PURPOSE: Livestock already use most global agricultural land, whereas the demand for animal-source food (ASF) is expected to increase. To address the contribution of livestock to global food supply, we need a measure for land use efficiency of livestock systems. METHODS: Existing measures capture different aspects of the debate about land use efficiency of livestock systems, such as plant productivity and the efficiency of converting feed, especially human-inedible feed, into animal products. So far, the suitability of land for cultivation of food crops has not been accounted for.

In order to identify sustainable management solutions for small-scale farmer agroecosystems, a better understanding of these dynamic forest–farmland systems, existing farming and forestry strategies, and farmer perspectives is important. We examined the relationship between agricultural land use patterns and farmers’ practices and identified existing and potential characteristics of healthy agroecosystems at local scale in the context of village communities in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Az élelmiszerárak növekedése 2006–2008 között a világ egyes térségeiben zavargásokhoz és a politikai stabilitás megrendüléséhez vezetett. Különösen fejlődő országokban súlyos a helyzet, ahol a legszegényebb rétegek jövedelmük döntő hányadát élelmiszerekre költik. Az agrárpiacokon a kereslet vált meghatározóvá, mennyiségi (humáncélú és ipari felhasználás rohamos növekedése) és minőségi értelemben (élelmiszer-fogyasztás szerkezetének változása).

The inverse relationship between land productivity and farm size is an old and puzzling empirical regularity. Most explanations for this relationship rely on market imperfections that jointly determine the farm size and the household's shadow price of some productive inputs. We use plot-level data from the ICRISAT/VLS to assess whether these household-specific theories can explain the puzzle. The data exhibit plots of different sizes being simultaneously cropped by the same household.

Population pressures and the need to optimize the use of limited available land has led to increasing cropping affluence levels within the maize agro-ecologies in Kenya, and a shift from large to smallholder intensification and multiple cropping patterns. Using a geographic information system, this study relates cropping patterns, by area share, maize productivity and household incomes across maize agro-ecologies, with the purpose to establish a decision support system for optimizing land allocation and in priority setting for introduction of new technologies such as Bt maize varieties.

Severe soil erosion and food security problems are the most important issues in the Loess Plateau of northern China, which are closely related to the over-cultivation and poor management of marginal land resources. Alleviation of these unsustainability problems requires, among many other things, alternative and innovative cropping systems. This paper describes the identification of such cropping systems and their quantitative evaluation.

Among the world’s continents, Africa has the highest incidence of food insecurity and poverty and the highest rates of population growth. Yet Africa also has the most arable land, the lowest crop yields, and by far the most plentiful land resources relative to energy demand. It is thus of interest to examine the potential of expanded modern bioenergy production in Africa. Here we consider bioenergy as an enabler for development, and provide an overview of modern bioenergy technologies with a comment on application in an Africa context.

Food security remains an ongoing global concern: the challenge of ensuring food availability, access, and utility for all, at all times, is yet to be met. The body of literature relating to food security is growing immensely. Land administrators are part of the discourse. Their arguments are spread disparately across academic and professional publications. The distinction between scientific work and political rhetoric is increasingly blurry: the role of land administration needs to be more concisely articulated.

Our planet faces multiple and complex challenges in the twenty-first century. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits the international community to act together to overcome them and transform our world for present and future generations.

This document presents a proposal of indicators that could be considered for FAO to monitor progress towards a subset of Goals for which the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define targets aimed towards various outcomes, as well as additional targets addressing related Means of Implementation. The proposals comprise both established and potential indicators in areas where FAO has unique expertise and abundant experience as the leading UN specialized body committed to food security and sustainable development.

This paper is specifically about agricultural mechanisation: the opportunities provided by mechanisation for intensifying production in a sustainable manner, in value addition and agri-food value chain development, as well as the inherent opportunities implied for improved local economies and livelihoods. The establishment of viable business enterprises agro-processors, transport services, and so forth as a result of increased agricultural mechanisation in rural areas, is crucial to creating employment and income opportunities and, thereby, enhancing the demand for farm produce.

El  presente  documento  es  producto  de  un proceso de investigación documental y reflexión colectiva de varios años y tiene como objetivo aportar  conceptual  y  metodológicamente  al abordaje  de  los  sistemas  alimentarios  en  la región,  desde  una  mirada  más  integral  que resalte su rol determinante en el fortalecimiento de la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y el desarrollo de los países.