Thumbnail Image

Evaluating the Potential Contribution of Organic Agriculture to Sustainability Goals

FAO's technical contribution to IFOAM's Scientific Conference - Mar del Plata, Argentina, 16-19 November 1998

Year of publication 1998

Author Climate, Energy and Tenure Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Category Technical book

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The question considered in this paper is how to evaluate the feasibility of organic agriculture and its impact on farm sustainability, and hence its role in food security. FAO (1996a) defines food security as "...a situation in which all households have both physical and economic access to adequate food for all members, and where households are not at risk of losing such access". There are three dimensions implicit in this definition: availability, stability and access. Adequate food availabilit y means that, on average, sufficient food supplies should be available to meet consumption needs. Stability refers to minimizing the probability that, in difficult years or seasons, food consumption might fall below consumption requirements. Access draws attention to the fact that, even with bountiful supplies, many people still go hungry because they do not have the resources to produce or purchase the food they need. In addition, if food needs are met through exploitation of non-renewable natu ral resources or degradation of the environment, there is no guarantee of food security in the long term.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Evaluation report
    Evaluation of FAO’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 2 - “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”
    Phase 2
    2020
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    FAO is well positioned at the global level to offer relevant support to countries in achieving their SDG 2 targets and is committed to support the SDGs, a Global Agenda that it helped design. The new FAO’s Strategic Framework will provide an opportunity to promote and communicate FAO’s role in a coherent and joined-up manner, aligned with the 2030 Agenda. FAO has engaged with the current UN reform – strongly connected to the SDGs – with a very collaborative attitude. At the country level, which was the focus of the second phase of this evaluation, FAO’s position was found to be generally weaker due to its limited programmatic footprint. Nevertheless, a number of initiatives were “acting at scale” and producing results. Entry points to act at scale include support to develop laws and policies, to instigate agriculture trade and investment, to induce climate finance or South-South cooperation, and to education, both formal and informal. The depth and breadth of partnerships are generally increasing, but more partnerships with the private sector and mobilization of domestic resources would needed to make a serious impact on food systems.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Evaluation report
    Evaluation of FAO’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 6 – “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” 2023
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This evaluation assessed the extent to which FAO’s work has been relevant and effective in supporting its Members to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). Water resources management is central to any consideration of agricultural production, ecosystems sustainability, rural livelihoods and climate change adaptation and resilience, issues that lie at the heart of FAO’s mandate.The evaluation found that FAO has a comparative advantage in several key SDG 6 target areas and addressed needs and demands from Members in all SDG 6 target areas. Irrigated agriculture (target 6.4) represents an area of high demand from Members and a dominant theme in the reviewed case studies. Regional initiatives are effective in addressing specific needs and challenges of individual regions. FAO has performed well in its custodial role for SDG indicators 6.4.1 and 6.4.2. However, overall FAO’s strategic approach to water-related activities remains. The links between agriculture and water quality and pollution (target 6.3) were not adequately addressed. Despite limited evidence on full transformational changes, the evaluation highlights several activities and approaches that, if nurtured, could form the basis for transformational change.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Proceedings
    Proceedings of the International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers - Unlocking the potential of agricultural innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 2019
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    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. Innovation in agriculture cuts across all dimensions of the production cycle along the entire value chain - from crop, forestry, fishery or livestock production to the management of inputs and resources to market access. This book represents the proceedings of the first International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers which FAO organized at its headquarters in Rome, Italy, on 21–23 November 2018. FAO convened the symposium to provide inspiration for innovation actors and decision makers to unlock the potential of innovation to drive socio economic growth, ensure food and nutrition security, alleviate poverty, improve resilience to changing environments and thereby achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It was attended by 540 participants, including 286 delegates from 92 member countries. The proceedings provide a record of the main highlights of the symposium, including the opening plenary session; high-level ministerial segment; innovation fair, with 20 success stories of agricultural innovation; and six highly interactive parallel sessions and two special events dedicated to youth and to chefs and family farmers. During these different sessions, participants shared their experiences, knowledge and examples of agricultural innovation in different sectors; they also discussed the drivers and key factors contributing to success, as well as the main constraints for agricultural innovation.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Sustainable Land Management in Practice
    Guidelines and Best Practices for Sub-Saharan Africa
    2011
    Also available in:
    Production of guidelines for best sustainable land management (SLM) technologies and approaches in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) has been part of TerrAfrica’s programme during 2009-2010. These guidelines and case studies are intended to help create a framework for investment related to SLM in SSA. The particular aim of these guidelines is to identify, analyse, discuss and disseminate promising SLM practices - including both technologies and approaches - in the light of the latest trends and new oppo rtunities. The focus is, in particular, on those practices with rapid payback and profitability and / or other factors that drive adoption. This document is targeted at key stakeholders in SLM programmes and projects at the design and implementation stages, including practitioners, managers, policymakers, planners, together with, financial and technical institutions, and donors. The guidelines are divided into two main parts. Part 1 highlights the main principles behind SLM, and what consider ations are important for technologies and approaches to qualify as ‘best practices’ suitable for upscaling. Part 2 presents twelve groups of SLM technologies as well as a section on SLM approaches. These are supported by specific case studies. Key resource persons and experts on SLM in SSA were asked to assist in finalising the SLM gr oups and to describe specific case studies. This strives to be a ‘state of the art’ product.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
Show more