At the conclusion of his participation in the 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC35),  QU Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO highlighted the importance of regional solidarity, innovation and investment in accelerating the transformation of agrifood systems across Europe and Central Asia amid growing climate, economic and geopolitical pressures.

In Lolazor, a village in western Tajikistan, most families rely on what they grow, raise or trade with neighbours.
Women here play a central role in agriculture and rural livelihoods. They work tirelessly on family farms – but their contributions often go unrecognized. Rather than being acknowledged as farmers in their own right, they frequently are seen as helpers.
Yet even within these constraints, change is beginning to take root. And it is driven by a new generation of women such as Salima Amirzoda, who are challenging expectations and expanding what is possible for women in their communities. 

Ministers and high-level representatives from across Europe and Central Asia gathered here on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen the efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability of agrifood systems in the face of growing climate, economic and geopolitical pressures. The 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe  (ERC35) is being held in Tajikistan's capital under the overarching theme “Uniting for Sustainability: Integrating climate action, biodiversity conservation and land restoration for sustainable agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia.”

Georgian women dairy farmers are modernizing traditional milk production with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through small-scale matching grants provided under the European Union (EU)- and Sweden-funded European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) IV. Notably, this is the first time FAO has reached more than 1 000 matching-grant beneficiaries under a single project. The initiative has supported over 1 100 women engaged in small-scale dairy farming across the country, enabling access to essential equipment and knowledge that improve quality standards, consumer protection, traceability, and incomes.  

Organized jointly by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Izmir Commodity Exchange (ICE), the FAO Private Sector Dialogue: Shaping Private Sector Perspectives was held on 29 April in Izmir, Türkiye. The consultation was aimed at providing a strategic platform aligned with regional food security and sustainable agriculture objectives. It brought together important stakeholders contributing to agricultural policy across the region, including around 30 representatives of the private sector, small and medium-sized enterprises, producer organizations, financial institutions and public sector officials, and senior representatives from FAO and ICE drawn from Türkiye and other countries of Europe and Central Asia region, to help shape the future of agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia – positioning Izmir as a hub for international agrifood diplomacy.

Held from 22 to 24 April 2026, the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, offered a clear signal: as countries in Central Asia face intensifying climate pressures and resource constraints, environmental challenges in the region are no longer treated as isolated national issues, but as shared risks requiring coordinated responses. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), represented by Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative Viorel Gutu, took part in discussions, highlighting the role of agrifood systems in addressing these challenges, both as a source of pressure and as part of the solution.

From spring through autumn, while Nino Nugzarashvili’s husband guides their cattle across Kaspi’s communal rangelands in Georgia, she transforms the milk from her cattle and local sources into safe, high-quality dairy products. Though she herself rarely herds, it is access to these grazing lands that sustains their farm. “Natural grazing is everything for us,” Nino says. “It keeps production affordable and gives milk a completely different quality. No stall-feeding system can match the flavour and quality of milk from open rangelands.”

The 23 April event marked an important step towards strengthening climate resilience in the agricultural sector and supporting rural livelihoods, particularly among women farmers. It was framed by the project Promoting Rural Women’s Empowerment in Kosovo, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN Women. Among other topics, discussions centred on a joint assessment report being developed to provide an in-depth analysis of current and projected climate risks affecting agriculture.

On 30 April, Aram Meymaryan, Deputy Minister of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Armenia, signed the project “Support the establishment of a National Forest Monitoring and Assessment System in Armenia”. The project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). 

On 30 Aprils, Gevorg Papoyan, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Armenia, signed the new FAO–Armenia Country Programming Framework (CPF) for 2026–2030. The five-year plan sets out FAO’s strategic engagement in the country.

Fish farmers in Georgia have enhanced their knowledge and practical skills in food safety and aquatic animal health management through a five-day training. The educational opportunity was organized and delivered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the ENPARD IV programme, with support from the European Union and Sweden. The training brought together more than 40 aquaculture producers, Food Business Operators and sector stakeholders. It aimed at adopting good aquaculture practices aligned with international standards.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the European Dairy Association, held a private-sector dialogue today in Brussels, gathering European Union-based companies, industry associations, financial institutions and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to shape private-sector inputs for FAO’s upcoming Thirty-fifth Session of the Regional Conference for Europe.

Academia and research institutions play a vital role in generating knowledge, innovation, and evidence-based solutions for agrifood systems. On 15 April 2026, 38 representatives from across Europe and Central Asia gathered virtually for the first-ever consultation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with academia and research institutions in the region. The event provided a space to exchange perspectives and develop recommendations ahead of the 35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC35).

Food loss and waste rarely announce themselves. They accumulate, quietly, across decisions: when to harvest, how to store, what to discard, what cannot be sold. By the time food reaches a consumer – if it does – it has already passed through a series of choices. A new course from the Virtual Learning Center of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) focuses on these choices. “Tackling Food Loss and Waste across the Agrifood Systems,” now available in an open-access format, examines how food loss and waste occur and what can be done to prevent and reduce it.

 

A highly contagious transboundary disease affecting sheep and goats, PPR poses serious risks to food security, trade, and rural livelihoods. Building on the success of the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and its partners are accelerating efforts toward global eradication of PPR.

Young people are at the heart of agrifood systems across Europe and Central Asia, playing an increasingly active role in the sector. In the region, approximately one quarter of working youth are employed in agrifood — a higher share than among adults — making it a key entry point into the labour market. On 30 March 2026, more than 170 young people from across the region gathered virtually for a regional  Consultative dialogue of youth. The event provided a space to share perspectives and lived experiences ahead of the  35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe (ERC35).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Flanders have launched a new initiative to support rural communities in Mykolaivska oblast of Ukraine. The project will help restore agricultural production, rehabilitate land damaged by warfare and strengthen the resilience of rural households and small-scale farmers whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the ongoing war.

Marking the International Day of Zero Waste, state authorities, associations, charity organizations and private-sector representatives convened in Tbilisi on 30 March for a national forum on food loss and waste reduction and food donation. The event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as part of the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD IV), funded by the European Union.

In Kyrgyzstan, a country dominated by mountainous landscapes, issues related to soil fertility conservation are of particular relevance. In the context of a changing climate, the country faces challenges such as soil erosion, degradation, salinization, and loss of fertility. These factors directly affect crop yields and the resilience of agrifood systems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Kyrgyz Research Institute of Agriculture, has begun the implementation of the FAO’s Global Soil Doctors Programme in the country. 

Declining glaciers, shrinking water sources and increasingly unpredictable weather are threatening the livelihoods of thousands of rural families in the At-Bashy district of Kyrgyzstan – and urgent action is needed. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat conducted a comprehensive field mission to the district, where communities reported a dramatic deterioration in water availability, worsening droughts, and accelerating land degradation over the past five years, calling for immediate climate-resilient solutions.