The purpose of the Context Assessment is threefold: first, to characterize the location of the ALL, as well as its environmental, social, and economic context; second, to understand the data and information currently available in each ALL, and third to characterize how and the extent to which agroecological principles are already being employed in each ALL. The source of information has been from secondary and primary data. The latter from specific activities that other work packages recently developed.

Rice is the main staple for more than half of the world’s population. In Ghana, rice is the fastest growing food commodity, and it is consumed by almost every household. However, yields continue to be low, as the pace of adoption of new varieties is low. The low rate of adoption has been attributed to failure of modern breeding to incorporate preferred traits for end users. This study thus employed an innovative set of breeding tools, the G+ tools, in identifying gendered trait preferences to develop a robust product profile through a mixed-method approach.

Using multi-stakeholder platforms offers a promising approach for sharing agricultural innovation, reducing transaction costs, and catalyzing development through stimulating stakeholder engagement in the innovation process to accelerate food systems transformation. Agriculture-related multi-stakeholder platforms (AMSPs) are major players to intervention strategies of agricultural development programs. However, often AMSPs have faced multiple challenges that limit and negatively impact their functions.

Under the conditions of Moroccan rainfed agricultural areas, wheat cropping systems—the population’s basic staple food—are subject to a set of limitations that seasonally impact crop production and farmers’ incomes, thus national food security. In the last decades, the major constraints were often related to the country’s Mediterranean-type climate, through the intense recurrence of drought events and high inter- and intra-annual rainfall fluctuations.

With climate change, population growth, and land degradation exerting mounting pressures on agricultural systems in developing countries, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) strategies have been prioritized as a means to strengthen smallholder farmers' resilience. However, precise targeting methodologies remain a challenge. This study employs a comprehensive approach, integrating Socio-economic, and Biophysical (SEBP), and the Five Capitals Model analyses encompassing human, social, physical, natural, and financial capital.

Scientific research is increasingly conclusive regarding the responsibility of food production in environmental issues, a situation that contrasts with greater consumer awareness. In this context, sustainability labels for meat have emerged, which offer a guarantee that production is based on principles of animal welfare, and carbon neutrality, among others. Since research on this subject is scarce, the objective of this article is to identify and analyze the initiatives and development of this type of labeling in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Workshop with government agencies and organisations involved in Timor-Leste’s School Meal Program (PME) shared experiences about using fish in the program and identified focal areas for research. There is wide recognition for the role of aquatic foods and that greater inclusion of aquatic foods in the program requires cooperation and collaboration between partners. Not enough fish is produced in Timor-Leste for
domestic supply to meet demand and PME goals. There is a need to build school level capacity for
planning, procurement and meal preparation with aquatic foods.

This workshop was hosted and organized by CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) with support from ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas), Egypt. The workshop was supported by ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research and ISRO-SAC (Indian Space Research Organization-Space Applications Centre), India. This activity is mapped under two CGIAR initiatives.

This document will be a reference point in engaging stakeholders to influence policy through the iFEED process. The stakeholders identified will be grouped into working groups based on ratings on areas of interest and positions to integrate iFEED results to influence policies at various levels. Work Package 3 will work closely with stakeholders to organise stakeholder engagements for iFEED by convening and coordinating the activities of working groups.

Agricultural mechanization is less developed in subSaharan Africa (SSA). Even in areas where there are scale-appropriate mechanization services, their use by smallholders (especially by women farmers) is minimal due to various social and economic factors.

Small-scale aquaculture systems can contribute significantly to food and nutritional security, poverty alleviation, and rural development, especially in developing countries. However, the intensification of aquaculture systems often has negative environmental outcomes. The adoption of diversification practices (e.g. polyculture, pond-dike cropping (PDC)) and better management practices (BMPs) has been identified as a possible approach to intensify sustainably small-scale aquaculture production.