic
work of FAO, providing
substantive information
and communicating key
policy and technical
messages. They are
available in all six official
languages and represent
FAO's position in specific
thematic areas.

Editorial production „ Technical publications: Cater to a specialized, technical

The OCCP team has the all-important task of coordinating the audience, across the range of FAO’s fields of expertise – they
production of FAO’s flagships and corporate brochures as well as represent the bulk of FAO’s publishing output.
a range of other editorial projects catering to both technical and
non-technical audiences. A team of editors and designers provide „ Standard setting: This group includes much of FAO’s normative
project management, editing, copy-editing and proofreading in information, notably standards, best practices, guidelines as well
all six official languages. They also coordinate the translation of as more formal treaties, conventions and plans of action.
publications into the six official FAO languages – Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Spanish and Russian. Below are FAO’s main „ Studies: Much of FAO’s work consists in studies of specific
categories of publications: technical and socio-economic issues related to animals, fish,
livestock or countries, sectors, regions or other national and
„ Flagships: A core set of titles that focus on the “state of” a key international studies.
area of global interest.
„ Training: As a result of knowledge gained, experience and best
„ High profile: They represent the cutting edge in their field, practices, FAO produces a range of different training materials
usually aimed towards decision makers and experts in the public both for those who work directly in development as well as for the
and private sectors alike. broader public.

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FLAGSHIPS: THE STATE OF THE WORLD

FAO’s The State of World publications provide a and represent a global reference of technical knowledge, statistics and
comprehensive overview of the most pressing global issues and emerging issues. These global reports primarily target policymakers
challenges affecting the world today. They are put together by leading and decision makers, but are also highly relevant to experts, academia,
experts, on an annual basis, often in partnership with sister agencies students, the media and the general public. Below are FAO’s five flagships.

THE STATE OF FOOD THE STATE OF FOOD THE STATE OF THE STATE OF THE THE STATE OF
SECURITY AND AND AGRICULTURE WORLD FISHERIES WORLD’S FORESTS AGRICULTURAL
NUTRITION IN THE 2018 (SOFA) AND AQUACULTURE (SOFO) COMMODITY
WORLD (SOFI) (SOFIA) MARKETS
SOFA is FAO’s original SOFO reports every (SOCO)
SOFI is an annual flagship flagship publication and This premier advocacy two years on the status
report jointly prepared by has been published document is published of forests, recent major It presents commodity
FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP annually since 1947. every two years to policy and institutional market issues in an
and WHO. It informs on It aims at bringing provide policymakers, developments and objective and accessible
progress towards ending to a wider audience civil society and those key issues concerning way to policymakers,
hunger, achieving food balanced, science-based whose livelihoods the forest sector. It commodity market
security and improving assessments of important depend on the fisheries makes current, reliable observers and
nutrition and provides issues in the field of food and aquaculture sector and policy-relevant stakeholders interested in
in-depth analysis on key and agriculture. a comprehensive, information widely agricultural commodity
challenges for achieving objective and global available to facilitate market developments
this goal in the context view of capture fisheries informed discussion and and their impacts on
of the 2030 Agenda for and aquaculture, decision-making with countries at different
Sustainable Development. including associated regard to the world’s levels of economic
policy issues. forests. development.

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GENERAL AUDIENCE PUBLICATIONS

FAO’s commitment to Zero Hunger also means constantly tailoring its

message to reach the broadest range of people possible. It is important to state that
everybody, not just policymakers and technical experts, needs to know about the steps
we can all take to end hunger and create a more sustainable future. As part of its
broader strategy, FAO actively engages in partnerships with the private sector, with civil
society and with researchers in the academic sector to disseminate its core messages

The State of the Planet series was presented at FAO VIDEO

www.youtube.com/
headquarters on 20 April 2018. ©FAO/A. BENEDETTI watch?v=eJ9ws-GzkuQ

FAO–EL PAÍS: The State of the Towards Zero Hunger

Planet series highly complex issues that affect us all. This book showcases a unique collection of FAO
The series addresses the challenges images documenting the Organization’s activities
that humankind will have to face over The books are aimed at a broad from its pioneering early years through to
the coming decades, including climate audience, both young and old, because today. Older images in black and
change, nutrition and the conservation it is only by working together across white later give way to colour,
of our oceans and forests, all of which generations that we can decide how we reflecting FAO’s various
directly impact the planet we live on. The want to live in the future and shape the fields of activity
series of books draw on the most up-to- kind of planet we wish to leave for the spanning the globe
date information available from leading generations to come. The series (11 books) such as agriculture,
experts at FAO and other United Nations were made available with the Sunday fisheries, forestry, and
agencies, raising visibility on the often edition of EL PAÍS on a weekly basis. nutrition.

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AS A DY NA MIC
ORGA NIZATION SIX ILLUSTRATORS FOR #ZEROHUNGER
ADA PTING TO T HE
DEM A NDS OF MODER N In conjunction with the opening of the new FAO Shop, FAO

READERS, FAO HAS MADE invited six illustrators (Diana Ejaita, Del Hambre, Zoulika Bouabdellah, Ying
Hui Tan, Nik Neves and Gary Taxali) to translate an important message into
HUGE STRIDES TO MAKE a striking image in order to raise awareness through a new line of products.

PUBLICATIONS FREELY Each of the illustrators was chosen as representative of a continent as well as a
cross-cultural view of the world, creating their work in spaces that defy simple
AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY definitions of place or identity even though deeply rooted in a culture of origin.

OF FORMATS AND The objective of this campaign was to: raise awareness about FAO’s mission
and areas of work; encourage people to engage with FAO by purchasing
MEDIA, DEMONST R ATING products; and communicate specific messages linked to the overarching themes

ITS COMMIT MEN T of: A #ZeroHunger world by 2030 is possible, and Working for Zero Hunger.

TO BROAD A ND
U NREST R ICT ED ACCESS TO
INFOR M ATION. ©YING HUI TAN

©DEL HAMBRE
Publications dissemination and marketing
FAO is increasing its scope and range of publications marketing and
sales activities. The OCCP team handles the tailored dissemination,
marketing and sale of FAO’s electronic and print publications including

©ZOULIKA BOUABDELLAH
FAO’s flagships, high-profile and general interest publications, as
well as of some technical publications. This work includes decisions
©GARY TAXALI

on dissemination channels and liaison with a global network of

sales agents. In 2018, a dissemination agreement was signed with
the UN. FAO proactively works in partnership with others as a
cost-effective way to increase reach and impact. Increasingly, FAO
publishes in collaboration with partners – as a result of joint technical
and knowledge-sharing initiatives – as well as with scientific,
technical, academic and trade publishers to improve the visibility and
discoverability of its information products.
In November 2018, the FAO Shop opened and a display niche was
©DIANA EJAITA

also installed near the main FAO entrance. The shop stocks publications
©NIK NEVES

and a range of FAO merchandise such as bags, food containers, mugs

and t-shirts. Six illustrators from six regions of the world participated in a
campaign for a new line of FAO merchandise.

306 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

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Digital and electronic platforms ITALY Library and Archives

A dedicated team supports the production, publishing process Exhibition "65 Years The FAO Library provides professional research and
of the FAO Library,
and online access of all FAO publications. There are currently 1952–2017".
information services to FAO staff, delegates, researchers,
over 85 000 documents and publications online in the FAO The story of the and the general public through thousands of print and
Document Repository, representing the institutional memory of the FAO Library which digital resources, including books, journals and databases
documents the more
Organization. than a century-long covering all core disciplines related to FAO output. Upon
As a dynamic Organization adapting to the demands of modern history of the Library cessation of activities in 1945, the International Institute
and the patrimony
readers, FAO has also made huge strides in recent years to make of knowledge of Agriculture donated its library collection to FAO. This
publications freely available in a variety of formats and media, it conserves for collection is a valuable source of historical agricultural
the agricultural
demonstrating its commitment to broad and unrestricted access community. To resources dating back to the 15th century and includes a
to information. FAO launched an Open Access Policy in June 2018 celebrate its 65th rare book and incunabula collection.
anniversary, the
to provide unrestricted and free online access to FAO products FAO Library
The David Lubin Memorial Library houses over
worldwide. exhibited a 1.5 million volumes and is considered one of the world’s
With an eye to the future, the Organization scans the digital selection of finest collections in food, agriculture, food and nutrition,
rare books and
landscape for tools and platforms to enhance circulation. E-books incunabules (first- natural resources, economic and social development,
are disseminated via leading online book discovery platforms like ever printed books forestry, fishery as well as other related fields. The
dating back to
Amazon, Apple Books, Google Books (838 titles were uploaded 1454–1501). Archives are in the basement of the entrance building
in 2018), Barnes & Noble, and others. QR codes are now the ©FAO/GIUSEPPE and extend over 3 800 linear metres which can be
norm during events so that participants and guests can download CAROTENUTO consulted by FAO staff members and researchers from
material easily. FAO Members.

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OUTREACH PARTNERSHIPS INDONESIA (OCCO) is to make FAO’s knowledge accessible

AND COLLABORATIVE PRO BONO World Food Day and actionable by developing innovative and
2018 celebrations.
ARRANGEMENTS engaging communication products. Global awareness
©FAO

V
communication campaigns and events use these
ery often we think of communications products to provoke thought and spark discussions on
as a digital and news-centred the world’s biggest – and eminently solvable problem –
phenomenon. But actual events are alive and hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.
well and, given the multiple stakeholders with OCCO has dramatically increased its production
which FAO must engage, communicating through campaigns and impact through innovative partnerships and
and advocacy at national, regional and global levels is critical collaborative pro bono arrangements with cities,
to achieving Zero Hunger. Such actions bring FAO closer television networks, broadcasters and transport, retail
to the people we need to work with to achieve SDG 2 – the and advertising companies to further galvanize and
governments, stakeholders, NGOs, civil society, farmers, food engage the general public with FAO’s work. Direct
producers, private companies and the general public – and marketing efforts have been gradually ramped up since
improves the credibility of the Organization as a policymaking 2015, expanding on a global scale in 2018, and now
forum. reaching very large populations around the world, often
The role of OCC’s Outreach and Promotions branch in novel venues such as subway trains. FAO’s guiding

308 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

concept with outreach is to find partners and venues that From left to right, Global Campaigns: World Food Day
clockwise: Address
fit the Organization’s purposes, complement rather than by His Holiness FAO’s outreach team regularly carries out global campaigns
compete with Members' prerogatives, and offer value- Pope Francis during to raise awareness about hunger and food security issues,
the World Food Day
for-money impact that can be replicated and sustained Ceremony 2017 at promote healthy diets and garner support for the global Zero
over time. Many events are geared to FAO itself, of course. FAO. FAO Director- Hunger goal. The main event on that front is World Food Day
General, Queen
Public events held at headquarters often need special Letizia of Spain
(WFD), which every year commemorates the founding of the
attention, both to facilitate external visitors and to ensure and King of Lesotho Organization on 16 October 1945 and constitutes FAO’s major
that FAO’s effectiveness and credibility emerge not only during the WFD annual mass initiative to galvanize civil society behind its
Exhibition in 2018.
unscathed but strengthened. An event for children mission. It is also one of the most celebrated international days
In recent years, FAO has also sought to open up to the held at a school in of the UN calendar, with events organized in more than 150
Skopje, Macedonia,
local public, through periodic weekends.“Open House” to celebrate World countries and high-level endorsement and participation. These
events and invitations to targeted groups – ranging from Food Day. Healthy events are an excellent vehicle for FAO to convey to the public
lunch organized by
young professionals and diplomats but highly focused FAO and Ministry the real nature and scale of hunger as well as the need to ensure
on students of various ages, and including guided tours of Agriculture and nutritious diets for everyone. The aim is to mobilize their support
Irrigation in Benita
and live presentations by FAO technical experts. This is Juarez school, Lima,
to achieve Zero Hunger. Since 2015, FAO’s approach to World
growing steadily and generating greater awareness of the Perú. Food Day has been linked to the Sustainable Development
Organization’s work and goals. ©FAO Goals, especially SDG 2: Zero Hunger, as part of the corporate

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 309

 A N OP EN FAO

communication strategy that aims to position the Organization ITALY In 2018, FAO coined the slogan “Our Actions are our
as a leading UN agency in forwarding this goal and the whole Photo exhibit at Future” for the event in an explicit attempt to recruit
FAO headquarters
2030 Agenda. (Atrium) during
individuals to the cause with suggestions about what each
FAO now coordinates over 300 events each year and assists World Food Day of us can do. Outreach partnerships, done on a pro bono
with the translation of an engaging content package in over 30 celebrations, basis with minimal costs for FAO, were leveraged to include
October 2018.
languages. Communications handbooks and toolkits are produced approximately 300 events in almost 150 countries. Highlights
©FAO/CARLO
for various target audiences including schools, governments, the PERLA included reaching a potential 66 million households in the Near
private sector and FAO’s network of local offices, to improve, East and North Africa region through Cartoon Network’s TV
enhance and align their capacity to join the global campaign and broadcast of the WFD promotional video; 4.7 million people
increase the impact of what is after all FAO’s birthday through the in cinemas across Mexico; 4.5 million views a day over 40 days
use of a unique visual identity, theme and set of communication through advertising on transport networks in Jakarta; reaching
products. Famous personalities and global leaders in the fight 1.5 million pedestrians and drivers in Juba; as many as 12
against hunger have attended the global World Food Day million subway, commuter train and bus passengers across
ceremonies in past years including former UN Secretary- General Italy, and many more via similar initiatives in cities such as
Ban Ki-moon; Pope Francis; President of the Italian Republic Madrid, Berlin, Barcelona and Montevideo. OCCO has also
Sergio Mattarella; Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco; FAO Special leveraged one of the cardinal legacies of the Milan Expo of
Ambassadors such as Queen Letizia of Spain and King Letsie III of 2015, by continued engagement of mayors around the world in
Lesotho, and the Agriculture Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7). improving urban food systems.

310 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.3
COM M U N IC AT ION AT FAO

FAO Awards
Awards are an effective communication tool for FAO to
bring momentum to the drive to achieve Zero Hunger
by showcasing efforts and best practices in increasing
food security by individuals, journalists, institutions or
countries whose work, through innovation, quality and
commitment, decisively contributes to this cause. At the
same time, the awards can increase the Organization’s
own visibility and reputation among external audiences,
including donors, all Members, research communities,
reporters and civic society at large.
In existence for almost 40 years now, FAO’s
biennial A.H. Boerma Award for media professionals
is a prestigious and at times career-catalyzing prize
for journalists who have successfully steered public
attention towards food security topics. Other regular
awards include the Jacques Diouf Award – often given
to institutions or non-profit organizations – which
recognizes contributions to food security achieved
through work done identifying and analyzing problems,
mobilizing resources and working to implement solutions
to issues related to food insecurity. The B.R. Sen Award
is granted in recognition of outstanding performance by
[ABOVE]
FAO field officers during their assignments. Other awards
ITALY
include the Saouma Award for institutions that effectively
Awardees from
the 2017 FAO implement projects conceived by FAO, and the Margarita
Awards ceremony. Lizárraga Award for outstanding implementation of the
©FAO/CARLO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.
PERLA
That awards are an effective outreach mechanism
is demonstrated by their growing popularity. Member
[BELOW]
countries are increasingly making requests to jointly
ITALY
Presentation of the
establish new awards. The most recent addition is the
B.R. Sen Award Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture,
to Ms Lalita launched by FAO and the Government of Switzerland
Bhattacharjee
during the 2014 in November 2018 to raise the profile and prospects
FAO Awards for success of promising work done in the areas of
Ceremony.
digitalization and rural youth empowerment.
©FAO/
ALESSANDRA FAO also grants awards to member countries that
BENEDETTI meet the targets set by the international development
agenda. In 2015, 72 countries received a prize for
meeting the food security goal set by Millennium
Development Goal 1 (MDG1) – to reduce at least by half
the proportion of people in the country suffering from
undernourishment.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 311

 A N OP EN FAO

Corporate events ITALY

The zero Pavilion
FAO uses corporate events as a platform to effectively engage representing FAO
with various target audiences and promote itself as an action- and the other UN
oriented and results-driven Organization. Integrated marketing agencies at the
Milan Expo 2015.
communication strategies for events streamline efforts across several
©FAO
elements such as brand identity, communications products and
related outreach activities, and ensure that the Organization responds
to current trends through cutting edge events and related activities.
FAO recently restructured the podium in its major conference
space, the Plenary Hall, where world leaders regularly unite to
discuss food and agriculture issues. This has enabled new “Davos
Style” or “Ted-talk” event formats and the possibility to create more
dynamic events with clear branding, maximising their impact in the
media. Exhibits linked with corporate events at FAO headquarters
enhance the events and increase interaction with target audiences.
The creation of a new strategy and guidelines for exhibits and public
spaces resulted in a 40 percent increase in the number of exhibits
held at FAO in 2018, compared to 2017. It also resulted in more
innovative and high-quality exhibits, meaning a more effective
and salient engagement of key target audiences during high-level
corporate events.

312 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.2
COM M U N IC AT ION AT FAO

International events and exhibits ITALY The itinerary started at Pavilion Zero, based at the main
Events of international relevance such as UN International Years, Exhibition at FAO entrance to the Expo, with UN content featured in 10 of
headquarters on
world expositions or global conferences organized or hosted by the occasion of the
the 12 rooms and continued into the UN Garden. 18 UN
FAO are a key tool to foster dialogue with the public and engage Signing Ceremony installations throughout the Expo, easily recognizable by
public support for the fight against hunger, and FAO’s mission to of Memorandum their giant blue spoons, displayed UN multimedia content
of Understanding
achieve nutritious diets for all. between FAO demonstrating how the UN system contributes to the fight
FAO, in collaboration with the UN Rome-based Agencies, led and National against hunger and promotes healthy diets on a daily basis,
Geographic
the participation of 20 United Nations entities in the Universal Society. and inviting the public to join the Challenge. Three UN Days
Exposition Expo Milan 2015, which attracted more than 20 ©FAO were celebrated at Expo Milano including World Food Day,
million visitors over six months. For the first time in the history where leading figures in the global fight against hunger,
of World Expositions, the UN had an itinerary instead of a including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
pavilion, with content on the UN theme “The Zero Hunger gathered for one of the World Expo’s biggest events. UN
Challenge. United for a Sustainable World” spread across entities also participated in an additional 200 events over
thematic areas of the Expo site. 6 months.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 313

 A N OP EN FAO

YOUTH PROGRAMME

FAO loudly champions the Zero

Hunger goal and often notes
that the timeline falls within the
current generation, meaning that
today’s youth will be the last to live in
a world where people are deprived of
adequate food. FAO not only designs field
programmes and policy frameworks meant
to boost livelihood opportunities for rural
youth, but recognizes that young people
will be – and so in a sense already are –
primary agents of change and the decision
makers of the future. The FAO series of
Activity Books is an essential outreach tool
to engage young people, their families and
educators in FAO’s work and the global
effort to achieve Zero Hunger.

The Activity Books present important global

issues such as hunger and malnutrition,
migration, climate change, and rural
development in a language that is fun and
engaging for school-age children. Through
these products, FAO aims to inspire young
people to join in the global advocacy
and grow up to exclude any alternative
to a Zero Hunger world. The books for
are available on FAO’s Educators’ Portal, ITALY
“Building the Zero Hunger Generation”, FAO welcomed children
a gateway for educators to download from the "Focolari Movement"
material that can support the preparation during a youth outreach event
at FAO's Plenary Hall, as part
of classes on important topics at the core of World Food Day 2018
of FAO’s work. celebrations. FAO's Youth
Programme aims at engaging
young people to join in the
Other outreach initiatives directed to global advocacy and grow
youth include the hosting of model UNs up to exclude any alternative
and other simulations where youth are to a Zero Hunger world.
trained and encouraged to hold interesting ©FAO/ALESSANDRA
BENEDETTI
debates on important issues related to
FAO’s mandate. One of the highlights of
this activity is the threefold increase over
the past three years of school visits to FAO.

314 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 CHAPTER 5.3
COM M U N IC AT ION AT FAO

Celebrities and FAO Ambassadors

Numerous well-known figures, hailing from the world of
entertainment, sports, food, politics, media and royal families,
have collaborated with FAO for various programmes and events
in recent decades, lending their renown to raise awareness
among the general public of the need to work together to
achieve Zero Hunger. FAO’s Special Goodwill Ambassadors
for Zero Hunger play a crucial role in galvanizing global efforts
through all available media and channels to achieve Zero
Hunger. Their role helps the Zero Hunger generation grow,
reaches a broad number of people from all over the world and
contributes to making their voices heard.
Goodwill Ambassadors increase access to information,
identify opportunities to generate dialogue, engage the public
and motivate relevant stakeholders. For example, Carlo Petrini,
President of Slow Food, is FAO Special Ambassador for Zero
Hunger for Europe. His role connects FAO and its mission to
the Slow Food network, which has more than 100 000 members
in over 150 countries – encompassing both the producer and
consumer sides of food systems – and engages millions in its
work to ensure everyone has access to “good, clean and fair
food” as well as spreading interest in topics such as biodiversity
and heritage.
Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
of Thailand, is FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger for
the Asia and the Pacific region. She opens the door to a large
audience in the world’s most populous region and spreads her
longstanding advocacy of initiatives such as school lunches
and gardens. FAO Special
Goodwill
Darine El Khatib is FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Ambassadors,
Hunger for the Region of Near East region and creator of clockwise: Carlo interest through their roles as Special Goodwill Ambassadors
Petrini, President
very popular food-based television programmes with a of Slow Food,
for Nutrition. FAO has also worked with leading figures for
strong focus on engaging children and young people. She has Guadalupe Valdez, special initiatives such as the International Year of Pulses in 2016
provided access to important communication networks such economist and former and has a set of ambassadorial ties with spirited chefs and food
congresswoman
as Cartoon Network’s TV, reaching a potential 66 million for the Dominican influencers around the world, including Chef Oropeza in Mexico,
households in her native region, as well as proving a major Republic who Heinz Beck from Germany, Bela Gil from Brazil, Bertrand Simon
coordinated the
draw at local fairs and events. Parliamentary Front in France; Katsuhiro Nakamura, who also acts as FAO national
Likewise, former congresswoman Guadalupe Valdéz and Against Hunger, Goodwill Ambassador in Japan , Elijah Amoo Addo in West
Kanayo F. Nwanze,
former President of IFAD Kanayo F. Nwanze have untiringly former President of Africa and Anahita Dhondy in South Asia.
promoted FAO’s vision of a world free of hunger and IFAD and Darine el FAO also calls on other change makers from Nobel Peace
Khatib, Lebanese
malnutrition in their respective regions of Latin America and media professional.
Laureates to thematic champions and influencers to maximize
sub-Saharan Africa. Queen Letizia of Spain and King Letsie III outreach. Influencers working with FAO to advocate for Zero Hunger
©FAO
of Lesotho are also major FAO advocates able to mobilize public have been recognized informally as Zero Hunger Champions.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 315

 FAO I N N U MBER S

FAO IN
NUMBERS
FAO’s mission? How is
FAO’s
T
he Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Director-General
THE FAO
Nations (FAO) is a specialized
agency of the United Nations that leads elected? MOTTO*
international efforts to defeat hunger.

R “Fiat panis” is the

Our vision is a world free of hunger and epresentatives of
malnutrition, in which food and agriculture Members meet at
contribute to improving the livelihoods of the biennial FAO FAO motto.
all people, in particular the poorest, in an
economically, socially and environmentally
Conference to review global
governance policy issues and
A latin expression
sustainable way. international frameworks, as well meaning “let
As an intergovernmental organization,
FAO has 194 MEMBERS, two
as to evaluate work carried out
and to approve the budget for the
there be bread”.
associate members and one member next biennium. It appears on the
organization, the European Union. Its
employees come from various cultural
The Conference elects Council
Members to serve three-year
FAO emblem
backgrounds and are experts in the multiple rotating terms to carry out executive alongside the
fields of activity FAO engages in.
FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support
oversight of programme and
budgetary activities. The Conference
Organization’s
improved governance inter alia, generate, also elects a Director-General to a initials and an ear
develop and adapt existing tools and four-year term of office, renewable
guidelines and provide targeted governance once. The current Director-General, of wheat.
support as a resource to country and regional José Graziano da Silva, assumed his
level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, functions on 1 January 2012 and was
Italy, FAO IS PRESENT IN MORE re-elected for a term which expires „ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 4.
THAN 150 COUNTRIES. on 31 July 2019. FAO IN SEVEN DECADES

316 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 EUROPE AND
CENTRAL ASIA
FAO offices around Regional Office
Budapest, Hungary

the world

F
AO is present in more
than 150 countries
through different
office and representation
arrangements. The Organization ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
has five Regional Offices, ten Regional Office
Subregional Offices, Representation Bangkok, Thailand
NEAR EAST AND
Offices in 133 countries, six Liaison NORTH AFRICA
Offices and two Information Offices. AFRICA Regional Office
Regional Office Cairo, Egypt
5 REGIONAL OFFICES Accra, Ghana
LATIN AMERICA
FAO’s five Regional Offices lead FAO’s
AND THE CARIBBEAN
multidisciplinary response to major Regional Office
food security and agricultural and Santiago, Chile
rural development priorities in their
geographic areas. The boundaries and names shown and the designations
used on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion
whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status „ MORE INFORMATION IN PART 5,
10 SUBREGIONAL OFFICES of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or CHAPTER 5.1. AN AGILE NETWORK: FAO’S DECENTRALIZED OFFICES
concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.
FAO has ten Subregional Offices, which Dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for
provide cutting-edge expertise in response which there may not yet be full agreement.

to requests from governments. MAP: UN. February 2019. Office of Information and Communications
Technology, Geospatial Information Section.

COUNTRY OFFICES DISTRIBUTION OF FAO

FAO’s Country Offices – or EMPLOYEES
representations – are at the forefront of (all types of contracts)
action to fight all forms of hunger and to
build people’s resilience to the adverse
How many people TOTAL
EMPLOYEES
32%
effects of climate change and other global
challenges. It is here that FAO reaches its
maximum potential by providing strategic
work at FAO? 11 561
HEADQUARTERS

A
policy advice and making targeted s of February 2019, FAO
technical expertise available where it is
employed 11 561 PEOPLE.
most needed: in the field.
Thirty-two percent are based at
6 LIAISON OFFICES
Based in Brussels, Geneva, Moscow,
headquarters in Rome, while the remainder
work in offices worldwide. Eighty-six percent 68%
Tokyo, New York and Washington and of the 194 Member States are equitably OFFICES
represented. Since 2012, the proportion of WORLDWIDE
2 Information Offices, located in Spain
and Portugal. women in the professional staff category
increased from 36% to 43%.

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 317

 FAO I N N U MBER S

How is FAO
funded?

F
AO is funded through
assessed and voluntary
contributions.

MEMBERS’ ASSESSED
CONTRIBUTIONS comprise the
regular budget, set at the biennial FAO
Conference. The FAO regular budget for the
2018–19 biennium is just over USD 1 billion.

THE VOLUNTARY
CONTRIBUTIONS provided by
Members and other partners support
technical and emergency (including
rehabilitation) assistance to governments for
clearly defined purposes linked to the results
framework, as well as direct support to FAO’s
core work. The voluntary contributions are
expected to reach approximately
USD 1.6 billion in 2018–19 and represent
61 percent of all available resources –
an important and growing part of the
Organization’s funding.

FAO'S BUDGET
The total FAO budget planned for
39 %
ASSESSED
2018–19 is USD 2.6 billion. Of this CONTRIBUTIONS
amount, 39 percent comes from assessed
contributions paid by Members, while 61%
VOLUNTARY
61 percent will be mobilized through CONTRIBUTIONS
voluntary contributions from Members
and other partners.

318 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 WHO ARE FAO’S VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTORS?

1. OECD DEVELOPMENT Denmark, European Union (acting 4. VERTICAL FUNDS the Global Agriculture and Food
ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE as a full member), Finland, France, The fourth cluster of 7 percent of Security Programme (GAFSP) and
(OECD–DAC) Germany, Greece, Hungary, all voluntary contributions over this the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
Historically, FAO’s voluntary Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, period was provided by a number
resources depended mainly on Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, of vertical funds that were created 5. OTHERS
contributions from the members of New Zealand, Norway, Poland, in response to specific development Last but not least, FAO also partners
the OECD Development Assistance Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, issues. Particularly in the last with private entities, including civil
Committee (OECD–DAC). Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, years, FAO significantly increased society organizations, private sector
United Kingdom of Great Britain its partnerships with those funds institutions and foundations, and with
Created in 1960, the OECD–DAC and Northern Ireland, and United and supported countries to secure International Financial Institutions
is a forum of 30 members to discuss States of America. The ADB, AfDB, thematic development funding from (IFIs), with which long-term
issues surrounding aid, development IADB, IMF, UNDP and the World them. These include in particular the partnerships have led to increased
and poverty reduction. It monitors Bank participate as observers of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), contributions over the last years.
and evaluates Member Countries' Committee.
development policies, analyses
their aid programmes and provides 2. UNITED NATIONS
recommendations on aid efforts, DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM This chart shows who made the voluntary contributions
their conditions and financial The second largest contributor to and in what proportion in the 2014–2018 period:
modalities. The OECD–DAC FAO’s programmes, with 12 percent
describes itself as being the "venue of all voluntary contributions during
and voice" of the world's major the period 2014–18, was the United Vertical
donor countries. Nations Development System with Funds
its various UN agencies, funds,
Considering the average programmes, departments and offices, United Nations 7%
contributions over the period most of which are members of the Development
System
57%
2014–18, the OECD–DAC members United Nations Development Group.
provided around 57 percent of 12%
all voluntary contributions through 3. OTHER RESOURCE
Foundations 1% OECD-DAC
directly financing bilateral trust funds PARTNERS Other 1% OECD
of FAO. An additional 9 percent Third, FAO worked hard on the IFI 1% Development
of all voluntary contributions were
provided, mainly by OECD–DAC
expansion of its resource partner base 9% Assistance
during recent years, which is mirrored MUL
members, through multilateral, in the growing engagement with 4% Committee
pooled funding to FAO (“MUL” in non-OECD-–DAC countries, which Bilateral NON- 7%
chart to the right). represented some 11 percent over the DAC
indicated period. This happened either
The members of the OECD–DAC through the implementation of bilateral UTF (largely non-
are as follows: Australia, Austria, trust funds or through unilateral trust DAC)
Belgium, Canada, Czechia, funds (“UTF” in graph).

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 319

 FAO I N N U MBER S
TOP CONTRIBUTORS TO FAO

Total
contributions Voluntary Assessed Figures in US dollars

1 United States of America 2 330 647 282 46% 54%

2 European Union 2 049 459 443 100% 0%
3 Japan 1 023 133 331 29% 71%
4 United Kingdom 783 132 732 58% 42%
5 Germany 626 168 801 32% 68%
6 Italy 499 580 571 48% 52%
7 Spain 483 490 284 66% 34%
8 France 368 283 290 12% 88%
9 Canada 329 383 406 49% 51%
10 Sweden 299 846 357 81% 19%
11 Norway 296 348 262 85% 15%
12 China 275 713 144 17% 83%
13 Brazil 253 294 569 56% 44%
14 Netherlands 250 784 548 61% 39%
15 Belgium 245 083 673 77% 23%
16 Mexico 194 190 829 42% 58%
17 Australia 177 786 156 39% 61%
18 Switzerland 168 436 214 63% 37%
19 Korea, Republic of 151 153 087 23% 77%
20 Saudi Arabia 148 341 922 69% 31%
21 Russian Federation 127 999 361 18% 82%
22 Colombia 103 397 743 90% 10%
23 Afghanistan 75 621 285 100% 0%
24 Austria 69 764 531 34% 66%
25 Finland 62 465 595 53% 47%
26 Turkey 59 004 313 22% 78%
27 Denmark 58 963 393 34% 66%
28 Pakistan 47 565 050 91% 9%
29 Venezuela 44 806 152 49% 51%
(Bolivarian Republic of)
30 Poland 41 323 675 0% 100%
31
32
Greece
Ireland
40 328.261
38 212 581
16%
37%
84%
63%
Top 50
33
34
Bangladesh
Argentina
36 282 200
36 253 912
98%
38%
2%
62%
CONTRIBUTORS
35
36
India
Angola
35 874 587
34 579 802
12%
99%
88%
1%
Total assessed
37
38
United Arab Emirates
South Africa
32 295 873
29 946 207
22%
37%
78%
63% and voluntary
39
40
Portugal
New Zealand
27 151 192
26 502 736
0%
46%
100%
54% contributions to
41
42
Luxembourg
Israel
26 430 709
22 331 608
83%
0%
17%
100% FAO in the period
43 Chad 20 582 354 99% 1%
44
45
Kuwait
Czech Republic
20 084 090
20 084 071
34%
7%
66%
93%
2008–2018
46 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 19 372 290 20% 80%
47 Libya 18 844 209 68% 32%
48 Democratic Republic of the Congo 16 914 170 99% 1%
49 Hungary 16 829 460 17% 83%
50 Chile 15 902 461 10% 90%

320 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD

 TOP CONTRIBUTORS TO FAO

Top 25 1
2
European Union
United States of America
2 049 459 443
1 080 494 072
MEMBERS 3
4
United Kingdom
Spain
457 993 054
320 236 675
Total voluntary 5
6
Japan
Norway
301 037 090
250 582 286
contributions 7
8
Sweden
Italy
243 711 455
239 861 259
to FAO in 9
10
Germany
Belgium
199 166 964
187 795 200
the period 11
12
Canada
Netherlands
163 014 154
154 121 907
2008–2018 13
14
Brazil
Switzerland
140 819 005
106 096 698
15 Saudi Arabia 101 902 771
16 Colombia 92 974 143
17 Mexico 81 315 977
18 Afghanistan 75 429 317
19 Australia 69 168 391
20 China 46 475 441
21 France 44 311 448
22 Pakistan 43 377 057
23 Bangladesh 35 732 289
24 Korea, Republic of 34 767 428
25 Angola 34.166.116

Global Environment Facility 576 632 517

Top 15 Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

UN Donor Joint Trust Fund
475 713 333
356 776 434
INSTITUTIONS World Bank 144.323.167

Total voluntary Common Fund for Humanitarian Action in Sudan 97 261 540
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 52 969 281
contributions to UNDP 48 593 572
FAO in the period World Food Programme 42 403 070
The International Fund for Agricultural Development 35 864 984
2008 –2018 Peace Building Fund 33 017 282
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund 29 199 983
United Nations Development Group 27 584 183
United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security 17 813 196
Common Humanitarian Fund for Somalia 16 055 904
Guyana Redd Investment Fund 14 792 277

FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL WORLD 321

 FAO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNI T IE S I N A GLOBAL WORLD
FAO
CHALLENGES
AND FAO
OPPORTUNI T I E S
I N A GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND
WORLD OPPORTUNITIES
ISBN 978-92-5-131411-1
IN A
9 7 8 9 2 5 1 3 1 4 1 1 1
CA4305EN/2/07.19

GLOBAL WORLD