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Seed Security Assessments (SSA)











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    Book (stand-alone)
    General interest book
    Seeds Toolkit - Module 1
    Development of small-scale seed enterprises
    2018
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    This toolkit – made available in English, French and Spanish – will be promoted as practical guidance to assist in the implementation of the national seed strategies. It will provide a number of practical capacity building tools for essential stages of the seed value chain and targeted primarily at seed sector practitioners who will participate in special training workshops to acquire pertinent technical knowledge and will be expected in return to create a multiplier effect through further follow-up FFS trainings down to the level of seed traders and farmers. In doing so, the toolkit will be used as guidance for conducting country-led workshops and other training activities aimed at strengthening quality seed delivery systems and seed regulatory mechanisms in selected countries. The development of capacity in the production of high quality seeds, the seed replacement rates, true seed cost and realistic seed pricing mechanisms as well as the role of different stakeholders are of critical importance in the process of the formulation of national seed policies, which is one of the core areas of FAO’s delivery at the national level.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Guideline
    Guidelines for the establishment and management of seed testing laboratories
    Joint ISTA and FAO Handbook
    2023
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    This Joint ISTA and FAO Handbook provides comprehensive guidelines for the setting up and managing of seed testing laboratories, including those that cater to small- and medium-scale seed enterprises and farmers’ cooperatives, which operate in low input production systems. The adherence to the guidelines by seed testing laboratories results in the use of uniform procedures across the board thereby facilitating inter-laboratory transferability of data. This harmonization enhances confidence in seed quality assurance mechanisms. The publication is an update of a previous one that was also jointly published by both organizations in 1969 and revised in 1979 and 1983. Its utility is enhanced by a set of new up-to-date information that builds upon existing data. The Handbook provides guidance on the range of seed testing equipment, procedures, and management systems that have become available in the several decades since the previous editions. Seed testing is a critical component of the seed value chain and is essential for the production of quality seeds, i.e. seeds that are alive, can germinate and produce vigorous seedlings; are healthy and come from lots that meet set thresholds for genetic and analytical purity. The Handbook covers all aspects of seed testing, from laboratory design and equipment selection to sample preparation, testing methods, and data analysis. Importantly, the publication also addresses the challenges of testing seeds in low input systems and provides guidance on how to adapt procedures to these settings. Therefore, it serves as a reference material and training resource for everyone involved in seed quality assurance procedures, in particular the personnel of seed testing laboratories and regulatory agencies; seed producers and farmers. The updated publication represents a significant improvement over previous guidelines, as it incorporates advances in technology and provides guidance on a broader range of testing procedures. The guidelines are designed to be adaptable to different contexts and seed types and include recommendations for quality management systems, proficiency testing, and inter-laboratory comparisons, which are essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of seed testing results.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Practical guide for the application of the Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Conservation of orthodox seeds in seed genebanks 2022
    FAO has developed the "Practical guide for the application of the Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Conservation of orthodox seeds in seed genebanks" to be used as a companion volume to the Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The action steps of the genebank workflow are presented in a sequential manner and provide guidance on the complex steps and decisions required when operating a seed genebank. The accompanying summary charts for the respective action steps underscore the intended use of this practical guide as a handbook for routine genebank operations for the conservation of orthodox seeds. While this practical guide is particularly useful for genebank technicians for their day-to-day activities, it may also be used as a basis for the development of standard operating procedures and quality management systems. Genebank managers will also find it useful for conducting training exercises.

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    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Russian Federation: Meat sector review
    Country highlights prepared under the FAO/EBRD Cooperation
    2014
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    World food demand has seen massive changes, including a shift from staple foods to animal proteins and vegetable oils. In the short to medium term, this trend in global food demand will continue. There will be an increased demand for vegetable oils, meat, sugar, dairy products and livestock feed made from coarse grains and oilseed meals. There are numerous mid-term forecasts for the Russian Federation’s meat sector. Most of them agree on the following trends: (i) the consumption of poultry and p ork meat will increase; (ii) the consumption of beef will decrease or stabilize; and (iii) the Russian Federation will remain a net importer of meat on the world market. According to OECD and FAO projections, meat imports from the Russian Federation will decrease from 3 to 1.3 million tonnes, owing to an anticipated growth in domestic chicken meat and pork production. The country’s share in global meat imports is anticipated to decrease from 12 percent in 2006–2010, to 4 percent in 2021. While t he Russian Federation will continue to play an important role in the international meat market, it will fall from its position as the largest meat importing country in 2006–2010 to the fourth largest global meat importer by 2021, behind Japan, sub-Saharan African countries, and Saudi Arabia.
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    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021
    Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all
    2021
    In recent years, several major drivers have put the world off track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The challenges have grown with the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. This report presents the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and offers some indication of what hunger might look like by 2030 in a scenario further complicated by the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes new estimates of the cost and affordability of healthy diets, which provide an important link between the food security and nutrition indicators and the analysis of their trends. Altogether, the report highlights the need for a deeper reflection on how to better address the global food security and nutrition situation.To understand how hunger and malnutrition have reached these critical levels, this report draws on the analyses of the past four editions, which have produced a vast, evidence-based body of knowledge of the major drivers behind the recent changes in food security and nutrition. These drivers, which are increasing in frequency and intensity, include conflicts, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns – all exacerbated by the underlying causes of poverty and very high and persistent levels of inequality. In addition, millions of people around the world suffer from food insecurity and different forms of malnutrition because they cannot afford the cost of healthy diets. From a synthesized understanding of this knowledge, updates and additional analyses are generated to create a holistic view of the combined effects of these drivers, both on each other and on food systems, and how they negatively affect food security and nutrition around the world.In turn, the evidence informs an in-depth look at how to move from silo solutions to integrated food systems solutions. In this regard, the report proposes transformative pathways that specifically address the challenges posed by the major drivers, also highlighting the types of policy and investment portfolios required to transform food systems for food security, improved nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all. The report observes that, while the pandemic has caused major setbacks, there is much to be learned from the vulnerabilities and inequalities it has laid bare. If taken to heart, these new insights and wisdom can help get the world back on track towards the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms.
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    Booklet
    High-profile
    FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 2022
    The FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 was endorsed by FAO Council in June 2022. This new strategy replaces the previous strategy from 2017 to better FAO's climate action with the Strategic Framework 2022-2031, and other FAO strategies that have been developed since then. The Strategy was elaborated following an inclusive process of consultation with FAO Members, FAO staff from headquarters and decentralized offices, as well as external partners. It articulates FAO's vision for agrifood systems by 2050, around three main pillars of action: at global and regional level, at country level, and at local level. The Strategy also encourages key guiding principles for action, such as science and innovation, inclusiveness, partnerships, and access to finance.