Panorama of Rural Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean 2018, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), addresses the important challenges faced by the region in developing its rural territories to achieve the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, particularly SDG 1 to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. After many years of progress, poverty and extreme rural poverty in the region have started to increase again. This is worrying news for countries of the region and the international community because, if they do not return to the path of rural poverty reduction, millions of people will be excluded from the opportunity to contribute to the development of their families, communities and countries. The 33 Member States of the United Nations in the region have pledged their commitment to eradicating rural poverty by 2030 and, despite the recent trend, it is still possible to achieve this goal. This report also highlights the persistence of significant gaps between rural and urban areas, which is incompatible with sustainable and equitable development. Of the 169 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, 132 require actions that must be carried out in rural territories.

This book critically re-examines the currently dominant paradigm of agricultural development policy from historical and comparative perspectives. Examining the experiences of 11 developed countries in their earlier stages of development and the experiences of 10 developing and transition economies in the last half a century, the book offers an in-depth discussion on a range of public policies for agriculture, some currently in use and others forgotten in the mist of history. After presenting the overarching theoretical framework and a synthesis of findings over the 21 countries examined, the book presents six detailed case studies of agricultural policy in the last half a century in two Latin American countries (Chile and Mexico), two African countries (Ethiopia and Ghana), and two Asian countries (India and Vietnam). Each chapter examines a wide range of policies, including land policy (land tenure reform and land quality improvement), knowledge policy (research, extension, education, and information), credit policy (specialized banks and agricultural credit co-operatives), physical inputs policy (irrigation, transport, electricity, and divisible inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, and farm machinery), policies intended to increase farm income stability (price stabilization measures, insurances, and trade protection), and policies intended to improve agricultural marketing and processing. Through its historical and comparative approaches, the book frees our "policy imagination" by showing that the range of policies and institutions that have produced positive outcomes for agricultural development has been much wider than any particular ideological position – be it the pre-1980s statist one or the pro-market NCW – would admit. It also shows that the willingness to experiment with new policies and institutions, and the willingness to learn from other countries’ successes and improve upon their solutions, were important in all agricultural success stories.

"This publication is part of the CUREMIS series (current and emerging issues for economic analysis and policy research) of FAO regional reviews on economic and policy aspects of food and agriculture. This volume focuses on the Latin America and the Caribbean and contains four reports on: new institutions for agricultural and rural development; the changing role of women in the rural economy; innovative policy instruments and evaluation in rural and agricultural development; and rural space and territorial dimension of development in the MERCOSUR countries (a Common Market agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay)."--FAO.

This book invites us to reflect on the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems in the context of a region whose identity is still under construction, Latin America and the Caribbean, immersed in a social, economic, ecological and political crisis, whose roots originate historically and politically in colonialism and in the prevailing model of capital accumulation. For the first time, insights and practical experiences on restoration are gathered from most Latin-American and Caribbean countries. Furthermore, this book offers a social approach to restoration, which will likely become preponderant in this field and in this region. The authors claim that a Latin-American knowledge of restoration is under construction and that this discipline can be a significant tool to empower local populations, which might, in turn, lead to a collective action of change. Case studies from 11 countries of the region were compiled, involving multiple voices that emerge beyond generalist principles and with a bottom-up approach. The main idea of the book is to open a debate about the identity of ecological and social restoration in this region. This book is targeted to restoration specialists, volunteers, environmental managers, researchers, politicians and NGOs working on the complexity of socioecological restoration in a region with unavoidable social problems. It is intended for people with similar concerns to those of the chapters' authors. This work tries to integrate a movement on the rise, almost silent, born with its own narratives of successes and failures that do not hinder its development. Finally, the determination and commitment of Latin-American and Caribbean social actors to restore not only natural values but also social, ethical and cultural ones is remarkable.

Between 2001 and 2012, Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) agriculture saw its best performance of the last 30 years. What were the implications of this growth for family agriculture (FA) in the region? This study contributes to answer this question by looking at the case of Paraguay, a country with one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the region during this period. At the center of the development challenges faced by this country is the debate on the role of family agriculture and smallholders in a future growth strategy. Between 1991 and 2008 the number of family workers in agriculture decreased significantly, while the total area of FA crops decreased to only 48 percent of its level in 1991. As some authors argued in the past, the 2000s represent a turning point for FA development in Paraguay, given that until 2002, the total area of farms of less than 20 hectares was still increasing, a trend that reversed after this year. Are these changes, part of a process of impoverishment of the rural population resulting from displacement of FA by the commercial sector as is normally assumed in previous studies? Evidence from this study shows that rural poverty decreased almost by half between 2003 and 2015; that the reduction of output of crops traditionally produced by FA was not the result of competition with the commercial sector, but mostly a consequence of the collapse of cotton production, a failure of a government program for FA; and that in regions with high proportion of FA, commercial crop production expanded by displacing inefficient extensive livestock farmers and not FA agriculture. We conclude that the situation of FA in Paraguay is much more diverse and complex than the simple claims of decomposition and disappearance as the result of the expansion of capitalist farmers. In this context, there are options for the government to promote the development of FA with the goal of increasing employment opportunities in rural areas while achieving a much-needed diversification of agricultural production and exports.

This thought-provoking book explores the link between animals, people and their social and physical environments in relation to livestock farming, food safety, food security and sustainability. Providing an overview of livestock farming and animal related food production systems in a one welfare context, One Welfare: Animal Health and Welfare, Food Security and Sustainability begins by considering the interconnections of animals, humans and their environment. It then expands into the food production system, and considers the integration of positive welfare, stress, use of welfare indicators and the economic perspective. Written by a team of international experts, and with a foreword by Andrea Gavinelli, Head of the Animal Welfare Unit in the Health and Food Safety Directorate General of the European Commission, it connects theory with best practice examples and case studies from both organizations and individuals that have successfully implemented a one welfare approach. Essential reading for academics and practitioners who work within farming, food systems and international development, this ground-breaking text is also an important read for veterinary and animal welfare professionals.