No Thumbnail Available

Guidelines for the integration of sustainable agriculture and rural development into agricultural policies

Year of publication 1997

Author J. Brian Hardaker;Agriculture and Economic Development Analysis Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series

Series number 1020-6531

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) A principle of sustainability is that we pass on to the next generation a stock of resources that is at least as productive as the stock we have today. However, since it is neither necessary nor rational to strive to make every sub-system sustainable, this principle needs to be applied at the highest relevant system level. It is also not necessary and not even possible to pass on an enhanced stock of every type of resource. Substitution of resources will be possible as future generations substit ute resources that are relatively more abundant for those that have grown scarce. In agriculture, the substitution of human capital - in the shape of knowledge about improved technologies - for land and labour, has been important in the past and will be at least as important in the future. Policy objectives for SARD may be summed up as the pursuit of the goals of growth, equity, efficiency and sustainability. Growth is important to meet the food needs of growing populations with rising income s and to provide continued sustainable livelihoods for rural people in the future. Equity is important in terms of the relief of poverty and deprivation for this and future generations. Efficiency matters since we cannot afford to waste resources. Finally, sustainability is the objective that has come into increased prominence with the recognition of the significant threats that exist to future welfare and the environment. Sustainability has many dimensions and interpretations but, in the contex t of agriculture, embraces food security, responsibility in resource use and environmental management, and the resilience of production systems to shocks and challenges. There is interdependence between each of these four objectives, so that the pursuit of SARD requires an integrated approach to policy making in which all four aspects are considered.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Enhancing Rural Livelihoods: Integrating Social Protection and Agriculture for Sustainable Development - FMM/GLO/157/MUL 2024
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Globally, rural populations, heavily reliant on agriculture for their sustenance, are disproportionately affected by poverty. In order to meet the global poverty reduction and food security objectives of the SDGs, measures addressing their unique constraints are needed to enable them to actively engage in a beneficial process of agricultural growth and rural transformation. Zambia and Timor-Leste, the two target countries, have been grappling with persistent rural poverty, with high proportions of their populations living below the poverty line. COVID-19 exacerbated these challenges by disrupting agricultural markets, limiting mobility and shrinking income opportunities in rural areas. Strengthening coherence between social protection and agricultural interventions is critical not only for responding to the immediate challenges posed by COVID 19 but also for laying the basis for more inclusive economic development and resilience-building pathways in the medium and long term. This requires strengthening the institutional linkages between social protection and agricultural interventions, and the systems and human capacities required to manage these linkages. Against this background, the subprogramme supported the implementation of two programmes that involved the joint delivery of social protection and agriculture support – one in Timor Leste and one in Zambia.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    European Union (EU) Integration and Policy Support in Agriculture and Rural Development - TCP/ALB/3802 2025
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Albania was granted European Union (EU) candidate status in June 2014. As part of the European Council’s conclusions of June 2019, the country was expected to conduct several development processes to enhance the agricultural sector to align national policies to modern EU standards, laying the groundwork for the full implementation of the European instrument for pre accession assistance for rural development (IPARD). However, the agricultural system in Albania is mainly formed by small and family farms that operate with a low level of mechanization, and there is a lack of policy analysis, data collection systems, such as farm accountancy data networks (FADN) and reporting mechanisms, which are required to evaluate progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. To address these challenges and continue preparing the EU-membership candidature, this project was designed to i) assist in completing the legal framework for organic products, wine by-laws, quality policy and seed and seedling by-laws, ii) advice on how to improve agricultural registries (for wine, for instance), develop an FADN action plan and adopt an EU-aligned FADN system in Albania, and iii) increase institutional capacities to provide an appropriate response while implementing EU funds for rural development (IPARD funds).
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.