Food security policy and governance
Food and nutrition policies
Image: via Flickr (by: Trust for Africas Orphans)
Governments, the corporate sector and the civil society in the field of food and nutrition security (FNS) have current expertise on the operational, policy and institutional changes needed to realize FNS. This expertise can ensure system change at local, national and global levels for improved FNS as well as economically and ecologically resilient food systems. Advanced understanding of inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches is important since many policy sectors influence the sustainability of food systems, such as water management, infrastructure, finance, education, etc. In this Knolwedge Portal topic, knowledge is presented on coherent and effective food policies at international, regional and national levels; international policies and their interaction with low- and middle-income countries and examples of prominent integral approaches.
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August 13th, 2020
Published by World Development, August 3rd, 2020
This article examines agricultural policy discourses in Senegal to address the use of language in agricultural policy discourses, in spite of increasing evidence that narratives matter for policy-making. This paper shows that reconciling perspectives on the dichotomies that prevail in agricultural development policy today have remained scarce. There is a need to develop a reconciling perspective on low agricultural productivity in Africa. »
July 24th, 2020
Published by Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, July 20th, 2020
This blog examined how equity and governance have come together in research in the agriculture, nutrition and health (ANH) space over time. Despite a history of both equity and governance work in ANH research, few studies tie these important issues together. This is therefore a critical research gap that must be filled. »
June 23rd, 2020
Published by Food Security journal, January 22nd, 2020
This study uses a novel policy integration perspective to investigate the extent to which eight ministries in Uganda integrated nutrition concerns across their policy outputs between 2001 and 2017. The study found a shift towards increased integrated government action on nutrition over time. The 2011–2015 analysis period was a critical juncture where increased integration of nutrition was observed in all policy integration dimensions across all ministries... »
June 9th, 2020
Published by Hivos, IIED, May 1st, 2020
This paper documents the importance of indigenous foods and food systems in Uganda in order to inform policies, programmes at the local and national level. There is limited awareness of the potential of indigenous foods to address food and nutrition security, climate change and environmental challenges due to lack of investment to improve yields and markets, and the perceptions of it being a poor man’s food. »
May 4th, 2020
Published by FAO, April 2nd, 2020
This policy brief examines different policy measures, with the aim to support informed policy decision-making during COVID-19. olicy measures should aim to address actual rather than perceived demand and supply disruptions; enhanced market transparency and coordination with all concerned actors are critical in this regard. »
April 28th, 2020
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, March 19th, 2020
This brief draws attention to some gaps in the mainstreaming of gender and nutrition in climate change, and food and nutrition-related policy documents, which may affect the effective implementation of nutrition-focused actions and the realization of improved nutrition outcomes. »
April 23rd, 2020
Published by IFPRI, April 2nd, 2020
This blog examines how COVID-19 will affect food supply chains (FSCs) in developing countries. Farm operations may be spared the worst, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in urban areas will face significant problems. Governments' general strategy must be two-pronged: Implement robust public health measures and address food security impacts, particularly income and employment. »
February 27th, 2020
Published by Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, February 3rd, 2020
This brief focuses on the potential to lever improvements in diets by trade policy, and how to address it. The primary focus is on cross-border flows of food and agricultural commodities, exploring the effects that trade can have on the supply and affordability of nutrient-rich foods. It also considers how trends in global trade affect diets, greenhouse gas emissions and the natural environment upon which food systems depend. »
February 4th, 2020
Published by Global Food Security journal, December 10th, 2019
This article analysed scietific literature on how to feed the world, distinguishing between a focus on three potential levers: total food production, per capita food demand, and population. To reverse this long-term trend whereby population, diet, and food production have been tackled in isolation, the article suggests strengthening inter-disciplinary research that jointly addresses these three leverage points. »
November 28th, 2019
Published by The Institute of Development Studies, September 2nd, 2019
This policy brief examines changes in food systems, including urbanisation, changing diets and free trade, the risks and opportunities of these changes and its implications for policy priorities. The changes in food systems create both systemic risks and transformational opportunities that demand a deeper understanding of food systems and how to ensure their long-term resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability. »
November 4th, 2019
Published by CCAFS-CGIAR, June 25th, 2019
This working paper demonstrates the ways of catalysing transformation in food systems through policy change from local to global level. Food system transformation demands participation and action from all actors. Policy change can guide and catalyse that action but requires political and public will and a shift in mindsets toward a more collective and shared approach. »
October 8th, 2019
Published by CTA, August 1st, 2019
To increase rural people's access to nutritious and healthy food in Fiji, CTA analysed the agricultural sector and came up with several key recommendations. Key strategies include: Create an enabling environment for the agriculture-nutrition nexus. Support evidence-based policy and planning. Promote nutrition-sensitive value chains to improve accessibility of nutritious food products. Improve multi-sector co-ordination of food and nutrition security policy. Mainstream nutrition into national sectoral policies and action plans. »
October 2nd, 2019
Published by RUAF, September 30th, 2019
This issue of the Urban Agriculture magazine explores the experiences of Food Policy Councils (FPCs) and similar entities, with a particular focus on their approach to inclusiveness, documented impacts, and challenges faced. hese groups bring stakeholders together to share perspectives on food systems challenges, to develop innovative solutions, and to influence food-related policy and planning. Most FPCs in this issue seek to include a spectrum of stakeholders from across the food system, such as farmers, distributors, processors and vendors. »
September 10th, 2019
Published by IDS, July 1st, 2019
This issue examines a range of perspectives on power in food systems, and the various active players, relationships, activities, and institutions that play a major role in shaping them. In aiming to understand power in the food system, there are many different disciplinary, epistemological, and ideological entry points into the study of power, and seeking a single approach will likely limit the insights that different disciplines and research orientations can bring to the study of food systems. »
September 4th, 2019
Published by ReSAKSS, CTA, AGRODEP, September 4th, 2019
This report presents an examination of the recent trends, current status, and future outlook of African agricultural trade in global and regional markets. The report finds that while growth in Africa’s agricultural imports has continued to outpace export growth, the agricultural trade deficit has been on the decline since 2012. »
August 21st, 2019
Published by Hivos, IIED, August 21st, 2019
This discussion paper explores the reasons for the lack of agricultural diversity from the perspectives of smallholder households, market actors and extension officers. Zambia’s diversification agenda should be based on the priorities and requirements of farming households. To succeed it will require the collective efforts of key players, and a range of co-ordinated policy changes. »
June 3rd, 2019
Published by Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, and Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), June 2nd, 2019
This position paper highlights the importance and advantages of the water, engergy, food and ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus as an approach and methodology in EU development cooperation. The Nexus corroborates the need to not view water, energy, food and ecosystems as being separate entities, but rather as being complex and inextricably entwined. Managing the WEFE Nexus is a consultative process with key stakeholders contributing and agreeing to responses to the challenges being faced. »
April 17th, 2019
Published by AgriProFocus, Universiteit Utrecht, April 11th, 2019
This insight paper aims to contribute to a better conceptualization of ‘farmers’ and to an improved understanding of ‘farmers. The objective is to inform Dutch Food & Nutrition Security (FNS) Policy and provide recommendations on how to enhance the policy’s results for and with the target groups. The Dutch FNS policy and its implementation would gain clarity if it made use of clearer language and definitions of the farmer target groups it intends to reach. A flexible, context-specific, and stakeholder-informed approach is key to prevent blueprints or classifications that disempower some farmers. »
March 27th, 2019
Published by IFPRI, March 27th, 2019
This global food policy report 2018 provides a synthesis of all major developments regarding food policy in 2018. The special focus of this year's report is on rural revitalization. Rural revitalization represents a systems approach to addressing poverty and food and nutrition security through its recognition of the intrinsic links among sectors that make up the entire food chain. »
March 8th, 2019
Published by Task Force Rural Africa, March 7th, 2019
This report proposes strategies and policies, harnessing cooperation between Africa and Europe, to enable the African agri-food and rural economy to respond to the challenge of generating sufficient jobs and incomes for the African workforce. Africa and Europe should implement and innovative partnership for the inclusive and sustainable development of Africa's agri-food sector and rural economy, where African political and policy leadership should be a key element. »
February 20th, 2019
Published by Oxfam, February 8th, 2019
This report, comprising a position paper and research report, aims to contribute to awareness and understanding of the current status of patenting of plants in developing countries and emerging economies, to inform societal discussion and decision-making. The presence of a patented component in a plant may create a barrier for further research and breeding, as well as prevent farmers from saving and re-using seeds that incorporate that component. »
January 15th, 2019
Published by WaterAid, Action Against Hunger, Share, September 1st, 2017
This report aims to provide a toolkit to stimulate debate and discussion of the options and opportunities to bring together water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition policies and programmes. National governments and donors, and both nutrition and WASH actors need to shift mindsets; develop ambitious policies and plans; create effective coordination mechanisms and flexible funding; and share lessons and experiences globally. »
November 22nd, 2018
Published by IISD, December 1st, 2017
This policy brief identifies the most effective and efficient ways to invest in improving food security. A key message is that context matters. Successful interventions stressed the importance of prior analysis or a baseline assessment. Improved food security is often the result of multiple, well-designed interventions. »
November 21st, 2018
Published by PPPLab, November 8th, 2018
This publication explores Dutch embassies' experiences in partnerships in food security and water with private sector involvement. The 'from aid to trade agenda' provokes a number of tensions for embassies. A case study was set up in Kenya to explore the role of the Public P in PPPs and to come up with new solutions for food security issues and develop the agribusiness sector in Kenya. »
November 13th, 2018
Published by Civil Society Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, July 9th, 2018
This article explores the connection between food, health, ecology, livelihoods and identities and offers feasible pathways on how to place the virtuous interplay between sustainable and diversified local food systems and healthy diets at the core of the public policy agenda. While technology and resources can definitely help, the fundamental challenge is one of devising policies and regulations. »
October 26th, 2018
Published by FAO, October 15th, 2018
The key focus of this year's SOFA report is rural migration, which constitutes a considerable portion of both internal and international migration flows. Policy coherence between migration and agriculture and rural development policies essential to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. »
October 16th, 2018
Published by IISD, IFPRI, October 1st, 2018
This report summarizes government policies and public investments that have driven agricultural transformation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A key finding is that the availability and fertility of agricultural land and population dynamics are core to the role of agriculture in economic transformation. »
October 11th, 2018
Published by FAO, July 9th, 2018
This annual report measures the progress of the world fisheries and aquaculture role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and emphasizing its role in achieving them. Fish is an important, consistently affordable dietary component worldwide, albeit with large geographic variance. »
September 7th, 2018
Published by ReSAKSS, CTA, AGRODEP, September 6th, 2018
This report presents an examination of the recent trends, current status, and future outlook of African agricultural trade in global and regional markets. The analyses demonstrate undeniable improvements in Africa’s trade performance since the late 1990s. Nevertheless, progress has been uneven. »
September 6th, 2018
Published by Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), September 5th, 2018
The Africa agriculture status report of 2018 focusses on the role of state capacity and political will in achieving agricultural transformation in Africa. African countries understand what should be done to trigger transformation, but are faced with capacity constraints that limit their ability to transform. »
September 3rd, 2018
Published by Springer, June 2nd, 2018
This book is a collection of papers related to a better understanding of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and to the best policy options for enhancing its resilience and sustainability. It offers technical analyses, policy recommendations and an overview of success stories for agricultural sustainability. »
August 21st, 2018
Published by InterAcademy Partnership, May 15th, 2018
These four reports highlight opportunities and challenges for research on food and nutrition security and agriculture in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. An overarching lesson is that science, technology and innovation are key in agricultural development and food and nutrition security. »
August 14th, 2018
Published by The World Bank, June 9th, 2018
This report looks at what could explain the potential-performance divide in Uganda and comes with recommendations how to close this. The difference between aggregate output growth and the growth of all inputs and factors of production that produced it, has been negative for the last two decades in Ugandan agriculture. »
August 6th, 2018
Published by FAO, June 7th, 2018
These guidelines presents a set of actions to speed up the transformation to sustainable food and agriculture. Sustainable food and agriculture have great potential to revitalize the rural landscape, deliver inclusive growth to countries and drive positive change. »
July 30th, 2018
Published by FAO, June 5th, 2018
This synthesis study summarizes policy monitoring indicators for 14 sub-Saharan African countries. These indicators are commonly used to assess the extent of policy support to agriculture. Results indicate increasing support to farmers in the form of price incentives. »
July 5th, 2018
Published by Food Security Journal, June 28th, 2018
This article (PDF) in the Food Security Journal analyses the coherence of food supply policy content with respect to nutrition and food security in South Africa. In the rise of the double burden of malnutrition, the supply-side policy interventions are a critical component of action. However, the food supply is governed by a number of different... »
May 28th, 2018
Published by Nature, April 3rd, 2018
This expert opinion argues that governments must provide incentives for businesses to fix the global food system, not just punish them for acting irresponsibly. Giving incentives could make the main investors in the food system play a more positive part in improving nutrition, as argued by Lawrence Haddad. »
May 10th, 2018
Published by ECDPM, February 5th, 2018
This exploratory study seeks to analyse the ongoing debate and cooperation between Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD) and trade, and aid for trade departments. Development partners are making efforts to strengthen coherence between their Trade and ARD policies and interventions. »
April 20th, 2018
Published by World Development Journal, January 31st, 2018
This article provides a meta-analysis on the impact of social protection, specifically its social assistance element, on household food security and asset formation. The meta-analysis finds that social protection programs improve both the quantity and quality of food consumed by beneficiaries. »
April 3rd, 2018
Published by Global Food Security Journal, December 31st, 2017
This paper provides a detailed review of the evolution of food policy in India and a way forward in the transition toward nutrition security. »
March 26th, 2018
Published by IFPRI, March 20th, 2018
The global food policy report of IFPRI is a reoccurring publication providing a synthesis of all major developments regarding food policy. The report reviews the major food policy issues of 2017 and presents a critical analysis on global food systems under current radical changes. »
February 20th, 2018
Published by BMJ Global Health Journal, January 1st, 2018
This article examines what factors generate, sustain and constrain political commitment for nutrition, how and under what circumstances, to inform strategic 'commitment-building' actions. Processes driving commitment are multifactorial, dynamic and strongly context-dependent. »
February 2nd, 2018
Published by Journal Food Security, January 20th, 2018
This paper evaluates the impact of the homestead food garden (HFG) programmes, implemented by the South African government and directed at enhancing food production in order to reduce food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty and hunger. »
January 9th, 2018
Published by Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Nairobi, December 12th, 2017
This output report documents the Food Security Partners' Day themed “From Aid to Trade: Enhancing Effective and Proactive Partnerships in Food Production Value Chain”, which was organized on 24th October 2017 by the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands in Nairobi. The topics covered were inclusivity and scalability. »
January 9th, 2018
Published by journal Global Food Security, December 15th, 2017
This paper reviews evidence on the impact of EU policies on global food security, focusing on several EU policy areas. Old concerns were related to the detrimental impact of EU farm subsidies, food aid and tariffs on poor countries’ food security. New concerns relate to impacts of EU food standards and bioenergy policies. »
January 3rd, 2018
Published by High Level Group of the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism, November 29th, 2017
This report gives scientific advice on how more food and biomass can be obtained from the oceans in a way that does not deprive future generations of their benefits. »
December 18th, 2017
Published by FAO, October 1st, 2017
This report tries to gain a deep insight into the nature of the presumed relationships between conflict, food security and peace. It was developed to provide background analysis for the purposes of the thematic part of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017. »
December 13th, 2017
Published by Brookings Institution, November 30th, 2017
This blog series highlights the particular food and nutrition security challenges faced by African nations, policies in place and recommendations to improve the country strategy towards hunger eradication. This is done through six case studies in the Global Ending Rural Hunger project. »
December 5th, 2017
Published by GODAN, October 12th, 2017
This report shows results of a review of policy and data quality in five jointly funded agriculture programs in order to identify the opportunities for agriculture donors to align their approaches. This research aims to understand the opportunities for donors to make open data implementation more efficient and streamlined for their implementing research partners. »
November 21st, 2017
Published by Micronutrient Forum, September 1st, 2017
This report provides an overview of the state of large-scale food fortification in the world. It has an emphasis on gaps and challenges to the scaling-up of the fortification of staple foods to populations that would benefit. »
November 11th, 2017
Published by The Economist, September 26th, 2017
This report provides a worldwide perspective on which countries are most and least vulnerable to food insecurity and how resource risks increase vulnerability. Given the growing threats to food security posed by climate change and natural resource depletion, the 2017 iteration of the index includes a new category that seeks to understand the impact that these risks will have on global food security. »
November 9th, 2017
Published by Hivos, IIED, October 9th, 2017
This policy brief provides an overview of why agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity are important and what can be done to foster them. Maintaining agricultural biodiversity is vital for food security and nutrition, and to cope with the challenge of climate change. »
October 23rd, 2017
Published by WUR, September 26th, 2017
This article argues that to ensure global food supply into the future, governments must formulate sharper and more robust policy to counter inequality and climate change. From the knowledge gathered during a large-scale research program the FOODSECURE Navigator was created, an online toolbox that helps policymakers see the bigger picture. »
October 12th, 2017
Published by Evaluation and Program Planning, September 23rd, 2017
This article argues that following the human stories in development policy and implementation can offer surprising insights into why at times policies may work or not work. Too often the human factor is relegated to an input or an externality in a quasi-technical process for transforming public funds into measurable results. »
October 10th, 2017
Published by Malabo Montpellier Panel, September 5th, 2017
This report identifies interventions that work and recommends options for policies and programs to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in all its forms. What is required are policies and interventions that go beyond just increasing agricultural production to making actual improvements in the provision and quality of diets, leveraging the potential of the agriculture sector, and in other rural services such as health, water, sanitation, and hygiene. »
October 2nd, 2017
Published by WUR, July 12th, 2017
This policy document provides a vision on the required transition from the current unsustainable food system to a healthy, circular and resource-efficient paradigm. This is a hugely complex transition since the multiple aspects of food production and consumption are closely interconnected and changing one aspect can easily have major unintended consequences. »
September 5th, 2017
Published by Journal of Rural Studies, August 31st, 2017
This article looks at the level of policy support for Sustainable Crop Intensification (SCI) in Eastern Africa. Designing and implementing policies that address the bottlenecks to SCI interventions is pertinent to address low crop productivity. However, little attention is geared towards analyzing the existing policies and examining their provision in addressing the key challenges. »
September 4th, 2017
Published by International Agri-Food Network, June 12th, 2017
This position paper provides policy recommendations to safeguard and improve the contributions of the forestry sector to food security and nutrition. The relative neglect of the forestry sector compared with other forms of agriculture by policymakers, means that the potential for the sector to play a greater role in securing food security remains great. »
August 15th, 2017
Published by World Development Journal, July 3rd, 2017
This article explores the rapid change in the agriculture sector of Ethiopia. Despite significant efforts, Africa has struggled to imitate the rapid agricultural growth that took place in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. As a rare but important exception, Ethiopia’s agriculture sector recorded remarkable rapid growth during 2004–14. »
August 3rd, 2017
Published by BMC Public Health and SAIFRN, June 13th, 2017
This edition focuses on how an improved policy landscape can improve infant and young child feeding practices in South Asia. Enabling policy environments for nutrition requires evidence to support best practice and engagement with political and policy contexts, as well as leadership, resourcing, advocacy, and technical support. »
July 20th, 2017
Published by CDKN, June 12th, 2017
This working paper elaborates on the importance and challenges regarding governance for water-energy-food nexus approaches. The concept of the water–energy–food nexus has become widely used to help understand interdependencies among the three systems. However, governance in the WEF nexus has not received much attention in the literature. »
July 17th, 2017
Published by Routledge, June 1st, 2017
This book edited by James Sumberg, analyzes the knowledge politics of agronomy and sheds new lights on current debates about agricultural development and food security. Over the last decade there has been renewed interest in food security and the state of the global food system. »
July 13th, 2017
Published by SNV, WUR, KIT, SDC, June 1st, 2017
This technical brief shares learning of the Sustainable Nutrition for All (SN4A) project related to the importance of multi-sectoral governance to address malnutrition and scale-up projects. The brief presents results from the SN4A model in Uganda and Zambia. »
July 11th, 2017
Published by ANH Academy Working Group on Sustainable Diets, July 1st, 2017
This case study report elaborates on a novel method, e.g. the “Diet Dimensions” policy game, to engage researchers, policymakers and key stakeholders to generate and inform policies for healthier and more sustainable food systems and diets. The game is a new way of interacting with sustainable diets research. »
June 14th, 2017
Published by Hivos, IIED, May 1st, 2017
This discussion paper describes the potential of agriculture and food systems in Zambia to contribute to improving food and nutrition security. National nutrition and agricultural policy in Zambia recognizes the need to increase and diversify the production of nutritious foods to tackle hunger and improve diets. »
June 6th, 2017
Published by Global Food Security Journal, June 1st, 2017
This article investigates changes in nutrition policy and action over time in Zambia. An enabling environment for malnutrition reduction includes creating policy and political momentum, and converting momentum to implementation and impact. Another article of this edition describes more positive experiences in setting-up national nutrition policy and programs in Senegal. »
May 18th, 2017
Published by Routledge, May 5th, 2017
This book addresses the challenges of reorienting agriculture and rural development in an environment of rapid structural transformation, globalization and urbanization. It provides a comprehensive review and assessment of the multi-faceted nature of agriculture and rural development, particularly in the developing world. »
May 9th, 2017
Published by AFD, World Bank, February 21st, 2017
This report explores how effective, efficient and climate resilient public spending in and for agriculture can be the foundation for transformation and reducing poverty in Sub-Saharan African countries. Enhancing the productivity of agriculture is vital for Sub-Saharan Africa's economic future and is one of the most important tools to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity in the region. »
April 26th, 2017
Published by FAO, CIRAD, CIHEAM-IAMM, March 6th, 2017
This report provides an overview of a study conducted in the NENA region in 2015-2016 focusing on the features and characteristics of small-scale family farming. Defining policies to support small-scale family farming by fighting poverty in agricultural households cannot be reduced to intensifying farming or stock-breeding practices. »
April 17th, 2017
Published by Global Food Security Journal, March 1st, 2017
This article reviews China's agricultural and food policy with specific focus on recent challenges, initial policy responses and their consequences, and re-adjusting policies. Despite remarkable achievements in the past, China is facing several major challenges, in particular on ensuring sustainable agricultural growth, improving food security, and increasing farmers' income. »
April 4th, 2017
Published by Environmental Science & Policy, March 1st, 2017
This article criticizes the water-energy-food nexus as a new or innovative concept and argues enhancing research integration and achieving policy coherence is not always optimal. In recent years, the notion of a nexus involving water, energy, and food has been gaining attention in the scholarly literature and popular press. »
March 30th, 2017
Published by IFPRI, December 6th, 2016
This book examines the two nutritional challenges which Egypt faces in depth and their relationship to public policy. The first challenge is the “growth-nutrition disconnect.” High economic growth has not been accompanied by reduction in chronic child malnutrition. Instead, the prevalence of child stunting increased during this decade—an atypical trend for a country outside wartime. The second challenge is the simultaneous presence of chronic undernutrition and overnutrition. »
March 17th, 2017
Published by CSIS, January 30th, 2017
This report by CSIS reviews the prospects for increasing food security and links this to the polictical instability and conflict situations that comes with it.The experiences of post-conflict countries highlight some critical issues that need to be prioritized in order to regain sustainable food security. Averting future storms will require the recognition that food security challenges will extend long beyond 2030, political leadership must be visibly committed to these issues, and actions to reduce fragmentation of effort will be critical. »
March 17th, 2017
Published by IFPRI, February 1st, 2017
This discussion paper studies the factors contributing to the effectiveness of policy systems. In this paper, a conceptual framework is developed to understand the policy and institutional architecture of food and agriculture policy systems, aiming to improve the coordination and harmonization of the roles of policy actors and players. »
March 1st, 2017
Published by FAO, February 22nd, 2017
This report lays out and analyses 15 key global trends that are influencing and will influence food and agriculture in the coming decades, and comments on the associated 10 challenges ahead. Several trends that will impact agriculture and food systems are: global population growth is slowing, but Africa and Asia will still see a large population expansion; economic growth is leading to dietary transition, e.g. demand for food is changing towards higher consumption of meat and dairy products and other more resource-intensive food items. »
March 1st, 2017
Published by UNU-WIDER, February 1st, 2017
This working paper (PDF) from UNU-WIDER investigates the factors influencing participation in non-farm work and the effect of participation on farmers’ productivity, using survey data from 300 smallholder farm households in northern Ghana. »
February 21st, 2017
Published by Global Canopy Programme, WCS Indonesia Program & CDKN, January 12th, 2017
This policy brief draws on a series of studies, multi- stakeholder meetings and group discussions that explored the challenges facing Indonesia’s national and provincial governments in achieving both development and environmental goals. The analysis is informed by a water- energy-food (WEF) nexus framework that has emerged as an important concept for addressing resource trade-offs. »
February 15th, 2017
Published by World Development, February 9th, 2017
This article scrutinizes the link between farm size and farmland distribution and its contribution to food security, reduction of poverty and decreasing inequality. Many advocates emphasize the importance of “smallholder farming” or “family farming”, however there is a lack of data. »
February 7th, 2017
Published by IDS, January 11th, 2017
This policy brief by IDS gives an overview on the challenges and opportunities for multi-level advocacy. Over the last decade, policy advocacy has made critical contributions towards the development of nutrition policies, laws and strategies in many countries with high burdens of malnutrition. Translating and safeguarding these policy achievements into results on the ground requires nutrition advocacy to be pursued across administrative levels and throughout the policy cycle. »
January 25th, 2017
Published by PBL, December 27th, 2016
This report elaborates on the impact of agricultural taxes and subsidies on crop yields in Africa. The key finding presented is that both taxes and subsidies wield a negative influence on crop yields. Clearly, levying taxes and subsidies have their merit, for raising public finances and providing rural income support respectively, but neither leads to a more intensified agriculture. »
January 11th, 2017
Published by Global Food Security, December 1st, 2016
This article explores the myths and realities surrounding the relationship between environmental sustainability, food security, and nutrition. According to the authors, policymakers and researchers alike often make inaccurate assumptions about technological innovations, gender, biofuels, and smallholder farming. Such sustainable food security and nutrition “myths” pose a significant challenge to the effective design and promotion of more environmentally-friendly agricultural and food systems. »
January 6th, 2017
Published by Economist Intelligence Unit, December 1st, 2016
This report discusses food system sustainability globally, spanning agriculture, nutrition, and food loss and waste. This report, drawing from expert interviews and the findings of the Food Sustainability Index, has outlined a number of priority areas for policy makers, companies, and civilians. Alongside the report the Food Sustainability Index was published. »
January 2nd, 2017
Published by OECD & FAO, December 1st, 2016
This report by OECD and FAO brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations and input from collaborating member countries to provide an assessment of medium-term prospects of national, regionaland global agricultural commodity markets. The Outlook provides supply, demand, trade andprice estimates of major agricultural commodities for 41 countries and 12 geographical regions. The special theme chapter of this year’s edition focusses on the prospects and challenges of the agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). »
December 15th, 2016
Published by Allegheny College, December 5th, 2016
This paper provides an overview of the meaning and conditions under which an agro-allied industrial development strategy in Africa could work. The notion of an agro-allied industrial development strategy in Africa presupposes the existence of a vibrant and sustainable agricultural sector. The authors suggest that this assumption may be too heroic and unrealistic. »
December 9th, 2016
Published by Global Network for the right to food and nutrition, October 17th, 2016
This working paper by the Global Network for the right to food and nurition argues that we need to react against the urbanization of the development agenda, and the long-held dichotomy of rural and urban spaces. It addresses ongoing discussions in preparation of Habitat III, the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. The terms ‘rural-urban linkages’, ‘city-region food systems’, and ‘territorial food systems’ are often used interchangeably in international policy fora, academia, and other discussions on how rural and urban spaces relate to each other in food systems. »
November 30th, 2016
Published by IFAD, November 9th, 2016
This report by IFAD contributes arguments and information on economic assessment for agriculture under climate change. It is aimed at readers who seek to build economic evidence in support of the inclusion of actions on agriculture in climate change plans and programmes. The focus is particularly on the national level under the umbrella of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the December 2015 Paris agreement. »
November 15th, 2016
Published by ICTSD, October 10th, 2016
This report explores the contribution that trade and trade policy could make to the hunger and malnutrition objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The paper looks at past progress and projected trends, and examines options for government action in the years ahead. Projections indicate that governments must now go beyond a “business as usual” approach if the new hunger and nutrition goals are to be achieved. »
November 8th, 2016
Published by MaSSP IFPRI, October 31st, 2016
This policy note explores key findings from a farm-level analysis of smallholders’ crop choice under different policy and risk scenarios. Smallholder farmers planting decisions are examined for five major crops – maize, tobacco, common bean, groundnut, and soyabean – using a farm-level risk model. The policy scenarios include: (a) reducing the volatility of farm gate soyabean prices by 25 percent; and (b) introducing a loan package for soyabean inputs. These simulations were conducted both without and in the presence of a loan package for tobacco inputs. »
October 19th, 2016
Published by IPC, October 3rd, 2016
This issue of Policy in Focus (PDF) by the International Policy Centre for inclusive growth (IPC) sought to present readers with a selection of contributing authors and articles that share a holistic interpretation of the human right to adequate food and nutrition. This interpretation reaffirms that its true realisation goes far beyond the mere fulfilment of basic food and nutritional needs but, rather, must incorporate multiple dimensions. The contributing authors featured in this issue present critical analyses of some of the most relevant public policy strategies aiming to overcome challenges towards the realization of these dimensions. »
October 18th, 2016
Published by PLAAS, UWC, Centre of Excellence on Food Security, September 12th, 2016
This paper reviews what is currently known about the role played by the informal sector in general and informal retailers in particular, in the accessibility of food in South Africa. The review seeks to identify policy relevant research gaps. The authors conclude their study with critique on the policy environment. They highlight a production and rural bias in the food security agenda and argue that the policy environment for informal operators is at best benign neglect and at worse actively destructive, with serious food security implications. »
September 29th, 2016
Published by The Broker, September 19th, 2016
To implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, developing countries will have to increasingly rely on domestic finance for investment in agriculture. As public funding for agriculture decreases, the role of private investment and, in particular, smallholder farmers, needs to be scaled up to achieve sustainable food security. In this expert opinion published on The Broker, Danko elaborates on the changing landscape of investing in food security and agriculture. »
September 14th, 2016
Published by UNU-WIDER, April 20th, 2016
This book by UNU-WIDER comprehensively evaluates trends in living conditions in 16 major sub-Saharan African countries, corresponding to nearly 75% of the total population. An important message from ten of the countries they looked at is that there are potentially high returns to policies that take agriculture seriously. Countries that place a particular emphasis on upgrading the capabilities of small-scale farmers are more likely to achieve broad-based development objectives. »
August 31st, 2016
Published by IPC-IG, June 13th, 2016
This paper was published by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) and is an analysis on how knowledge-sharing between Brazil and several sub-Saharan countries, in the fields of social protection and food and nutrition security policies and programmes have influenced the African policies and programmes. According to the research, experiences that were shared about programs like Bolsa Familia, Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar and the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos were the inspiration for the creation of similar tools in African countries and had a positive impact. »
August 13th, 2016
Published by KIT, May 1st, 2015
This paper by KIT is about the role that agricultural extension can play to rural development. KIT asked eight renowned experts in the field of extension to guide the reader on a narrative journey through the intricacies of agricultural extension. Agricultural extension has a significant role to play in rural development. Yet, ‘extension’ itself is also developing and so is its role in development. How extension is understood, coordinated, financed and implemented has evolved over time. »
July 15th, 2016
Published by IPC-IG, May 13th, 2016
This paper by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) present an evaluation of the public policies in Brazil that are aimed at promoting family farming. Brazil has become a good example of public policies aimed at combating poverty and fostering rural development, or, in other words, promoting family farming. The country has even 'exported' some of its policies, notably the Programa Bolsa Família and the Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos (PAA—Food Acquisition Programme). »
July 4th, 2016
Published by Routledge, March 21st, 2016
This book examines policies that aim to increase the share of benefits that farmers receive when others use the crop varieties that they have developed and managed, i.e., ‘farmers' varieties’. In so doing, the book addresses two fundamental questions. »
June 29th, 2016
Published by The Economist , June 1st, 2016
This report on the Global Food Security Index presents the key findings of the new index. The index considers the core issues of affordability, availability, and quality across a set of 113 countries. The index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model, constructed from 28 unique indicators, that measures these drivers of food security across both developing and developed countries. »
June 2nd, 2016
Published by The Oakland Institute, May 24th, 2016
This report from the Oakland Institute exposes how a coalition of four donor countries and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is shaping a pro-business environment in the agricultural sector of developing countries, especially in Africa. The report focuses on the Enabling the Business of Agriculture (EBA) project, implemented by the World Bank. »
May 10th, 2016
Published by Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition , April 12th, 2016
This policy brief reviews food safety issues that are critical to poor and vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries, with a particular focus on their impact on healthy diets. With growing international concern over unsafe food, it is important that policies in agriculture and the food system are designed to ensure both the nutritional quality and the safety of the foods we eat. While food safety has traditionally been a health or medical matter, it is increasingly recognized as an important issue for agriculture and food systems since it influences trade, rural incomes, and purchasing power and workers productivity. »
April 14th, 2016
Published by IFPRI, March 31st, 2016
This report examines major food policy issues, global and regional developments, and commitments made in 2015, and presents data on key food policy indicators. The report also proposes key policy options for 2016 and beyond to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015, the global community made major commitments on sustainable development and climate change. »
April 4th, 2016
Published by OECD, February 18th, 2016
This report aims to provide insights into the possible futures, challenges and opportunities facing the food and agriculture systems. Three alternative scenarios are presented, depicting alternative pathways in the period leading up to 2050. The three scenarios "Individual, fossil fuel-driven growth", "citizen-driven, sustainable growth" and "fast, globally-driven growth" differ in the amount of co-operation between countries; the focus on economic, environmental or social issues; and technological developments in different domains. »
March 14th, 2016
Published by Food Security, April 1st, 2015
This paper assesses which policy approaches are most effective to achieve zero hunger in the world by 2050. Three different kind of policies were analysed: policies related to influencing demand, policies targeting consumer access to food and policies targeted at influencing producer supply. The authors conclude that the effectiveness of food security policies is determined by selecting the best bundle of policy instruments for the specific context and country and that trade-offs between policy instruments should be well-understood, in order to achieve the right goals and avoid perverse outcomes. »
March 1st, 2016
Published by FoodSecure, November 2nd, 2015
This working paper analyses to what extend development partners contribute to change in food and nutrition security policies in Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. The analysis of some policy-decisions shows the complexity of relations between aid and national the actors. The authors analyse how the multidimensional nature of food and nutrition security challenges is addressed in policy-making processes. The authors discovered that often FNS policies and institutional frameworks remain predominantly agricultural production-oriented. »
February 10th, 2016
Published by KIT, SNV, December 1st, 2015
This working paper scrutinizes to what extend agricultural development interventions have had a sustainable impact on the poorest rural households. The paper argues that conventional agronomic interventions, focused on raising land productivity through intensification often exclude the poorest households. The authors describe five factors that play a key role in allowing the rural poor to escape poverty. »
February 8th, 2016
Published by FAO, December 9th, 2015
This report presents an updated geographic and demographic picture of the world’s mountain areas and assesses the vulnerability to food insecurity of mountain dwellers in developing countries. The report is a follow-up on FAO-report from 2003. »
January 25th, 2016
Published by International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and World Economic Forum., January 1st, 2016
This Policy Option Paper (PDF) from the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and World Economic Forum (WEF) identifies options for policies and international trade rules to respond to current challenges. »
January 18th, 2016
Published by Food Security Portal, January 14th, 2016
This article elaborates on the functions of the FAO's Food and Agriculture Policy Decisions Analysis Tool (Fapda). The web-based tool includes more than 6,000 policy decisions from more than 70 countries. It was developed in 2011 to provide an on-line repository for food and agricultural policy decisions from around the world. »
December 8th, 2015
Published by Oxford Review of Economic Policy, October 28th, 2015
This paper in Oxford Review of Economic Policy, describes the ways in which changing consumption patterns and production technologies have altered the boundaries between agriculture and food. The authors argue that regulatory systems and policies still tend to equate food with farming, reflecting the realities of the last century more than the policy challenges of today. »
November 19th, 2015
Published by IFPRI, October 27th, 2015
This book by Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla, provides an introduction to policy analysis related to monetary, financial, fiscal, exchange rate, and trade policies as they affect, and are affected by, agricultural and food security issues. Its approach, based on a simplified macroeconomic consistency framework, uses empirical cases to illustrate the problems involved. »
November 9th, 2015
Published by The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, October 7th, 2015
This Global Panel’s technical brief (PDF) argues that the research community and governments need to work together to develop better ways to collect data which focuses on the nutritional impacts of food policy interventions. The brief is aimed at analysts, statistical experts and decision makers who use evidence to guide their policy choices. »
October 12th, 2015
Published by Food Policy Journal, August 1st, 2015
This article argues that policy beliefs are neglected in the literature on agricultural policy-making. The authors use two case studies to investigate how policy beliefs influence decision-making on whether the agricultural sector is taxed or subsidized. In-depth interviews with policy actors from Ghana and Uganda were used to execute a discourse analysis. »
September 29th, 2015
Published by European Commission Joint Research Centre, August 18th, 2015
This report (PDF) from the European Commission shows that it is essential for Europe to move towards an integrated examination of a much broader landscape. By 2030 and beyond, food security will increasingly be considered as securing food supply in response to changing and growing global demand. »
September 16th, 2015
Published by FAO, July 2nd, 2015
This report by the African Development Bank, ECOWAS and the Food and Agriculture Organization highlights opportunities for West African Agricultural growth. The authors states that the combination of strong demand growth, sustained economic growth, higher global agricultural prices, and an improved policy environment has generated the most conducive conditions for agricultural growth in West Africa in over 30 years. »
September 15th, 2015
Published by International Policy Digest, September 11th, 2015
This article argues that the optimization of the agricultural sector in Africa is essential to achieve the SDGs and to ensure a healthy and prosperous Africa. The authors present different policy recommendations that, in their opinion, will not only ensure food security but also will promote inclusive growth. »
August 6th, 2015
Published by Aidenvironment, NewForesight & IIED, April 1st, 2015
This publication by Aidenvironment, NewForesight & IIED, explores the drivers and potential benefits of sector governance models in enabling the transition of smallholder-dominated agricultural sectors towards sustainability. »
August 3rd, 2015
Published by Food Security Journal, February 22nd, 2015
This paper in the Food Security Journal identifies the governance dynamics and the international policy architecture that frame contemporary policy actions in relation to the food supply and elaborates on key governance tensions that policy makers need to address to feed the world’s growing population by the mid-21st century. »
August 3rd, 2015
Published by World Bank, April 1st, 2015
This report by the World Bank identifies key issues where the global food system should improve. The food system must become more sustainable. It must also raise the agricultural productivity of poor farmers, improve nutritional outcomes, and broadly adopt climate-smart agriculture that can withstand and mitigate climate change. »
July 15th, 2015
Published by FAO, May 27th, 2015
This year´s annual State of Food Insecurity in the World report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, takes stock of progress made towards achieving the internationally established Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) and World Food Summit hunger targets and reflects on what needs to be done, as we transition to the new post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. »
July 15th, 2015
Published by Oxford Handbooks, February 19th, 2015
This Oxford Handbook Food, Politics and Society, edited by Ronald J. Herring, explores the complex interrelationships between food and agriculture, politics, and society. More specifically, it considers the political aspects of three basic economic questions: what is to be produced? how is it to be produced? how it is to be distributed? »
July 7th, 2015
Published by IIED, September 1st, 2014
This working paper discusses emerging policy implications for economic diversification in rural sub-Saharan Africa. While continuing to prioritize rural investments in the economic and social sectors, governments should mainstream rural development within national strategies and commit to the long term. »
June 25th, 2015
Published by National Academies Press, March 31st, 2015
This book "Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability" identifies areas of research and development, technology, and resource needs for research in the field of animal agriculture, both nationally and internationally. The report assesses the global demand for products of animal origin in 2050 within the framework of ensuring global food security and evaluates how climate change and natural resource constraints may impact the ability to meet future global demand for animal products in sustainable production systems. »
June 11th, 2015
Published by FAO, February 3rd, 2015
On the 2-3 February 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a technical meeting betwen Indigenous Peoples' respresentatives and FAO staff. This report includes the work plan based on the main suggestions made for how FAO and indigenous peoples can collaborate in the short, medium and long term. The report identifies concrete steps that can be followed in relation to the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, known as the SSF Guidelines, inidgenous food systems and fishers among others. »
June 3rd, 2015
Published by Brookings Institution, February 1st, 2015
This working paper (PDF) from Brookings Institution states that the objective of inclusive growth is linked to that of food and nutrition security. The Government of Morocco is implementing a rural development strategy with two pillars: the first pillar focuses on large modern farms, and the second pillar focuses on smallholder and family farming. The author argues that the twin goals of inclusive growth and food security would be best achieved by emphasizing the importance of the second pillar. »
June 3rd, 2015
Published by IFPRI, April 8th, 2015
This article from IFPRI highlights a newly updated interactive website which provides spatially disaggregated crop production estimates for 42 crops around the globe. Knowledge on where in the world individual crops are cultivated, their production patterns, and whether they are irrigated or rain fed are essential components for ensuring adequate, sustainable food production and safeguarding food security. »
May 25th, 2015
Published by CTA, March 8th, 2015
This paper (PDF) by professor John Ouma-Mugabe at the CTA website, lays out the conceptual framework for developing indicators for assessing the governance of science, technology and innovation (STI) in Africa. It is erected on the premise that the subject of ‘governance of science, technology and innovation’ is increasingly becoming part of academic inquiry and public policy discourse in Africa and internationally, yet there are no conceptual tools as well as empirically tested indicators for demonstrating what constitutes it. »
May 15th, 2015
Published by IFAD, IDS, July 1st, 2015
This publication seeks to understand how public-private-producer partnerships (PPPPs) in agricultural value chains can be designed and implemented to achieve more sustained increases in income for smallholder farmers. PPPPs also explicitly involve farmers (or producers), hence the fourth ‘P’ is added to the more familiar designation of ‘public-private partnerships’. »
May 11th, 2015
Published by IFPRI, March 18th, 2015
The Global Food Policy Report (PDF) by IFPRI provides an in-depth look at major food policy developments and events. This annual report offers an overview of the policy developments that have contributed to or hindered progress in food and nutrition security. It reviews what happened in food policy and why, examines key challenges and opportunities, »
May 11th, 2015
Published by McKinsey, March 1st, 2015
This article by McKinsey & Company introduces an “integrated food economy approach” as a strategy for strengthening the food system. Indicators have been reviewed to assess country’s food availability, affordability and quality. According to the authors, four building blocks are needed for resilient food systems: 1) efficient agricultural production that takes advantage of innovative technologies... »
May 6th, 2015
Published by Food Policy, April 23rd, 2015
This paper identifies several positive synergies between social protection programs and enhanced food security and entitlements to food. The author argues that entitlements to food can be strengthened, if social justice principles are introduced to the design and delivery of social protection programs. Examples reviewed include rights-based approaches such as employment guarantee schemes, community-based targeting and demand-driven accountability mechanisms. »
April 14th, 2015
Published by C.Peter Timmer, January 1st, 2015
This book by C. Peter Timmer (available on University of Pennsylvania Press), provides an examination of what makes a productive, sustainable, and stable food system and of how to address the complex task of ending hunger. Important lessons learned are analysed, based on past work of the author as well as recent published research. Timmer... »
April 6th, 2015
Published by IFPRI, January 30th, 2015
This paper (PDF) by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) introduces an applied framework, named the kaleidoscope model, to analyze drivers of change in the food security arena, with a specific emphasis on agriculture and nutrition policies. Focusing on five key elements of the policy cycle—agenda setting, design, adoption, implementation, and evaluation and reform—the... »
April 6th, 2015
Published by European Commission, January 16th, 2015
At the Green week in Berlin a publication (PDF) was presented that explains how the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) meets the EU’s commitment to policy coherence for development, which aims to minimize problems for developing countries due to policies. The paper stresses that an effective policy coherence for development (PCD) agenda for food security... »
March 31st, 2015
Published by ASC Leiden, November 14th, 2014
This book published in the African Dynamics Series of the African Studies Centre Leiden with contributions of a large group of researchers, attempts to ‘dig deeper’ into what is currently happening in Africa’s agricultural and rural sector and to convince policymakers and others that it is important to look at the current African rural dynamics... »
March 31st, 2015
Published by CFS, October 16th, 2014
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) endorsed the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (PDF) in October 2014. The objective of the Principles is to promote responsible investment in agriculture and food systems that contribute to food security and nutrition, thus supporting the progressive realization of the right to adequate food... »
March 30th, 2015
Published by IIED, ODI and IDS, October 15th, 2014
IIED, ODI and IDS have published a series of papers addressing agricultural and rural development debates in sub-Saharan Africa. They aim to improve the understanding of agricultural and rural development in Africa in the context of both long-standing and new drivers of change, so as to stimulate debate and research, and contribute to improved policy... »
