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The State of Food and Agriculture 2014 In Brief (SOFA in Brief)

Innovation in Family Farming












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    Book (stand-alone)
    Flagship
    The State of Food and Agriculture 2014 (SOFA)
    Innovation in Family Farming
    2014
    More than 500 million family farms manage most of world’s agricultural land and produce most of its food. They are very diverse, including many who are poor with low levels of productivity. All of them must become more innovative to ensure sustainable productivity growth. Strategies to support innovation must recognize the diversity among family farms and focus on increasing yields, preserving natural resources and raising rural incomes. This requires an innovation system that facilitates and co ordinates the activities of all stakeholders involved in agricultural innovation. It begins with an enabling environment for innovation, including good governance, stable macroeconomic conditions, transparent legal and regulatory regimes, secure property rights and market infrastructure, but includes much more. Public investment in agricultural R&D and extension and advisory services must be increased and focused on sustainability and on raising the productivity of small and medium-sized farmers . R&D and extension services must be inclusive and responsive to farmers’ needs. Investments are needed in education and training. Capacity to innovate also depends on effective farmers’ organizations as well as networks and linkages allowing different actors in the innovation system to share information and work towards common objectives.
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    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Flagship
    The State of Food and Agriculture 2015 in brief 2015
    The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on reducing poverty have been met by many countries, yet many others lag behind and the post-2015 challenge will be the full eradication of poverty and hunger. Many developing countries increasingly recognize that social protection measures are needed to relieve the immediate deprivation of people living in poverty and to prevent others from falling into poverty when a crisis strikes. Social protection can also help recipients become more productive by ena bling them to manage risks, build assets and undertake more rewarding activities. These benefits spread beyond the immediate recipients to their communities and the broader economy as recipients purchase food, agricultural inputs and other rural goods and services. But social protection can only offer a sustainable pathway out of poverty if there is inclusive growth in the economy. In most low- and middle-income countries, agriculture remains the largest employer of the poor and is a major sourc e of livelihoods through wage labour and own production for household consumption and the market. Poverty and its corollaries – malnutrition, illness and lack of education – limit agricultural productivity. Hence, providing social protection and pursuing agricultural development in an integrated way offers synergies that can increase the effectiveness of both.
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    Document
    Flagship
    In brief – The State of Food and Agriculture 2016 (SOFA)
    Climate change, agriculture and food security
    2016
    Also available in:

    This booklet summarizes the main information and conclusions of the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2016 report.

    to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient, climate

    Unless action is taken now to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient, climate change impacts will seriously compromise food production in countries and regions that are already highly food-insecure. The Paris Agreement, adop ted in December 2015, represents a new beginning in the global effort to stabilize the climate before it is too late. It recognizes the importance of food security in the international response to climate change, as reflected by many countries focusing prominently on the agriculture sector in their planned contributions to adaptation and mitigation. To help put those plans into action, this report identifies strategies, financing opportunities, and data and information needs. It also describes t ransformative policies and institutions that can overcome barriers to implementation.

    The following complementary information is available :

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    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Tackling Climate Change through Livestock
    A global assessment of emissions and mitigation opportunities
    2013
    As renewed international efforts are needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the livestock sector can contribute its part. An important emitter of greenhouse gas, it also has the potential to significantly reduce its emissions. This report provides a unique global assessment of the magnitude, the sources and pathways of emissions from different livestock production systems and supply chains. Relying on life cycle assessment, statistical analysis and scenario building, it also prov ides estimates of the sector’s mitigation potential and identifies concrete options to reduce emissions. The report is a useful resource for stakeholders from livestock producers to policy-makers, researchers and civil society representatives, which also intends to inform the public debate on the role of livestock supply chains in climate change and possible solutions.
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    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of Food and Agriculture 2019
    Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction
    2019
    The need to reduce food loss and waste is firmly embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Food loss and waste reduction is considered important for improving food security and nutrition, promoting environmental sustainability and lowering production costs. However, efforts to reduce food loss and waste will only be effective if informed by a solid understanding of the problem. This report provides new estimates of the percentage of the world’s food lost from production up to the retail level. The report also finds a vast diversity in existing estimates of losses, even for the same commodities and for the same stages in the supply chain. Clearly identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains – where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses – is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. The report provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability.
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    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 (SOFIA)
    Meeting the sustainable development goals
    2018
    The 2018 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture emphasizes the sector’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of progress towards these goals. It notes the particular contributions of inland and small-scale fisheries, and highlights the importance of rights-based governance for equitable and inclusive development. As in past editions, the publication begins with a global analysis of trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, stocks, processing and use, trade and consumption, based on the latest official statistics, along with a review of the status of the world’s fishing fleets and human engagement and governance in the sector. Topics explored in Parts 2 to 4 include aquatic biodiversity; the ecosystem approach to fisheries and to aquaculture; climate change impacts and responses; the sector’s contribution to food security and human nutrition; and issues related to international trade, consumer protection and sustainable value chains. Global developments in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, selected ocean pollution concerns and FAO’s efforts to improve capture fishery data are also discussed. The issue concludes with the outlook for the sector, including projections to 2030. As always, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to-date information to a wide audience, including policy-makers, managers, scientists, stakeholders and indeed all those interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.