FAO Publishes Sourcebook on Sustainable Plant Production
The new guide calls on countries to raise crop productivity and resilience while using fewer resources.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Botany
The Food and Agriculture Organization has launched "Optimization and Minimization: Towards sustainable plant production," a modular sourcebook for governments, farmers and development partners. It sets out a systems-based approach to producing more food with fewer inputs.
Why it matters
Plant pests destroy up to 40 percent of global crop production each year, and plant production supplies more than 80 percent of human calories. The publication responds to growing demographic, environmental and climatic pressure on global agrifood systems.
The Food and Agriculture Organization cites pest losses of up to 40 percent of global crop output each year, against a backdrop in which plant production supplies over 80 percent of human calories. The figures do not show how quickly countries will adopt the recommended practices.
The players
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The United Nations agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve food and agriculture worldwide.
The details
The sourcebook covers seed systems, cropping systems, resource use efficiency, integrated pest management, pesticide management, agricultural mechanization and digitalization, and agricultural extension services. It links five areas that determine whether farmers can obtain quality seed, apply science-based practices and access knowledge, and it is designed as a practical reference for researchers, extension agents, farmers and policymakers.
Timeline
The publication was launched on 11 November 2026.
It supports the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31.
Plant production is expected to supply the additional food needed by 2050.
Big Picture
The sourcebook puts into practice the "produce more with less" goal of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31, which rests on the four betters of production, nutrition, environment and life. It translates that framework into a concrete systems approach for plant production.
Farmers and extension workers may find practical guidance on seed systems, pest management and resource efficiency in the sourcebook. Consumers may see the effects over time through crop yields and food supply stability.
The takeaway
Producing more food with fewer inputs depends on linking seed quality, pest control, efficient resource use and farmer knowledge rather than addressing them separately. The sourcebook frames these as one connected system.
Further reading
Explore more on Botany to see how plant science shapes food production.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Farming.
