FAO launches "The State of Food and Agriculture : Leveraging food systems for inclusive rural transformation"

The FAO Director-General, Mr. Jose Graziano da Silva launched one of the FAO flagship publication, "The State of Food and Agriculture", which this year focuses on leveraging food systems for inclusive rural transformation. The publication was launched during the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) which started on the 9th of October 2017 in FAO headquarters, in Rome. He noted that some 815 million people suffered from hunger in 2016. 

Key messages of the report

The State of Food and Agriculture aims at bringing to a wider audience balanced science-based assessments of important issues in the field of food and agriculture. The annual reports have been published constantly since 1947. In this edition, the following are the key messages:-

• Economic growth in rural areas has helped millions escape poverty and, when supported by policies for social protection, infrastructure development and the promotion of local economies, will be critical for ending hunger by 2030.
• Urbanization and dietary changes in both rural and urban areas are driving the transformation of food systems and strengthening rural-urban linkages.
• Modern information and communication technologies are giving multiple options for buying inputs, selling outputs and improving their access to information 
• In countries with rapid population growth and limited prospects for industrialization, creating jobs for youth will require dynamic growth of decent employment in on-farm and off-farm activities, such as food processing, services and agritourism.

Preview of the report (video ©FAO,2017)

Read the Flier here and here

Read the full report here