To minimize the impact of adverse weather on crops and to make use of crop-weather relationships to boost agricultural production, the agriculture sector needs tailored weather and climate data and information products that can be directly applied to try to improve and protect the livelihood of farmers in agricultural production, which is called either “agrometeorological services” or “climate services for agriculture”. Agrometeorological services can be defined as a decision aide service, derived from climate information, that assists agricultural stakeholders to make improved ex-ante decision-making. As climate change accompanies increased extreme weather and climate conditions, agromet services are getting more attention in the agriculture sector these days. In view of this urgency and importance of agromet services in the region, FAO has started the “Asia-Pacific Regional Programme on agrometeorological services, pest and disease alerts and early warning systems for farmers” in Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, and Samoa from Aug 2019 to Dec 2020 with an aim to improve the national capacity to produce the agromet and pest and disease early warning services. This report is written based on our project implementation experiences and findings in four countries, and presentations and discussions at the Regional Agromet Workshop held in Dec 2020, where participants had identified information and data available, challenges and barriers faced, and lessons learned. This report also provides the way forward suggestions for improving the existing agromet services to national level operational services, not only in four countries but also in other countries with similar agromet service capacity in the region.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2021 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition

This book sheds new light on the remote sensing of agriculture in South/Southeast Asian (S/SEA) countries. S/SEA countries are growing rapidly in terms of population, industrialization, and urbanization. One of the critical challenges in the region is food security. In S/SEA, although total food production and productivity have increased in previous decades, in recent years, the growth rate of food production has slowed down, mostly due to land use change, market forces and policy interventions. Further, the weather and climate systems in the region driven primarily by monsoon variability are resulting in droughts or flooding, impacting agricultural production. Therefore, monitoring crops, including agricultural land cover changes at regular intervals, is essential to predict and prepare for disruptions in the food supply in the S/SEA countries. The current book captures the latest research on the remote sensing of agricultural land cover/ land use changes, including mapping and monitoring crops, crop yields, biophysical parameter retrievals, multi-source data fusion for agricultural applications, and chapters on decision making and early warning systems for food security. The authors of this book are international experts in the field, and their contributions highlight the use of remote sensing and geospatial technologies for agricultural research and applications in South/Southeast Asia.

The book covers interplay between pest management strategies and safety of pollinators. Detailed information is provided on pests and pollinators of temperate, subtropical and tropical fruit crops. Most of the fruit crops are highly cross pollinated and depend upon insects or benefit from insect pollination for fruit set. Insect pests on the other hand cause major economic damage on fruit crops in tropics, subtropics and temperate. Evidently, pest management in fruit crops on one hand and providing safety to the pollinators on the other is a challenging task in the context of increasing horticultural productivity without upsetting the ecological balance. This book aims to integrate and develop pest control strategies in a way to minimize their impact on beneficial insect species such as natural enemies and pollinators to enhance fruit production and quality. The book covers interplay between pest management strategies and safety of pollinators. Detailed information is provided on pests and pollinators of temperate, subtropical and tropical fruit crops. Pollinators play a crucial role in flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. Most of the fruit crops are highly cross pollinated and depend upon insects or benefit from insect pollination for fruit set. Insect pests on the other hand cause major economic damage on fruit crops in tropics, subtropics and temperate. Evidently, pest management in fruit crops on one hand and providing safety to the pollinators on the other is a challenging task in the context of increasing horticultural productivity without upsetting the ecological balance. This book aims to integrate and develop pest control strategies in a way to minimize their impact on beneficial insect species such as natural enemies and pollinators to enhance fruit production and quality. Most of the fruit crops are highly cross pollinated and depend upon insects or benefit from insect pollination for fruit set. Insect pests on the other hand cause major economic damage on fruit crops in tropics, subtropics and temperate. Evidently, pest management in fruit crops on one hand and providing safety to the pollinators on the other is a challenging task in the context of increasing horticultural productivity without upsetting the ecological balance. This book aims to integrate and develop pest control strategies in a way to minimize their impact on beneficial insect species such as natural enemies and pollinators to enhance fruit production and quality. The book covers interplay between pest management strategies and safety of pollinators.

Cambridge, UK : Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Climate change and extreme weather events are heightening levels of acute food insecurity and food crises around the world. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and deals with other drivers of food security, poverty and inequality, the international community is calling for a climate-resilient and sustainable recovery. Supporting the shift away from disaster response toward preventative and anticipatory action is fundamental to address the growing challenges faced by agriculture and food systems. Climate services highlight the role of science and technology in providing innovative solutions for risk reduction, effective resilience policies and adaptation planning. Underpinned by robust science and agrometeorological data, climate services and digital advisories bring tailored climate information to agricultural producers and value chain actors. But despite increasing evidence of the benefits of climate services, there are still major gaps in their development worldwide. This global assessment points to a significant gap in investment in climate services for the last mile – the small-scale farmers and most marginalized communities. Bridging this gap and scaling climate services is essential if actionable information is to be communicated in an equitable and effective manner to users, making sure no one is left behind. The report presents the latest data on the state of climate services for agricultural users with surveys from 36 countries across all FAO regions. The report’s findings have major implications for institutional frameworks to effectively target investments in resilience, preparedness and recovery. Case studies highlight additional challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from specific interventions across the climate services provision framework. Despite many challenges, climate services have demonstrable benefits to agriculture and food security by navigating agricultural producers around unpredictable and changing weather patterns. The report presents a blueprint for targeted investments to ensure that finance is effectively allocated not only to enhance the production of climate services, but also their provision, engagement and application by agricultural communities.