Global and domestic food prices were already close to all-time highs before the war in Ukraine, and a large question mark looms over the next seasons鈥 harvests worldwide.
Agriculture and Food
Through a flagship programme spearheaded by FAO and the Gambia鈥檚 Department of Forestry, the 鈥淐ommunity-based Sustainable Dryland Forest Management鈥 project has outfitted groups of community beekeepers, known locally as Honey Enterprise Groups, with beekeeping equipment such as beehives, uniforms, boots, gloves, uniforms and hive tools. With the support of through this -funded project, the Honey Enterprise Groups are constructing beehives in the forest to harvest honey for their livelihoods.
Find out how tomatoes became known for boosting health, food security and livelihoods.
In the Sechura desert, on Peru鈥檚 northern coast, several hours away from the main roads, hundreds of families survive hand-to-mouth. Drinking water is unavailable, and nutritious food is scarce 鈥 and expensive. Or, at least, it was. Thanks to a project backed by , families share a 900-metre plot of land where they farm organic vegetables and raise farm animals. A drip irrigation system, installed with WFP鈥檚 support, allows for efficient use of underground waters, which the families can access through a communal reservoir. Families can now keep part of their harvest and sell the rest.
works to utilize local knowledge sharing networks to raise awareness on how people 鈥 food producers in particular 鈥 can protect themselves from COVID-19 while maintaining their livelihoods.
Under the banner of Pillar IV of 鈥檚 component of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19; 鈥淓nsuring food supply chain actors are not at risk of virus transmission鈥, the USAID-funded project "Supporting critical agricultural value chains in food crisis countries in the context of COVID-19鈥 developed a range of products including a series of documentaries and animated films to facilitate documentation and dissemination of emerging COVID-19 sensitization responses in 11 focus countries. These products rely on qualitative data collection and beneficiary-level evidence gathering carried out during on-the-ground missions and can all be accessed on the .
Hallilah Nakumai鈥檚 family always put education first. In a rare opportunity for a young woman from her village, Hallilah attended boarding school and then a bachelor鈥檚 degree on Sustainable Tropical Agriculture. She took away invaluable agricultural expertise, diving deep into plant and animal breeding, biotechnology, agribusiness and entrepreneurship. All this proved its value as she returned to her village. She soon sought and received the support of the -implemented programme to streamline and upgrade the agrifood production of her community in Papua New Guinea.
In a country made up mostly of desert, the United Arab Emirates are using innovative technologies to sustainably farm fish, decreasing pressure on ecosystems and meeting the needs of a growing population.
With the full picture of damage and needs after Tonga鈥檚 massive volcanic eruption and tsunami only gradually emerging, what is already clear is that the stakes could not be higher for the farmers and fishers of the South Pacific island nation, living in one of the world鈥檚 most disaster-prone regions. With roughly 86 percent of Tongans engaged in agriculture, FAO is extremely concerned about the potential impacts across all agriculture sectors, including fisheries, crops and livestock, even though information is limited, with communications and access remaining severely affected.
The pandemic has already shaken the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it continues, reports that progress towards the achievement of the SDGs is still to be determined.
45 million people stand on the brink of famine, due to conflict, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic instability. takes a closer look at the different stages of hunger.
For another year, millions of small-scale farmers have been bearing the brunt of Climate Change and COVID19. Despite the challenges, they have been using everything from boats to goats to build resilience. IFAD was there to support them every step of the way.
Many people involved in agriculture do not consume enough food or benefit from a healthy diet. Although 63 per cent of low-income people worldwide work in agriculture 鈥 the overwhelming majority of them on small farms 鈥 many are at risk of food and nutrition insecurity. Farmers often must make difficult choices between what they consume and what they sell. Many of them sell most of what they produce, with little or nothing left for household consumption; others need to purchase most of their food at the market because they grow only one or a few crops.
reminds us that biodiversity is the thread that keeps us together. Without it, there cannot be life on Earth and food for all. The fish we catch鈥 the livestock we rear鈥 the soil that nurtures our food鈥 the trees that give us fruits, medicinal plants, timber鈥 the water that flows beneath out feet鈥 all depend on biodiversity. The way we produce, process, and consume our food needs to change. Here are 4 ways to protect biodiversity and strengthen ecosystem services鈥
When we see the news reports on climate change, it often includes footage of factory chimneys and traffic jams. We may or may not realize that agriculture is also a key contributor. In fact, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agri-food sectors represent around 34 percent of total GHG emissions. In response, is ramping up its work to better respond to the climate crisis. One way of doing this is by spreading the use of green and climate-resilient agricultural techniques, which can help to reduce the negative impacts from the way our food is produced and reaches our plates.