Despite bans and air quality concerns, farmers continue to burn crop residues; an integrated response that applies systems thinking across economic, regulatory, and information policy is needed for change....

The inclusion of environmental criteria in microfinance products to promote sustainable activities, access to clean or more efficient use of energy or to reduce climatic and environmental risk for low-income households or microenterprises (i.e., green microfinance)—is a dynamic and growing market in LAC, with existing and forthcoming opportunities. However, client outreach, clear strategies and in...

This blog discusses agroforestry and sustainable land management in Haiti.Land conversion of forests to agriculture and pastureland is a major threat to biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deforestation and slash-and-burn practices also strip the soil of its nutrients and of its capability to retain water. This results in soil erosion and watershed degradation, which in turn ultimatel...

India is developing its bioenergy resource to provide affordable energy while reducing fossil fuel imports, improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Modern bioenergy today accounts for 13% of India’s total final energy consumption and is expected to grow by up to 45% between 2023 and 2030. However, to meet India's longer-term bioenergy ambitions, it will need to deploy new tech...

Air pollution poses a significant environmental risk to large cities worldwide, including New Delhi, India’s capital. The occurrence of frequent episodes of elevated levels of air pollution during October–March in Delhi and National Capital Territory (Delhi–NCT) chokes its ∼32 million residents every year. Current air quality models lack the ability to accurately predict severe air pollution event...

The milpa system is the basis of traditional agriculture in Mesoamerica. It is based on a polyculture of maize (Zea mays L.), bean (Phaseolus spp.) and squash (Cucurbita spp.) and is associated with a great diversity of crops and wild species. The milpa has great cultural and historical importance but can also be highly productive and provide sufficient and healthy diets for smallholder farmers. T...

FAO’s Agricultural Integrated Survey Programme (AGRISurvey) helps countries strengthen their national agricultural survey systems and enhance access to agricultural statistics. By supporting the development of national survey programmes, FAO employs a cost-effective modular survey approach that leverages innovative technologies to reduce costs and improve data quality. This approach enables countr...

The FAO report Gender and Land Statistics (2015) examines sex-disaggregated land ownership data, primarily sourced from large-scale household surveys and multiple rounds of the World Census of Agriculture (WCA)....

The status of women in agrifood systems report uses extensive new data and analyses to provide a comprehensive picture of women’s participation, benefits, and challenges they face working in agrifood systems globally. The report shows how increasing women’s empowerment and gender equality in agrifood systems enhances women’s well-being and the well-being of their households, creating opportunities...

The importance of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of climate change adaptation has been highlighted at global level, including under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement. Simultaneously, adaptation M&E systems are beginning to emerge at the national level in the context of national planning and budgetingprocesses. This technical guidance note d...