Through the FAO Umbrella Programme for the promotion and application of the SSF Guidelines – Enhancing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food security and sustainable livelihoods (FAO SSF Umbrella Programme), we raise awareness about challenges and opportunities in small-scale fisheries; we strengthen the science-policy interface by generating better information on small-scale fisheries; we empower small-scale fisher and fish worker organisations and increase governments’ knowledge, skills and capacity; and we support the implementation of the SSF Guidelines by creating an enabling environment.
Aiming for improved governance in small-scale fisheries
The FAO SSF Umbrella Programme is intended to host projects by multiple donors supporting the same overall goal and outcomes. The overall idea behind our programme is that improved governance of small-scale fisheries contributes to the eradication of hunger and poverty, to sustainable development and to the sustainable use of the environment.
The two main projects currently nested within the FAO SSF Umbrella Programme are Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
Partners and activities in multiple countries
We in FAO implement the Programme in collaboration with partners at global, regional and national level. Most of our work is focused on Africa and the Near East, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
We have so far supported activities to implement the SSF Guidelines in over 40 countries and in various global and regional forums. We are also right now, together with partners, conducting a comprehensive global study on the contribution of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development.
Working not only for, but with, small-scale fishers and fish workers is key in everything we do. We are therefore, among other things, supporting a Global Strategic Framework to help small-scale fishery actors, government representatives and other stakeholders collaborate effectively at a global level. One key objective of this partnership mechanism is to give small-scale fishers and fish workers an opportunity to advise others on how they would like to see the SSF Guidelines put into action.
A springboard to the Sustainable Development Goals
It is worth noting that the SSF Guidelines complement other global instruments and initiatives to achieve sustainable small-scale fisheries through a human rights-based approach – they are in fact the first internationally agreed instrument dedicated entirely to the small-scale fisheries sector. Implementing them can support achieving other objectives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, in particular SDG 14.b: to “provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets”.
Documents
Zanzibar National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (ZNPoA)
15/04/2023
The Zanzibar National Plan of Action (ZNPoA) serves as a guide for implementing the FAO Voluntary guideline for Securing Small-scale Fisheries and Food...
Publications
A comparative analysis of the Global Action Plan of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 and the SSF Guidelines
30/11/2024
This publication aims to directly contribute to the development of an enabling policy environment to innovate, formulate and reform policy and legal...
Brochure
Integrating small-scale fisheries in policymaking
05/07/2024
Over the past decade, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has worked to integrate SSF into policy discussions at various levels. This year marks...
Brochure
Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication
21/06/2024
The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) are...
Documents
National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in Malawi (NPOA-SSF)
14/06/2023
The National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) in Malawi stands as a testament to the nation’s unwavering commitment towards unleashing...
Policy Brief
Policy brief: Unlocking the value of Namibia’s small-scale fisheries sector through policy action
12/03/2024
Namibia's small-scale fisheries sector, a cornerstone of the country's economy and social fabric, faces challenges related to unsustainable practices,...
Training material
Developing and implementing a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) – Guide for trainers
01/03/2024
A training programme around the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOASSF) has been developed to support these processes at national...
Methodologies and Guidelines
Developing and implementing a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) – Manual
01/03/2024
This Manual was developed to provide guidance on how to develop and implement a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF). These...
Book
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework
27/11/2023
This handbook aims to support such monitoring and contains a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework for the SSF Guidelines implementation (MEL4SSF)....
Empowering women in small-scale fisheries for sustainable food systems
10/07/2020
In March 2020, a regional inception workshop was held in Ghana a project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the...
A review of women's access to fish in small-scale fisheries
01/07/2015
ABSTRACT Women play a critical role in every link of the value chain in small-scale fisheries, although their best-known roles are in processing...
Social protection and sustainable natural resource management
01/07/2015
Using small-scale fisheries as an illustrative case, this publication explores how social protection interventions can be used to reduce the vulnerability...
Towards the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in Eastern Africa
15/09/2015
Following the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication...
Social protection to foster sustainable management of natural resources and reduce poverty in fisheries-dependent communities
18/11/2015
Fisheries-dependent communities and in particular small-scale fishers are exposed to different social, political and economic risks and vulnerabilities....
Report
Towards the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in South Asia
23/11/2015
Following the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication...
Towards the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in the Near East and North Africa Region
07/12/2015
Following the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication...
Towards the implementation of the SSF Guidelines
11/12/2015
Proceedings of the Workshop on the Development of a Global Assistance Programme in Support of the Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing...
Report of the Workshops to present the initial research findings from a nation-wide survey and analysis on social protection and poverty dimensions in support of rural development and poverty reduction in Myanmar
01/07/2016
ABSTRACT The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is exploring evidence of the linkages between poverty, social protection and natural...
Scoping study on decent work and employment in fisheries and aquaculture
01/07/2016
Fisheries and aquaculture are a significant source of livelihoods and contribute to the food security of hundreds of millions of people. Notwithstanding,...
COFI35 - High-level Special Event on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture
05/09/2023
05 September 2022, Rome, Italy - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. COFI35 - High-level Special Event on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries...
SSF Guidelines - Inland Fisheries
02/05/2023
The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) are relevant to...
SSF Guidelines – Food security and nutrition
03/09/2023
One main objective of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines)...
SSF Guidelines – Value chains, post-harvest and trade
23/11/2023
The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) call for all parts...
Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries, project meeting with partners
13/11/2023
14 November 2023, Rome, Italy - Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries, project meeting with partners. (Hotel...
Closing event of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022
30/03/2021
Photos taken during the closing ceremony of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022, in Rome, Italy.
Launch of the Illuminating Hidden Harvests report
15/03/2023
Launch of the Illuminating Hidden Harvests report. FAO headquarters (Malaysia Room). 16 March 2023, Rome, Italy -
SSF Guidelines – Gender equity and equality
07/06/2023
Gender equity and equality are guiding principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food...
Philippines launches the National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries, the first in Asia
21/10/2024
