Between	2003	and	2013,	disasters	triggered	by	natural	hazards	caused	USD	1.5	trillion	in	economic	damage1	worldwide.	In	developing	countries	alone,	these	disasters	cost	about	USD	550	billion	in	estimated	damage	and	affected	2	billion	people2.	Such	disasters	often	undermine	national	economic	growth	and	development	goals,	as	well	as	agriculture	sector	growth	and	sustainable	sector	development.	However,	there	is	no	clear	understanding	of	the	economic	impact	of	disasters	on	the	agriculture	sector3.	
To	protect	development	investments	in	the	agriculture	sector	and	strengthen	the	sector’s	resilience	to	disasters,	a	clear	understanding	is	needed	of	the	particular	way	the	sector	is	affected	by	disasters.	However,	globally	available	statistics	on	damage	or	losses	do	not	disaggregate	the	impact	on	individual	sectors.	This	is	largely	because	the	data	is	not	collected	and	reported	in	a	systematic	way	by	sector	at	the	national	or	subnational	levels.	Thus,	the	full	impact	of	disasters	on	the	agriculture	sector	is	not	well	understood.	Disasters	do	not	affect	all	people	and	sectors	in	the	same	way	or	to	the	same	extent,	and	these	differences	have	important	policy	implications.		
Effective	policy	and	practice	requires	sector-specific	damage	and	loss	data	for	the	agriculture	sector.	National	strategies	on	disaster	risk	reduction	and	climate	change	adaptation	that	support	resilience	and	sustainable	agricultural	development	must	address	the	types	of	disasters	with	the	greatest	impact	on	the	sector,	such	as	climaterelated	disasters.	Governments	must	design	measures	specific	to	the	crop,	livestock,	fisheries	and	forestry	subsectors,	and	be	enabled	to	adopt	more	systematic	strategies	that	counteract	the	impact	of	disasters	on	sector	growth	and	development	and	thus	national	food	security.	Ultimately,	this	will	contribute	to	national	efforts	to	achieve	sustainable	agricultural	development,	reduce	hunger	and	poverty,	and	meet	the	targets	set	under	relevant	international	commitments.
The	Food	and	Agriculture	Organization	of	the	United	Nations	(FAO)	carried	out	the	present	study	to	help	fill	existing	knowledge	gaps	about	the	nature	and	magnitude	of	disaster	impacts	triggered	by	natural	hazards	on	the	agriculture	sector	and	subsectors	(crops,	livestock,	fisheries	and	forestry)	in	developing	countries.	The	study	seeks	to	provide	systematized	data,	analysis	and	information,	while	increasing	awareness	about	the	urgent	need	to	enhance	national	and	international	commitment	and	budget	allocations	to	risk	reduction	for	the	sector,	including	improving	data	collection	and	monitoring	systems	on	sector-specific	damage	and	losses.	
The	ultimate	goal	is	to	inform	the	implementation	and	monitoring	of	the	three	key	international	agendas	of	2015,	which	recognize	resilience	as	a	fundamental	ingredient	for	their	achievement:	the	Sustainable	Development	Goals	(SDGs),	specifically	Goal	2;	the	Sendai	Framework	for	Disaster	Risk	Reduction	2015–2030;	and	the	Universal	Climate	Change	Agreement	that	is	expected	under	the	United	Nations	Framework	Convention	on	Climate	Change.
