Over the coming 35 years, agriculture will face an unprecedented confluence of pressures, including a 30 percent increase in the global population, intensifying competition for increasingly scarce land, water and energy resources, and the existential threat of climate change. To provide for a population projected to reach 9.3 billion in 2050 and support changing dietary patterns, estimates are that food production will need to increase from the current 8.4 billion tonnes to almost 13.5 billion tonnes a year.

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 analyses the Zambian land governance system, the actors and institutions shaping it and its reaction to the new interest in farmland. We draw theories from New Institutional Economics and base our empirical analyses on expert interviews and focus group discussions conducted in Zambia. 

Zambia has experienced strong economic performance since 1999. However, agriculture has not performed as well as the rest of the economy, and although the incidence of poverty has declined, it still

remains high. The Zambian government, within the framework of the Fifth National Development Plan

Unprecedented pressures on land and its governance have been created. As evident around the globe, where land governance is deficient, high levels of corruption often flourish. Under such a system, land distribution is unequal, tenure is insecure, and natural resources are poorly managed.

There is important evidence to suggest that corruption is a key factor contributing to the degradation of renewable natural resources. Forestry officials and law enforcement officers who are in the pockets of corrupt logging firms often turn a blind eye to activities that threaten the sustainable management of a forest’s biodiversity. Similarly, fishery inspectors endanger stocks when they accept bribes to ignore official quotas for trawlers.

Analysis of land allocation strategies in irrigated agriculture schemes in West Africa yields lessons which can guide the design and implementation of current and forthcoming projects. Allocation of insufficient land makes the main purposes of large dam projects – to combat poverty and to increase national cereal production – more difficult to achieve. Research by the Global Water Initiative (GWI) at three dam project sites in West Africa shows that the area of land allocated per family is usually about 1 hectare (ha).

La Charte du domaine irrigué de l’Anambé propose des règles de gestion pour un développement agricole efficient et durable. Élaborée par consensus entre les usagers du bassin et les autorités locales, le défi actuel est de la mettre en pratique. Cette fiche revient sur le processus d'élaboration de la Charte et met en lumière les opportunités et défis qui en découlent. 

The Anambé irrigation scheme charter sets out management principles for efficient and sustainable agricultural development. The charter is based on a consensus between river basin users and local authorities. Now the challenge is to put this into practice.

This study on farmers’ suicides is done by Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) through its local partner the Baitarani Initiative. This study was attempted to understand if farmers’ suicides were just a desperate reaction to events like droughts and crop loss or there were more fundamental roots.

There are 85 irrigation schemes in Niger that cover around 16,000 ha and are cultivated by 40,000 farmers. The informal status of these irrigation schemes, and their occupants, has created problems due to population growth and the increasing scarcity of natural resources. Holders of traditional land rights have challenged government decisions concerning land attributions and property rights within the schemes, and have occasionally prevented construction from proceeding.

Le Niger compte aujourd’hui 85 aménagements hydro-agricoles (AHA), qui s’étendent sur environ 16 000 hectares et font travailler plus de 40 000 exploitants.  Avec la pression démographique et la raréfaction des ressources naturelles disponibles pour l’activité agricole, l’informalité de la gestion du foncier des AHA et du statut des personnes qui les exploitent est devenue problématique.