If people are to survive in these ever harsher conditions, their crops need to withstand drought, high temperatures and poor soils.Cactus crops are gaining increasing interest across the globe, in particular cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), because of its unique characteristics which provide resilience to the above mentioned harsh conditions. Cactus pear is able to grow on land where no other crops are able to grow; it can be used to restore degraded land and in many countries, ...

They can also enable governments to identify and shape responsible projects, establish a country's credibility as an investment destination with an effective enabling environment for responsible investment, establish good government – community – investor relationships, and lay the foundations for informed expectations and decisions about a proposed project. This publication seeks to unpack the "what, why, and how" of screening. Sections 1, 2, and 3 make up the "guidance" component of the ...

Many people worldwide lack adequate access to clean water to meet basic needs, and many important economic activities, such as energy production and agriculture, also require water. Climate change is likely to aggravate water stress. As temperatures rise, ecosystems and the human, plant, and animal communities that depend on them will need more water to maintain their health and to thrive.Forests and trees are integral to the global water cycle and therefore vital for water securit...

Through simple language and numerous illustrations, the guide describes the basic rules of diving, the potential risks associated with this activity and what to do to minimize them, as well as other useful tips to improve hookah diving operations. The guide, however, is not intended as a comprehensive manual for commercial divers. Rather, it is strongly recommended that fishers who want to engage in hookah or SCUBA diving receive appropriate training by a qualified diving instructor.

This study, prepared within the ambit of The State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources, reviews issues related to the development of indicators for tree genetic diversity. It includes a historical account of the development of science-based indicators for tree genetic diversity that embrace ecological surrogates for genetic diversity, the genealogical approach, genetic monitoring of management units, the use of molecular markers, as well as relevant experience from other organisms and ...

The Niger River Basin is a transboundary basin covering nine riparian countries to the Niger River that are increasingly putting pressure on the available water resources as their populations expand. Yet, the nine countries are also among the poorest in the world and adequate exploitation of the water of the basin could be part of a broader strategy for poverty reduction in these countries. Major challenges to that end are the lacking water infrastructure and growing vulnerability to extre...

FAO's Office of Innovation is working with CIRAD (International Cooperation Centre of Agricultural Research for Development) and other partners on an FAO initiative on foresight on pre-emerging and emerging agrifood technologies and innovations, aligned with UN 2.0 and The Future of Food and Agriculture 2022: engaging all key actors of agrifood innovation systems in the foresight on pre-emerging and emerging technologies and innovations (PETIAS) to better prepare for alternative futures, f...

The event managed to gather an incredibly diverse group of participants from different sectors and regions around the world. Moreover, a set of recommendations emerged from the sessions' discussions, that will help improve the sustainability of capture fisheries and progress towards the different targets and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Facilitators play a critical role in establishing and operating MAIPs, stimulating interactions among MAIP actors and thereby supporting co-innovation and co-learning processes. They are usually specialized MAIP actors (e.g. researchers, extension agents, agricultural educationists, brokers, NGO activists, traders and processors). Qualified MAIP facilitators, as value chain intermediaries and coordinators, are required to have strong facilitation skills and relevant technical background. T...

Many of these countries have witnessed, in recent years, an exponential rise in the number and variety of fintech start-ups focused on the agriculture sector, which have emerged with the specific intent of seizing the enormous clientele segment composed of small-scale rural actors whose financial needs are not adequately serviced by traditional financial institutions, such as commercial banks, microfinance institutions, and financial cooperativesThe objective of this publication is to anal...

SET enables countries to enhance their veterinary services' capacities with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound action plans.SET is used during a two-week in-country mission led by evaluators from FAO and the national focal points of veterinary services. These missions are designed to provide recommendations and action plans to improve countries' animal disease surveillance systems. This manual gives SET assessors a full mission breakdown as well as a step-by-step app...

Created for Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other partners, it offers essential guidance, practical recommendations, and background information to maximize the impact of restoration efforts across various ecosystems. By building on existing initiatives like the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, this guide provides a pathway for integrating restoration into national biodiversity plans, offering tools and support to help countries achieve a balanced net gain for...