This article departs from the assumption that the challenge of putting the Farm to Fork Strategy (F2F) into action stems from the broader challenge of attaining cross-sectoral policy integration. Policy integration has been part of the EU's policy approach for a long time and has predominantly been achieved in the form of environmental policy integration (EPI). However, the scope of the F2F extends beyond EPI, as it includes the integration of climate-related concerns into sectoral policies, for instance.
In the last decade, solar energy has experienced a rapid growth, which brings both environmental and economic benefits. In many countries, there is still no electricity grid extension in rural areas, and in the absence of a reliable electricity supply, farmers have to resort to diesel-based pumping irrigation systems. The solar photovoltaic (PV) system generates clean energy and eliminates the risk of environmental pollution in the form of oil spills, contaminated soil and carbon dioxide emissions.
Agrifood systems are undergoing a transformation with the aim to provide safer, more affordable, and healthier diets for all, produced in a sustainable manner while delivering just and equitable livelihoods: a key to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, this transformation needs to be executed in the global context of major challenges facing the food and agriculture sectors, with drivers such as climate change, population growth, urbanization, and natural resources depletion compounding these challenges.
The Date Palm Innovation Platform is a collaborative work is a platform for research, technology and innovation for the integrated production system of the Date Palm. The platform has been developed by the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Since 2017, in line with COAG’s recommendation, the Research and Extension Unit engaged in the development of a participatory AIS assessment framework including a customizable toolbox for countries with a totally new capacity development perspective. The assessment framework is meant for actors of the national agricultural innovation systems, i.e.
In this blog, Bhuvana N and Aditya K S argue that to achieve sustainable transformation of global food systems, there is a need to promote systems thinking at all levels, research, extension, education and policy.
Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation for sustainable agricultural development. To strengthen this role, appropriate investment and conducive policies are needed in EAS, guided by evidence. It is therefore essential to examine EAS characteristics and performance in the context of modern, pluralistic and increasingly digital EAS systems. In response to this need, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed guidelines and instruments for the systematic assessment of national EAS systems.
Extension and advisory services (EAS) play a key role in facilitating innovation processes, empowering marginalized groups through capacity development, and linking farmers with markets. Advisory services are increasingly provided by a range of actors and funded from diverse sources. With the broadened scope of EAS and the growing complexity of the system, the quantitative performance indicators used in the past (e.g. related to investment, staffing or productivity) are not adequate anymore to understand whether the system is well-functioning.
China will be confronted with many challenges in the years to come, including achieving carbon neutrality, ensuring environmental sustainability, protecting vulnerable people, and ensuring a smooth transition from smallholder to modern agriculture. This policy note discusses how China could further advance its food and agricultural development model, making it greener, more sustainable, and more inclusive.
The spatial and temporal variability of soil properties (fluid composition, structure, and water content) and hydrogeological properties employed for sustainable precision agriculture can be obtained from geoelectrical resistivity methods. For sustainable precision agricultural practices, site-specific information is paramount, especially during the planting season.