The FAO Innovation for Blue Transformation series introduces relevant policy initiatives, mechanisms and tools to promote innovation and technical solutions that can accelerate aquatic food systems transformation. The series shares brief and practical knowledge needed for sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems that can nourish the world’s growing population, providing solutions to the challenges preventing these systems from delivering their full potential.
This report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), explores the promotion of bioeconomy through sustainable agricultural practices in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The analysis highlights the critical role of sustainable and circular bioeconomy in addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges, particularly in the agrifood sector.
Through an innovative continuous professional development training programme, “Growing your business through preventive livestock healthcare”, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has aimed to address private sector veterinary paraprofessionals’ skills gaps and support them to develop successful businesses providing preventive livestock health services to small-scale farmers and pastoralists. These training courses were piloted in Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda in 2023 using a blended learning approach.
This comprehensive guide accompanies the Learning Journey in Rwanda, known as the 'Land of a Thousand Hills' where the economy heavily relies on agriculture. This document presents a detailed look into Farmer Field Schools (FFS) established through the ACP MEAs 3 programme, highlighting innovative farmer initiatives and success stories. Within these pages, you will discover the outcomes of FFS trials with ecosystem-based practices, such as integrated pest management, biofertilizer and biopesticide application, mulching, and the restoration of local seed varieties.
A novel rectangular hand net (RHN) was developed to manage insect pests in rice seedbeds, overcoming the limitations of traditional round nets, which can damage seedlings and are less effective in catching insects. The RHN features a 50 cm by 20 cm rectangular frame made of 4 mm GI wire, with a 100 cm plastic pipe handle and an 80 cm mosquito net. The net is used by walking rapidly around the seedbed, sweeping to catch harmful insects while releasing beneficial ones back into the field.
The franchising business model developed by Rikolto in collaboration with the National Union of Parboiling Women (UNERIZ) in Burkina Faso was initiated in 2017.
It empowers women parboilers by providing a holistic support system, ranging from technical training to access to credit and market opportunities.
Soil pollution in Egypt, particularly in the eastern Nile Delta, is caused by excessive use of mineral fertilizers, pesticides, and the discharge of domestic wastewater into agricultural irrigation systems. This leads to the accumulation of heavy metals and pollutants in the soil, affecting crop yields and posing risks to human health. Soil pollution not only endangers health and the environment but also reduces food security and causes economic losses.
Existing scaling support methodologies often fail to consider the socially differentiated impacts, including gender effects, of innovation uptake. To address this gap, GenderUp was developed as a conversational tool to enhance the inclusivity, reflexivity, and responsiveness of scaling initiatives. GenderUp employs a five-stage process facilitated by trained facilitators, guiding teams through discussions, learning activities, and practical integration to create socially responsible scaling strategies.
Within the sustainable rural livelihood’s framework, Agrisolve has designed the WESOLVE program that targets women and young women smallholder farmers’ agriculture and financial inclusion ensuring easier access to resources for increased yield and livelihood improvements. Through WESOLVE, women are given access to arable land under in-grower schemes, input credit, good agronomic training and market access. The program also engages women in alternative livelihood programs on value addition during the 7-8 months of non-farming activities to improve incomes for sustainability.
The Muni University-Omia Agribusiness Development Group (OADO) partnership operates in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda, an area facing challenges such as land degradation, poor soil health, and climate change. Historically a tobacco-growing region, it now relies on smallholder rainfed agriculture and is adopting high-value horticultural crops. Despite development interventions, 84% of the population lives in multidimensional poverty.