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ProjectFactsheetTechnical Support for the Establishment of the Lesotho Soils Information System (LESIS) - TCP/LES/3602 2020
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No results found.Lesotho is a landlocked country completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa More than 76 percent of the country’s population lives in rural areas, where the main source of income is subsistence rain fed agriculture Land use patterns in Lesotho have been mainly determined by historical circumstances and agro ecological conditions In the past, hilltops and mountain sides were used as fortresses and many settlements were confined to these strategic locations, while flat plains and fertile valleys were used for crop farming and remote mountains for grazing This has largely remained the pattern of land use in the country although population pressure and urbanization have forced widespread encroachment of settlements in areas traditionally reserved for agriculture The shortage of arable agricultural land has also tended to concentrate cultivation on mountain slopes, with devastating results for slope and soil stability, a decrease in the quality of rangelands and reduced agricultural productivity The country’s soils are thus under severe pressure as a result of natural conditions and human activities, triggering soil erosion, land degradation and depletion of soil organic matter Soil data in Lesotho are limited and the lack of systematic and organized soil information impedes the management and monitoring of soil properties. -
ProjectFactsheetBuilding Capacities and Facilitating Enabling Environment for Contract Farming in Lesotho - TCP/LES/3801 2024
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No results found.A vast majority of Lesotho’s population resides in rural areas and a large proportion of these rural dwellers depend on agriculture and remittances from migrant labourers for their livelihoods. Employment opportunities in South Africa and Lesotho’s urban centres have declined because of stagnating economic growth. The impact of COVID-19 has worsened the situation. Remittances as one of the key pillars for the rural economy have been seriously weakened. The focus is now shifting to agriculture to fill the void. Unfortunately, the performance and output of the agricultural sector has been disappointingly low, thus making those who depend on it vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity. These challenges notwithstanding, the Government of Lesotho considers agriculture as a priority sector for job creation and economic growth. The current medium-term planning framework (National Strategic Development Plan) has prioritized agriculture alongside manufacturing, tourism and creative industries as key growth generators and is advocating for increased public and private sector investment. -
ProjectFactsheetStrengthening Agricultural Research and Extension in Lesotho - TCP/LES/3503 2019
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No results found.The performance of the agricultural sector in Lesotho has been slow over recent decades. Weak institutional structure and human capacity, as well as under-investment in agricultural research and extension, are reported to be among the factors that have contributed to the poor performance of the sector and its contribution to the national economy. Past assessments shed light on a number of challenges facing agricultural research and extension in the country. Of critical importance were the absence of a national policy for research and extension, weak institutional structure, limited human capacities, declining core funding and obsolete infrastructures, weak linkages and coordination of research and extension across agricultural and rural development line ministries, limited collaboration with regional and international research and extension organizations, and an outdated extension model and policy. The project had two objectives: to strengthen capacities for coordinated research and extension, and to develop a national policy for agricultural research and extension, and a strategic plan for its implementation. It was designed to overcome some of the functional capacities (e.g. capacity to collaborate, capacity to engage in strategic and political processes, capacity to navigate complexity, capacity to reflect and learn), and challenges of collaboration and coordination, as well as policy challenges.
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BookletCorporate general interestEmissions due to agriculture
Global, regional and country trends 2000–2018
2021Also available in:
No results found.The FAOSTAT emissions database is composed of several data domains covering the categories of the IPCC Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector of the national GHG inventory. Energy use in agriculture is additionally included as relevant to emissions from agriculture as an economic production sector under the ISIC A statistical classification, though recognizing that, in terms of IPCC, they are instead part of the Energy sector of the national GHG inventory. FAO emissions estimates are available over the period 1961–2018 for agriculture production processes from crop and livestock activities. Land use emissions and removals are generally available only for the period 1990–2019. This analytical brief focuses on overall trends over the period 2000–2018. -
Book (stand-alone)High-profileThe status of women in agrifood systems 2023The status of women in agrifood systems report uses extensive new data and analyses to provide a comprehensive picture of women’s participation, benefits, and challenges they face working in agrifood systems globally. The report shows how increasing women’s empowerment and gender equality in agrifood systems enhances women’s well-being and the well-being of their households, creating opportunities for economic growth, greater incomes, productivity and resilience.The report comes more than a decade after the publication of the State of food and agriculture (SOFA) 2010–11: Women in agriculture – Closing the gender gap for development. SOFA 2010–11 documented the tremendous costs of gender inequality not only for women but also for agriculture and the broader economy and society, making the business case for closing existing gender gaps in accessing agricultural assets, inputs and services. Moving beyond agriculture, The status of women in agrifood systems reflects not only on how gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to the transition towards sustainable and resilient agrifood systems but also on how the transformation of agrifood systems can contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the available evidence on gender equality and women’s empowerment in agrifood systems that has been produced over the last decade. The report also provides policymakers and development actors with an extensive review of what has worked, highlighting the promise of moving from closing specific gender gaps towards the adoption of gender-transformative approaches that explicitly address the formal and informal structural constraints to equality. It concludes with specific recommendations on the way forward. Last update 03/08/2023
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Book (series)FlagshipThe State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021
Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all
2021In 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.