World Health Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 

World Organisation for Animal Health

Zoonotic diseases, i.e. those affecting animals and humans, need a different, holistic approach to risk assessment engaging all sectors involved in their management and control. Joint Risk Assessment (JRA) brings these sectors together to assess risks from zoonotic disease threats at the animal-human-environmental interface jointly. The JRA operational tool is part of the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide and is intended for use by staff from national ministries responsible for human health, animal health, and the environment, or other government agencies that are responsible for the control and management of zoonotic diseases, in particular epidemiologists, with the close involvement of laboratory staff, risk managers and communication officers. The operational tool presents the principles of JRA and its role in informing policy development. It provides guidance on how to set up a joint qualitative risk assessment process and describes step-by-step how to conduct each component of the process. The Annexes include model documents and templates to support implementation. A JRA provides decision-makers with scientifically sound advice that can be used to inform risk management and communication policies for an effective response to a zoonotic disease threat. Routine JRA supports international regulations, such as International Health Regulations and the OIE standards, by providing a mechanism to effectively address management decisions and communications based on a JRA. When done jointly and across the spectrum of different sectors they are more likely to be relevant and acceptable to all stakeholders, and therefore also more likely to be effective.

An Operational Tool of the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide – Taking a Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries

Joint Risk Assessment Operational Tool (JRA OT): An Operational Tool of the Tripartite Zoonoses Guide – Taking a Multisectoral, One Health Approach: A Tripartite Guide to Addressing Zoonotic Diseases in Countries

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on biodiversity, hereafter called Biodiversity TAG, is composed of 25 international experts in ecology, biodiversity indicators, agronomy, life cycle assessment, livestock production systems, and environmental science. Their backgrounds, complementary between systems and regions, allowed them to understand and address different perspectives. The aim of the methodology developed in these guidelines is to introduce a harmonized international approach for assessing the impacts of livestock on biodiversity. The livestock sector is a major user of natural resources (land in particular) and an important contributor to pollution (e.g. causing nutrient losses, increasing greenhouse gas emissions), which makes it one of the sectors with the highest impact on biodiversity. At the same time, livestock production is one of the few sectors with not only negative but also positive impacts on biodiversity; therefore, the sector can pull two levers to improve its biodiversity performance – mitigate harm and maximize benefits. Many environmental assessments of the livestock sector have not addressed biodiversity because of its intrinsic complexity. These guidelines strive to include biodiversity in environmental assessments, in order to increase the understanding of the impacts of livestock on biodiversity and to reveal possible synergies or trade-offs with other environmental criteria or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several indicators in these guidelines are also of relevance for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Version 1

Biodiversity and the livestock sector - Guidelines for quantitative assessment

This document provides a conceptual framework and standard methodologies for the monitoring, reporting and verification of changes in SOC stocks and GHG emissions/removals from agricultural projects that adopt sustainable soil management practices (SSM) at farm level. It is intended to be applied in different agricultural lands, including annual and perennial crops (food, fibre, forage and bioenergy crops), paddy rice, grazing lands with livestock including pastures, grasslands, rangelands, shrublands, silvopasture and agroforestry. Although developed for projects carried out at farm level, potential users include investors, research institutions, government agencies, consultants, agricultural companies, NGOs, individual farmers or farmer associations, supply chain and other users who are interested in measuring and estimating SOC stocks and changes and GHG emissions in response to management practices. The document is an outcome of the successful Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon (GSOC17), which was held in Rome in March 2017. The document is of technical nature in support of the Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration work. Its use is not mandatory but of voluntary nature.

GSOC-MRV Protocol

A protocol for measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification of soil organic carbon in agricultural landscapes

The World Bank

This Inter-Agency Social Protection Assessment (ISPA) tool on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN ISPA) provides a framework of analysis to assess how social assistance and programmes can achieve a greater positive impact on food security and nutrition (FSN) at country level. This tool belongs to the set of programme level ISPA tools and focuses on identifying opportunities to strengthen coherence and improve the results of social assistance programmes for FSN. The FSN ISPA tool is a broadly designed proposed set of principles, steps and instruments for country adaptation that must be tailored to each country context and programme under review. It is not intended to be used for cross-country comparisons, but rather aims to analyse the given programme(s) of focus and country context (including FSN and other conditions), to identify where and how FSN impacts may be enhanced. ISPA tools are the result of a multi-agency initiative that aims to put forth a unified set of definitions, assessment tools, and outcome metrics to provide systematic information for a country to assess its social protection system, schemes, programmes, and implementation arrangements.

Inter Agency Social Protection Assessment (ISPA) tool on Food Security and Nutrition

United Nations Environment Programme

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Founded in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO provides a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. The Organization publishes authoritative publications on agriculture, fisheries, forestry and nutrition. An intergovernmental organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

The Restoration Initiative Year in Review 2019

United Nations

International Tropical Timber Organization

Forest products conversion factors provides ratios of raw material input to the output of wood-based forest products for 37 countries of the world. Analysts, policymakers, forest practitioners and forest-based manufacturers often have a need for this information for understanding the drivers of efficiency, feasibility and economics of the sector. In addition, conversion factors are often needed to convert from one unit of measure to another. The publication also includes explanations on the units of measure, the drivers of the ratios, as well as information on physical properties of wood-based forest products. Finally, where reported factors were unavailable, factors from other sources are given.

Forest product conversion factors

The Third Meeting of the Working Group on Shrimp and Groundfish of the Northern Brazil-Guianas Shelf was held in Paramaribo, Suriname, 26–27 November 2019. The meeting brought together 25 participants including Working Group members, fisheries officers, fisherfolk representatives, academia, government organizations and FAO. The scope of the Working Group is to provide scientific and management advice for the sustainable management of the shrimp and groundfish resources of the Northern Brazil-Guianas shelf in the WECAFC Region. The member countries representatives also presented an update on the status and development of their national fisheries management plans, followed by a discussion about the current status and necessary steps to develop a sub-regional EAF management plan for shrimp and groundfish. Additionally, advances in a gender analysis along the small scale fisheries value chain in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago was presented, as well as an update regarding progress with the development of the subregional Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and Indicators to inform policy making on governance effectiveness. Working Group participants reviewed and discussed the draft regional strategy for bycatch management in the WECAFC Area developed by the REBYC II LAC project. They also discussed the needs and priorities to combat IUU fishing in the Northern Brazil-Guianas-shelf, as well as the need to enhance capacity in stock assessment techniques in the sub-region. A work plan for the intersessional period was agreed upon by the participants. Finally, based on Working Group discussions and the requirements for sustainable management of the shrimp and groundfish resources of the Northern Brazil-Guianas Shelf, a draft recommendation was prepared for consideration by the upcoming 18th session of WECAFC.

Paramaribo, Suriname, 26–27 November 2019

Report of the Third Meeting of the WECAFC/CRFM/IFREMER Working Group on the Shrimp and Groundfish of the Northern Brazil-Guianas Shelf

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Pakistan initiated the Technical Cooperation Programme on Remote Sensing for Spatio-Temporal mapping of Smog (R-SMOG) upon the request of the Government of Punjab. The R-SMOG evaluates the relationship between Smog and the rice residue burning practices by farmers in the Rice belt of Punjab. It is a comprehensive geospatial research which integrates Spatio-temporal mapping of smog viz-a-viz climatological modelling, study of seasonal trends and dynamics and estimates an inventory of sectoral emissions. The findings of the R-SMOG will assist to generate scientific evidences to study the causes of Smog in Punjab and to adopt adequate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Remote sensing for space-time mapping of smog in Punjab and identification of the underlying causes using geographic information system (R-SMOG)

World Food Programme

Pan American Health Organization

United Nations Children's Fund

Latin America and the Caribbean managed to reduce the number of undernourished by 20 million compared to the year 2000. However, 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year in which hunger shows a continuous increases. Moderate or severe food insecurity in Latin America increased considerably. This increase caused more than 32 million people to join the almost 155 million who lived in food insecurity in the Region in 2014-2016. The Region has shown significant progress in reducing child malnutrition and it is significantly distant and below the global prevalence of malnutrition in girls and boys. However, malnutrition due to excessive weight in the Region is one of the highest in the world and it continues to increase. This year, the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean focuses on food environments and describes some of the main policies that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are developing to face the different forms of malnutrition.

Towards healthier food environments that address all forms of malnutrition

Regional Overview of Food Security in Latin America and the Caribbean

The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2020 (SOCO 2020) aims to discuss policies and mechanisms that promote sustainable outcomes – economic, social and environmental – in agricultural and food markets, both global and domestic. The analysis is organized along the trends and challenges that lie at the heart of global discussions on trade and development. These include the evolution of trade and markets; the emergence of global value chains in food and agriculture; the extent to which smallholder farmers in developing countries participate in value chains and markets; and the transformative impacts of digital technology on markets. Along these themes, SOCO 2020 discusses policies and institutions that can promote inclusive economic growth and also harness markets to contribute towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

Agricultural markets and sustainable development: Global value chains, smallholder farmers and digital innovations

The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets 2020

World Health Organization Secretariats

This second edition of the compendium provides a brief description of all the technical guidance documents, manuals, toolkits, databases and other resources for pesticide management developed by FAO and WHO. These resources support the standards outlined in the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management by providing detailed information and guidance on how to manage pesticides at the different stages of their life cycle, i.e. from production to disposal of waste. The resources are principally intended for use by governments in low- and middle-income countries but they may also be useful to other stakeholders. The resources cover both agricultural and public health uses of pesticides. The documents listed in this compendium have been prepared, reviewed and adopted by FAO and WHO expert groups including, since 2007, the FAO/ WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM). The compendium will be updated regularly in the future. Older documents included in the compendium are still considered valid as the issues they address have not changed.

A compendium of FAO and WHO guidelines and other resources - Second edition

Managing pesticides in agriculture and public health

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

The Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations as well as input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets. This year's edition features a short scenario on COVID-19 and its impact on food and agriculture.

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029

The FAO Yearbook of Forest Products is a compilation of statistical data on basic forest products for all countries and territories of the world. It contains a series of annual data on the volume of production and the volume and value of trade in forest products. It includes tables showing the direction of trade and average unit values of trade for certain products. Statistical information in the yearbook is based primarily on data provided to the FAO Forestry Department by the countries through questionnaires or official publications. In the absence of official data, FAO makes an estimate based on the best information available.

:الكتاب السنوي للمنتجات الحرجية | 粮农组织林产品年鉴 | FAO Yearbook of Forest Products | Annuaire FAO des produits forestiers | Ежегодник лесной продукции ФАО | Anuario FAO de productos forestales 2019

Through a rigorous, multi-stage analysis, the evidence generated by this corporate evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)’s business plan for achieving measurable changes in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, both at micro and macro levels. The assessment also identifies areas for renewed and refined emphasis, as well as strategic planning for the future planning and monitoring of ATA’s work. This evaluation finds that ATA has achieved many of the outcomes it is being measured against, in terms of input use, extension services, and agricultural technology. The outcomes observed point to the effective removal of bottlenecks in the rural agricultural economy that have improved the linkages between producers, input markets and agricultural services. The improvements in those priority areas are reflected in productivity gains for certain priority crops and in market orientation positions that confirm ATA’s effectiveness in connecting producers to markets. FAO’s evaluation finds positive macroeconomic effects from ATA interventions, helping to ameliorate the reduction in gross domestic product growth, and also supporting the development of agroindustry and transportation services.

An FAO evaluation of the Agency’s impact on agricultural growth and poverty reduction

Ten years of the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency

Small ruminants are the main source of livelihood for the rural agropastoralists and are important assets in lowlands and highlands of Ethiopia. Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are a significant cause of reduced production and productivity to the pastoral communities in Ethiopia. TADs like Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Sheep and Goat Pox (SGP) and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) have contributed to a high level of sheep and goat mortality, especially in lambs and kids. The “Pursuing pastoralist resilience through improved animal health service delivery” project implemented by FAO between 2014 and 2020, was designed to support the Government of Ethiopia in strengthening the surveillance system for most TADs. The project had a primary focus to implement a progressive control programme for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). The evaluation found that the project has advanced PPR control and eradication and that the country has the capability to continue this momentum for improved animal health and welfare services for the greater ambition to eradicate PPR across the country by 2027. However, ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of future projects requires overcoming many difficulties. Challenges relating to government strategy, coordination, resources and more are assessed in this report.

Project code: GCP/ETH/083/EC

Final evaluation of "Pursuing pastoralist resilience through improved animal health service delivery in pastoralist areas of Ethiopia"

The evaluation of FAO’s statistical work examines the relevance and the effectiveness of statistics in the era of “leave no one behind”. It appraises the progress made by FAO and the challenges faced in establishing functional statistical governance, providing quality statistics, and adopting sustainable capacity development at the global, regional and country level. The evaluation found that statistics remain core to FAO’s overall work. Members demand for data to support SDG indicator implementation and the use of statistics in policy-making has increased. FAO’s profile has been raised through its methodological work on the SDG indicators and outreach work on national standards. However, gaps in internal governance, data quality and capacity development need urgent remedial actions. The evaluation recommends long-term investment in coherent and coordinated governance, production and dissemination of modernized quality statistics, better use of resources within a sustainable capacity development framework, and more.

Evaluation of FAO's statistical work

The agriculture sector in Sierra Leone accounts for 60 percent of GDP and 58 percent of total employment. More than 58 percent of the country’s population live in rural areas and 86.1 percent of this population are engaged in smallholder subsistence agricultural production. Ten years of civil conflict and the Ebola epidemic in 2014 negatively affected food security and the country’s overall socio-economic situation. The country is particularly vulnerable to extreme events such as food chain crises and natural hazards which have a direct impact on food security and livelihoods. This evaluation aims to identify lessons learned and provide strategic recommendations on how FAO programmes can be better oriented in Sierra Leone. FAO’s overall contribution to developmental challenges was assessed in the priority areas defined in the CPFs covering 2012–16 and 2017–19. The evaluation comprised an examination of associated outcome areas related to support to smallholder commercialization, natural resources management, and effective response to disasters and increasing social productivity and resilience. The review also evaluated crosscutting issues, including gender equality and women’s empowerment, climate resilience, nutrition, capacity development and youth employment.The evaluation used different methods to collect the views of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders, such as structured focus group discussions, structured key informant interviews, direct observation, and workshops. The fieldwork took place with actors from projects across five districts: Bo, Bombali, Kenema, Kono, and Port Loko.The evaluation found evidence of significant and sustainable results in a range of areas of FAO’s activities, including policy-related work, from adoption of legislation to policy influence, piloting of approaches, and standards and regulatory frameworks. Likewise, results leading to livelihoods improvements, empowerment and adoption of more sustainable organizational practices, technologies and skills were found. Nevertheless, the programme failed to aggregate activities and interventions in a programmatic and coherent portfolio. FAOs capacity to deliver sustainable and consistent results, with strong partnerships and complementary action, was often undermined by lack of, or weak systems and functions. FAO should use the development of the new CPF as a way to re-design its strategic footprint in the country and reach its full potential, despite the limiting factors. To do this, FAO could consider adopting an area-based approach, implementing a programmatic, multi-stakeholder and cross sectoral adaptive approach based on regions/districts.

Evaluation of FAO’s country programme in Sierra Leone 2012–2019

Climate change is a major challenge for agriculture, a vital source of food, income and employment for most of the world’s poor. Agricultural investments, as a result, need to become more climate sensitive. This is as true for general agricultural investments focused on development outcomes as for projects specifically addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. This comprehensive knowledge product provides investment practitioners with practical reference material on integrating climate risk considerations at all stages of the investment project cycle, from design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Produced by multidisciplinary teams across FAO, the knowledge product is organized as a compendium of modules and thematic sections. It builds on a 2012 FAO guidance document and draws on the most recent information and data sources, including the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. It also showcases FAO-developed tools, tested approaches and selected experiences, and discusses climate financing opportunities for agriculture.

Approaches, tools and selected experiences

Making climate-sensitive investments in agriculture

The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils

GSOCmap is the first global soil organic carbon map ever produced through a consultative and participatory process involving member countries, which makes this map totally new and unique. In fact, the map was prepared by member countries, under the guidance of the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils and the Global Soil Partnership Secretariat. Countries agreed on the methodology to produce the map and were trained on modern tools and methodologies to develop national maps. The Global Soil Partnership then gathered all national maps to produce the final product, ensuring a thorough harmonization process. This technical report is a companion report to the GSOCmap V1.5. It presents methodologies and process of compiling the Global Soil Organic Carbon Map.

Technical report

Global Soil Organic Carbon Map (GSOCmap) Version 1.5

Apimondia

 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana

This manual is a visual, practical document on good beekeeping practices for sustainable small-scale beekeepers in Africa. It has been designed to serve as a beekeeping training tool and is a concise, practical reference document. The manual opens with an illustrated story of the damaging effect of certain practices adopted when collecting wild honey (honey hunting) and aims to spark interest among readers on how to harvest honey more sustainably. The second section presents the reader with the main beekeeping equipment and explains how the tools can be used to keep healthy bees and harvest quality honey. It ends with an overview of good beekeeping practices that will help the beekeeper produce good honey in a sustainable manner. Rather than recommend a specific type of hive, the manual provides necessary information that will help beekeepers determine which type is best suited to their local conditions. The many illustrations included in the manual aim to help beekeepers make their own versions of the equipment that are tailored to local needs.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Books

Your next favorite book is out there