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No Thumbnail AvailableDocumentTechnical studyAssessing the Adoptability of Improved Crop Production Technologies by Small Farmers: the Case of Lesotho
Occasional Paper N. 6 - September 1996
1996Also available in:
No results found.In Lesotho, some externally financed agricultural development projects have appeared particularly prone to failure. One reason may be that, when designed, projects have not been subjected to sufficiently rigorous analysis, particularly with regard to expected farmers' response to extension messages. The thesis of this paper is that the impact of high inter-annual fluctuations in crop yields (and of crop prices) on farmers' expectations plays an important role in producers' decision-making, and t hat this can be measured with sufficient approximation to assess the prospects for the successful introduction of "improved" cropping technologies in small farmers' communities. Stochastic Efficiency Analysis has been applied to the mountain areas of Lesotho, where natural conditions are particularly harsh, but it has wider applicability in project formulation. The paper is based on information gathered by an FAO Investment Centre mission, which visited the Districts of Thaba T'seka and Qacha's Nek in November 1995 on behalf of the Government of Lesotho and the International Fund for Agricultural Development to identify a Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Programme for possible IFAD financing. See also the related FAO Investment Centre Occasional Paper N. 7 "Note on the Machobane system". -
DocumentOther documentNo-Tillage Farming for Sustainable Land Management: Lessons from the 2000 Brazil Study Tour
Occasional Paper No. 12 - October 2001
2001Also available in:
No results found.In November 2000, the World Bank (WB) and the Brazilian Federation for Direct Planting into Crop Residue (FEBRAPDP) organized the third Study Tour on “Producer-Led Rural Organizations for Sustainable Land Management” (PRO-SLM), with particular emphasis on notillage systems (NT).1 The Study Tour followed a 10-day itinerary of over 1,000 km through Southern Brazil, covering Paraná and Santa Catarina States, two states which received WB support through land and micro-watershed management projects.< /p> This Paper presents the salient features of NT development in Southern Brazil and discusses the lessons learned with special reference to the scope for adapting and developing such production systems to Africa, in line with the Better Land Husbandry approach advocated through the Soil Fertility Initiative (SFI) in several African countries.In the context of this Paper, the term No-Tillage (NT) is used to describe the farming system studied in Brazil. NT has been an integral part of the ( micro)watershed management approach developed in the Southern Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina. NT was developed in response to continuously declining land productivity under “conventional” systems based on soil tillage. The underlying land management principles that led to the development of NT systems were to protect the soil surface from sealing by rainfall, to achieve and maintain an open internal soil structure, and to develop the means for safe disposal of any surface runoff t hat would nevertheless still occur. Consequently, the NT technical strategy was based on three essential farm practices, namely: (i) not tilling the soil; (ii) maintaining soil cover at all times; and (iii) using suitable crop rotations. All three practices must be followed if improved results are to be obtained in a sustainable fashion. -
Book (stand-alone)Technical bookSustainable Land Management (SLM) in practice in the Kagera basin - lessons learned for scaling up at landscape level 2017
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No results found.This book compiles a set of 26 papers that present the direct, practical experiences and results of a large number of local practitioners and experts that supported the Transboundary agro-ecosystem management project of the Kagera river basin (Kagera TAMP) during the period 2010-2015. The book has been compiled by the Land and Water Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to reflect the wide range of experiences, approaches and tools that were used for promo ting participatory diagnostics, adaptive management and adoption of sustainable land and agro-ecosystem management (SLaM) practices from farm to watershed / landscape scale. The project was supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Governments of the four countries that share the transboundary basin - Burundi, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda and project partners. It is hoped that the lessons learned are considered and taken up by the Governments and the TerrAfric a partnership for scaling up and mainstreaming SLaM as part of the wider set of lessons learned from the 36 projects in 26 countries under the Terrafrica Strategic Investment programme, including Kagera TAMP.Visit the Project web page
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Book (stand-alone)Technical bookThe future of food and agriculture - Trends and challenges 2017
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No results found.What will be needed to realize the vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition? After shedding light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, the study provides insights into what is at stake and what needs to be done. “Business as usual” is not an option. Major transformations in agricultural systems, rural economies, and natural resources management are necessary. The present study was undertaken for the quadrennial review of FAO’s strategic framework and for the preparation of the Organization Medium-Term plan 2018-2021. -
Book (series)FlagshipThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023
Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural–urban continuum
2023This report provides an update on global progress towards the targets of ending hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) and estimates on the number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet. Since its 2017 edition, this report has repeatedly highlighted that the intensification and interaction of conflict, climate extremes and economic slowdowns and downturns, combined with highly unaffordable nutritious foods and growing inequality, are pushing us off track to meet the SDG 2 targets. However, other important megatrends must also be factored into the analysis to fully understand the challenges and opportunities for meeting the SDG 2 targets. One such megatrend, and the focus of this year’s report, is urbanization. New evidence shows that food purchases in some countries are no longer high only among urban households but also among rural households. Consumption of highly processed foods is also increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of some countries. These changes are affecting people’s food security and nutrition in ways that differ depending on where they live across the rural–urban continuum. This timely and relevant theme is aligned with the United Nations General Assembly-endorsed New Urban Agenda, and the report provides recommendations on the policies, investments and actions needed to address the challenges of agrifood systems transformation under urbanization and to enable opportunities for ensuring access to affordable healthy diets for everyone. -
DocumentOther documentReducing inequalities for food security and nutrition
A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition
2023The report “Reducing inequalities for food security and nutrition” has been developed by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) following the request by the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) as included in its Programme of Work (MYPoW 2020-2023). In particular, the CFS requested the HLPE-FSN to develop a report to: (i) analyse evidence relating to how inequalities in access to assets (particularly land, other natural resources and finance) and in incomes within food systems impede opportunities for many actors to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition; (ii) analyse the drivers of inequalities and provide recommendations on entry points to address these; and (iii) identify areas requiring further research and data collection. This report will inform the ensuing CFS thematic workstream on inequalities, aiming at addressing the root causes of food insecurity with a focus on those “most affected by hunger and malnutrition”.