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Report of the fifth meeting of the Asian Soil Laboratory Network (SEALNET) - SEALNET-V/21/Report

Virtual Meeting, 20 October 2021










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    Doctors Global Programme – A farmer-to-farmer training programme
    2020
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    The Soil Doctors programme is developed under the umbrella of the Global Soil Partnership and promotes the establishment of a farmer-to-farmer training system. The Soil Doctors Global Programme aims to build the capacity of smallholder farmers on the practice of sustainable soil management and, by doing so, support governmental agencies and organizations working on agricultural extension at the field level (promoting broader impact and a reduction of costs). Trainings will also rely on the establishment of demonstration farms and experimental fields by the Soil Doctors, which might attract the interest of research institutes and universities involved in the programme. The programme also aims to educate farmers on soil science principles for practices of sustainable soil management and aims to achieve this by providing them with a set of tools composed of some educational materials and a soil testing methods (STM) manual for preliminary soil analysis. The STM is a collection of locally relevant, and easy to use, soil analyses procedures that would be selected by each area where the program is implemented.
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    Book (series)
    Evaluation report
    Evaluation of the project “Restoring subsistence and commercial agriculture in tribal districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”
    Project code: GCP/PAK/138/USA
    2021
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    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Newly Merged Districts have seen a prolonged military conflict leading to the wide-spread displacement of its population and damages and losses to the agricultural lands, irrigation and water harvesting structures, and livestock populations. Since 2015, the rehabilitation of the displaced population is ongoing but slow due to loss of livelihoods and reduced income opportunities. To support the restoration of livelihoods, funded by the United States Agency for International Development for USD 10 million, FAO undertook the project for “Restoring subsistence and commercial agriculture in tribal districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” which involved training farmers on climate-smart agriculture practices, rehabilitating facilities/infrastructures, operationalizing small-scale enterprises, and supporting agriculture and livestock production. The evaluation found that while the project was mostly successful in meeting output targets, a critical review of the following elements can further improve programme delivery: review of procurement processes, market-led initiatives for value chain development through strengthening producer marketing groups, operation and maintenance plans for rehabilitated schemes, gender-specific interventions, and revising reporting formats for effective monitoring and evaluation.
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    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019
    Safeguarding against economic slowdowns and downturns
    2019
    This year’s report presents evidence that the absolute number of people who suffer from hunger continues to slowly increase. The report also highlights that food insecurity is more than just hunger. For the first time, the report provides evidence that many people in the world, even if not hungry, experience moderate food insecurity as they face uncertainties about their ability to obtain food and are forced to compromise on the quality and/or quantity of the food they consume. This phenomenon is observed globally, not only in low- and middle-income countries but also in high income countries. The report also shows that the world is not on track to meet global nutrition targets, including those on low birthweight and on reducing stunting among children under five years. Moreover, overweight and obesity continue to increase in all regions, particularly among school-age children and adults. The report stresses that no region is exempt from the epidemic of overweight and obesity, underscoring the necessity of multifaceted, multisectoral approaches to halt and reverse these worrying trends. In light of the fragile state of the world economy, the report presents new evidence confirming that hunger has been on the rise for many countries where the economy has slowed down or contracted. Unpacking the links between economic slowdowns and downturns and food insecurity and malnutrition, the report contends that the effects of the former on the latter can only be offset by addressing the root causes of hunger and malnutrition: poverty, inequality and marginalization.