Empowering rural communities through digital innovation
Digital Villages Initiative in Europe and Central Asia
DVI aims to transform villages in Europe and Central Asia into hubs that are smarter, greener, and richly digitally connected and interconnected. The goal is to empower every village and rural community to utilize digital technologies to increase agricultural productivity and access to services, and uplift rural livelihoods by leveraging their local strengths.DVI’s approach is inclusive and participatory; interventions are co-created with rural communities and designed to enhance their capacities and build resilience while ensuring long-term sustainability.
Several countries in the region have laid the groundwork for the implementation of DVI, while others are in the process of establishing their first Digital Villages. These countries include Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.
Digital Villages

Aghali
Azerbaijan

Boyali
Türkiye
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Brežani-Tršće
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Fergana villages
Uzbekistan

Kochkor villages
Kyrgyzstan

Lolazor
Tajikistan

Marneuli villages
Georgia

Mokro
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Përmet
Albania

Tropoja villages
Albania
Featured stories

Every drop counts: FAO support for the implementation of an electronic irrigation water monitoring system in Kyrgyzstan
10/05/2024
Due to water scarcity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Government of Kyrgyzstan and scientists from the Irrigation...

A human booster for digital innovation in Tajikistan
13/05/2024
One savvy teacher helps fellow farmers harness information technology

Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan
06/06/2021
A FAO-developed app is boosting the dairy sector in Kazakhstan, helping conduct surveys and locate new suppliers.

Uzbek village becomes digital
10/01/2024
Digital Villages Initiative transforms farming in greenhouses for better livelihoods

Digital tools for an organic farm
08/03/2019
Investing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) pays off for a farmer in North Macedonia

Water-smart greenhouses in Uzbekistan
11/09/2023
Large, flavorful tomatoes ripen in Odina Sattorova’s backyard greenhouse in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. Their perfect shape, rich colour and smooth...

Embracing change with the Digital Villages Initiative in Uzbekistan
06/09/2023
In the heart of the Fergana Valley, a quiet revolution is taking place. Thanks to digital technologies, traditional farming communities are transforming...

Balkan bytes: How digital agri-entrepreneurship is changing a country
18/06/2021
Montenegro's first peer-to-peer agricultural market and knowledge-sharing platform enables farmers to buy and sell inputs and exchange knowledge.

Advanced weather data for smallholders in Tajikistan
20/04/2021
Farmers in Tajikistan are benefiting from weather stations gathering important climate data and producing advanced agrometeorological information for...

Smart farming in Uzbekistan
20/10/2022
Raising greenhouse management to a new level with the help of low-cost, high-quality sensors, based on open-source technology, with a mobile phone interface...

Every drop counts: FAO support for the implementation of an electronic irrigation water monitoring system in Kyrgyzstan
10/05/2024
Due to water scarcity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Government of Kyrgyzstan and scientists from the Irrigation...

A human booster for digital innovation in Tajikistan
13/05/2024
One savvy teacher helps fellow farmers harness information technology

Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan
06/06/2021
A FAO-developed app is boosting the dairy sector in Kazakhstan, helping conduct surveys and locate new suppliers.

Uzbek village becomes digital
10/01/2024
Digital Villages Initiative transforms farming in greenhouses for better livelihoods

Digital tools for an organic farm
08/03/2019
Investing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) pays off for a farmer in North Macedonia

Water-smart greenhouses in Uzbekistan
11/09/2023
Large, flavorful tomatoes ripen in Odina Sattorova’s backyard greenhouse in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. Their perfect shape, rich colour and smooth...

Embracing change with the Digital Villages Initiative in Uzbekistan
06/09/2023
In the heart of the Fergana Valley, a quiet revolution is taking place. Thanks to digital technologies, traditional farming communities are transforming...

Balkan bytes: How digital agri-entrepreneurship is changing a country
18/06/2021
Montenegro's first peer-to-peer agricultural market and knowledge-sharing platform enables farmers to buy and sell inputs and exchange knowledge.

Advanced weather data for smallholders in Tajikistan
20/04/2021
Farmers in Tajikistan are benefiting from weather stations gathering important climate data and producing advanced agrometeorological information for...

Smart farming in Uzbekistan
20/10/2022
Raising greenhouse management to a new level with the help of low-cost, high-quality sensors, based on open-source technology, with a mobile phone interface...

Every drop counts: FAO support for the implementation of an electronic irrigation water monitoring system in Kyrgyzstan
10/05/2024
Due to water scarcity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Government of Kyrgyzstan and scientists from the Irrigation...

A human booster for digital innovation in Tajikistan
13/05/2024
One savvy teacher helps fellow farmers harness information technology

Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan
06/06/2021
A FAO-developed app is boosting the dairy sector in Kazakhstan, helping conduct surveys and locate new suppliers.

Uzbek village becomes digital
10/01/2024
Digital Villages Initiative transforms farming in greenhouses for better livelihoods

Digital tools for an organic farm
08/03/2019
Investing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) pays off for a farmer in North Macedonia

Water-smart greenhouses in Uzbekistan
11/09/2023
Large, flavorful tomatoes ripen in Odina Sattorova’s backyard greenhouse in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. Their perfect shape, rich colour and smooth...

Embracing change with the Digital Villages Initiative in Uzbekistan
06/09/2023
In the heart of the Fergana Valley, a quiet revolution is taking place. Thanks to digital technologies, traditional farming communities are transforming...

Balkan bytes: How digital agri-entrepreneurship is changing a country
18/06/2021
Montenegro's first peer-to-peer agricultural market and knowledge-sharing platform enables farmers to buy and sell inputs and exchange knowledge.

Advanced weather data for smallholders in Tajikistan
20/04/2021
Farmers in Tajikistan are benefiting from weather stations gathering important climate data and producing advanced agrometeorological information for...

Smart farming in Uzbekistan
20/10/2022
Raising greenhouse management to a new level with the help of low-cost, high-quality sensors, based on open-source technology, with a mobile phone interface...
News

Call for Case Studies: Digital Tools for Genetic Diversity of Pollinators
13/02/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is launching a call for case studies on innovative solutions for monitoring diversity of pollinators and...

FAO's Digital Villages Initiative in Georgia
16/08/2024
Nestled near the Khrami River, the Georgian villages of Dioknisi and Maradisi from Marneuli municipality share more than just a landscape —they are...

The Digital Villages Initiative: Starts in ‘Boyalı Village’
04/06/2024
The Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) is a collaboration with the FAO Europe and Central Asia Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry designed...

AgriTech Observatory monitors digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
20/02/2024
The AgriTech Observatory has just been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is now live for review.

FAO initiative transforms Albanian chestnut value chain through innovation
10/05/2024
In the picturesque landscape of northern Albania's Tropoja region, nestled within the expansive chestnut forest massif, an ambitious initiative is taking...

Sustainable chestnut production boosts rural development
15/12/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the...

FAO presents the National Programme of Action for the Digitalization of Agriculture in Uzbekistan
20/02/2024
Tashkent, 20th February 2024 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the National Programme of Action for the...

Digital technologies make inroads into rural Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
19/12/2023
The Digital Villages Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is rolling out at full speed in Uzbekistan and...

Digital village hubs can transform quality of life in rural Europe and Central Asia
18/05/2023
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) launched the global Digital Villages Initiative to promote digital innovations...

FAO and agritech innovators join hands to create digital demo farm
19/01/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that scaling up science, technology and innovation is necessary for a profound...

Call for Case Studies: Digital Tools for Genetic Diversity of Pollinators
13/02/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is launching a call for case studies on innovative solutions for monitoring diversity of pollinators and...

FAO's Digital Villages Initiative in Georgia
16/08/2024
Nestled near the Khrami River, the Georgian villages of Dioknisi and Maradisi from Marneuli municipality share more than just a landscape —they are...

The Digital Villages Initiative: Starts in ‘Boyalı Village’
04/06/2024
The Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) is a collaboration with the FAO Europe and Central Asia Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry designed...

AgriTech Observatory monitors digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
20/02/2024
The AgriTech Observatory has just been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is now live for review.

FAO initiative transforms Albanian chestnut value chain through innovation
10/05/2024
In the picturesque landscape of northern Albania's Tropoja region, nestled within the expansive chestnut forest massif, an ambitious initiative is taking...

Sustainable chestnut production boosts rural development
15/12/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the...

FAO presents the National Programme of Action for the Digitalization of Agriculture in Uzbekistan
20/02/2024
Tashkent, 20th February 2024 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the National Programme of Action for the...

Digital technologies make inroads into rural Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
19/12/2023
The Digital Villages Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is rolling out at full speed in Uzbekistan and...

Digital village hubs can transform quality of life in rural Europe and Central Asia
18/05/2023
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) launched the global Digital Villages Initiative to promote digital innovations...

FAO and agritech innovators join hands to create digital demo farm
19/01/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that scaling up science, technology and innovation is necessary for a profound...

Call for Case Studies: Digital Tools for Genetic Diversity of Pollinators
13/02/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is launching a call for case studies on innovative solutions for monitoring diversity of pollinators and...

FAO's Digital Villages Initiative in Georgia
16/08/2024
Nestled near the Khrami River, the Georgian villages of Dioknisi and Maradisi from Marneuli municipality share more than just a landscape —they are...

The Digital Villages Initiative: Starts in ‘Boyalı Village’
04/06/2024
The Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) is a collaboration with the FAO Europe and Central Asia Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry designed...

AgriTech Observatory monitors digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
20/02/2024
The AgriTech Observatory has just been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is now live for review.

FAO initiative transforms Albanian chestnut value chain through innovation
10/05/2024
In the picturesque landscape of northern Albania's Tropoja region, nestled within the expansive chestnut forest massif, an ambitious initiative is taking...

Sustainable chestnut production boosts rural development
15/12/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the...

FAO presents the National Programme of Action for the Digitalization of Agriculture in Uzbekistan
20/02/2024
Tashkent, 20th February 2024 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the National Programme of Action for the...

Digital technologies make inroads into rural Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
19/12/2023
The Digital Villages Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is rolling out at full speed in Uzbekistan and...

Digital village hubs can transform quality of life in rural Europe and Central Asia
18/05/2023
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) launched the global Digital Villages Initiative to promote digital innovations...

FAO and agritech innovators join hands to create digital demo farm
19/01/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that scaling up science, technology and innovation is necessary for a profound...
Featured videos
Parliamentarian Summit – Debrief on legislative and policy mechanisms for accelerating innovation and digitalization in agri-food systems transformations
23/10/2024
As a follow-up to the Global Parliamentarian Meeting in June 2023 in Chile and FAO’s preparatory meeting of five chairs of Agrarian Committees from...
Launch of the SDG Joint Programme: Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Albania (DART)
08/11/2024
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania with support from the United Nations implementing agencies, the “Digital Agriculture...
ERC33 Side Event 3: Fostering the digital transformation of agriculture through strategies (ENG)
13/05/2022
The objective of this special event is to provide a platform for FAO Members and European Union stakeholders to share their approaches and strategical...
In Türkiye FAO supports investing in women to improve economic opportunities and boost livelihoods
08/03/2024
See how FAO is supporting women in the Turkish agrifood sector to improve their access to economic opportunities and boost their livelihoods.
Tools for the spatial integration of available data in ILUP
11/06/2020
The video is a training webinar on “Integrated Land Use Planning” where the related technical experts talk.
FAO Türkiye Partnership Programmes
30/01/2024
The FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programmes provide support to ensure food security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management, combat desertification...
Digital Soil Mapping
31/05/2021
Integrated Land-use Plan (ILUP) for Food Security by Enhancing Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Management-Turkey. The video is a training webinar on...
Innovation and digitalization for sustainable, climate-resilient and low-emission agrifood systems
23/05/2024
The video highlights the urgent challenges facing agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and digitalization...
How smartphones have become a new agricultural tool for women smallholder farmers
24/02/2023
Nestled in the vast plains of Georgia, in the shadows of the snow-covered Caucasus mountains, Malika Machalikashvili’s farm in Pankisi Gorge was once...
Hack4DigitalVillages: youth co-develop digital solutions with farmers in rural Fergana, Uzbekistan
17/04/2022
In 2023, FAO within the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) supported the implementation of a special youth digital innovation programme in Uzbekistan...
Parliamentarian Summit – Debrief on legislative and policy mechanisms for accelerating innovation and digitalization in agri-food systems transformations
23/10/2024
As a follow-up to the Global Parliamentarian Meeting in June 2023 in Chile and FAO’s preparatory meeting of five chairs of Agrarian Committees from...
Launch of the SDG Joint Programme: Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Albania (DART)
08/11/2024
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania with support from the United Nations implementing agencies, the “Digital Agriculture...
ERC33 Side Event 3: Fostering the digital transformation of agriculture through strategies (ENG)
13/05/2022
The objective of this special event is to provide a platform for FAO Members and European Union stakeholders to share their approaches and strategical...
In Türkiye FAO supports investing in women to improve economic opportunities and boost livelihoods
08/03/2024
See how FAO is supporting women in the Turkish agrifood sector to improve their access to economic opportunities and boost their livelihoods.
Tools for the spatial integration of available data in ILUP
11/06/2020
The video is a training webinar on “Integrated Land Use Planning” where the related technical experts talk.
FAO Türkiye Partnership Programmes
30/01/2024
The FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programmes provide support to ensure food security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management, combat desertification...
Digital Soil Mapping
31/05/2021
Integrated Land-use Plan (ILUP) for Food Security by Enhancing Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Management-Turkey. The video is a training webinar on...
Innovation and digitalization for sustainable, climate-resilient and low-emission agrifood systems
23/05/2024
The video highlights the urgent challenges facing agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and digitalization...
How smartphones have become a new agricultural tool for women smallholder farmers
24/02/2023
Nestled in the vast plains of Georgia, in the shadows of the snow-covered Caucasus mountains, Malika Machalikashvili’s farm in Pankisi Gorge was once...
Hack4DigitalVillages: youth co-develop digital solutions with farmers in rural Fergana, Uzbekistan
17/04/2022
In 2023, FAO within the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) supported the implementation of a special youth digital innovation programme in Uzbekistan...
Parliamentarian Summit – Debrief on legislative and policy mechanisms for accelerating innovation and digitalization in agri-food systems transformations
23/10/2024
As a follow-up to the Global Parliamentarian Meeting in June 2023 in Chile and FAO’s preparatory meeting of five chairs of Agrarian Committees from...
Launch of the SDG Joint Programme: Digital Agriculture and Rural Transformation in Albania (DART)
08/11/2024
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania with support from the United Nations implementing agencies, the “Digital Agriculture...
ERC33 Side Event 3: Fostering the digital transformation of agriculture through strategies (ENG)
13/05/2022
The objective of this special event is to provide a platform for FAO Members and European Union stakeholders to share their approaches and strategical...
In Türkiye FAO supports investing in women to improve economic opportunities and boost livelihoods
08/03/2024
See how FAO is supporting women in the Turkish agrifood sector to improve their access to economic opportunities and boost their livelihoods.
Tools for the spatial integration of available data in ILUP
11/06/2020
The video is a training webinar on “Integrated Land Use Planning” where the related technical experts talk.
FAO Türkiye Partnership Programmes
30/01/2024
The FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programmes provide support to ensure food security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable forest management, combat desertification...
Digital Soil Mapping
31/05/2021
Integrated Land-use Plan (ILUP) for Food Security by Enhancing Climate Resilience and Ecosystem Management-Turkey. The video is a training webinar on...
Innovation and digitalization for sustainable, climate-resilient and low-emission agrifood systems
23/05/2024
The video highlights the urgent challenges facing agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and digitalization...
How smartphones have become a new agricultural tool for women smallholder farmers
24/02/2023
Nestled in the vast plains of Georgia, in the shadows of the snow-covered Caucasus mountains, Malika Machalikashvili’s farm in Pankisi Gorge was once...
Hack4DigitalVillages: youth co-develop digital solutions with farmers in rural Fergana, Uzbekistan
17/04/2022
In 2023, FAO within the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) supported the implementation of a special youth digital innovation programme in Uzbekistan...
Publications

Connected farmers - A casebook of good practices and inspiring stories from Europe and Central Asia
01/04/2024
Amidst the challenges confronting agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, this casebook unfolds the stories of 25 farmers and agripreneurs who have successfully embraced digital technologies.

FAO-ITU Regional contest on good practices advancing digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
21/06/2023
This report is the outcome of the Digital Excellence in Agriculture: FAO-ITU regional contest on good practices advancing digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Europe and Central Asia and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Offices for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
DVI countries
Related links
- AgriTech Observatory
- Digital Agriculture resources
- Regional Technical Platform on Green Agriculture
- e-Agriculture CoP
Resources
CONTACT
Daniela Di Gianantonio
Head of Digital Agriculture
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia