In a majority of countries affected by desertification, commodity production is the main source of income.Primary agricultural
production involves a large majority of active populations. In general, farm productivity in many Least Developed Countries(LDCs) with dryland conditions has remained low, and occasional growth has been achieved mainly from increasing the area under cultivation. The Dryland Commodity Atlas seeks to facilitate the on-going stakeholder dialogue process and to build consensus for commodity strategies that integrate the trade potential of dryland commodities into relevant national policy areas and the National Action Programs (NAPs) to combat desertification. For trade to have an impact on poverty reduction in LDCs, it needs to be an integral part of each country’s development strategy, and it also needs to be integrated in the relevant commodity strategies and NAPs. This requires raising awareness and information exchange to promote active engagement on several fronts by a wide range of diverse stakeholders.