The Central Asia Water-Land Nexus (CAWLN) programme launched its implementation phase at the Eighth Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Funded by the GEF and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the regional programme brings five countries together to advance integrated approaches to land and water management in Central Asia. 

In western Georgia, where humid conditions and increasingly unpredictable weather create constant pressure from pests and diseases, farmers are learning that producing safe food begins long before harvest. For Giorgi Gvaramia, responsible production starts with observation. With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Union, and Sweden under ENPARD IV, his farm has been developed into a demonstration plot for local farmers to improve their knowledge on crop monitoring techniques, integrated pest management, greenhouse management, with the plan to use plant protection products more effectively resulting in safer crop production.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has provided the Committee for Food Security under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan with laboratory equipment and ELISA diagnostic kits to support national efforts to strengthen disease surveillance, food safety monitoring, and preparedness for animal health emergencies. The support is provided through the regional initiative “Pandemic Preparedness and Response through a One Health Approach in Central Asia”, financed by the Pandemic Fund. 

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) QU Dongyu concluded a two-day visit to Belarus by calling for greater investment in science, innovation and human capital to address growing global food insecurity. He also emphasized the importance of stronger partnerships among governments, research institutions, universities, farmers, the private sector and international organizations to accelerate agrifood systems transformation across Europe, Central Asia and beyond.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Europe and Central Asia held a webinar celebrating the growth of its AgriTech Observatory, a Digital Public Good designed to help navigate digital agricultural developments across the region. The event explored what has been accomplished so far and what is in store for the platform.

A virtual event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 28 May showcased practical, scalable solutions from across Europe and Central Asia, highlighting how circular bioeconomy approaches in agriculture can drive innovation, support sustainable development and help translate commitments into concrete action on the ground. The event marked the launch of the publication “Case studies promoting bioeconomy through agricultural practices in Europe and Central Asia”, which presents examples of sustainable and circular agricultural practices already being implemented across the region.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan and international partners, has launched a new initiative to strengthen the country’s aquaculture sector, bringing together key actors in Bishkek for a high-level inception workshop under the project Sustainable Fish Value Chains for Landlocked Developing Countries (SVC4LLDCs).

A new generation of ideas and partnerships took centre stage recently in Dushanbe at the GENERATION YSInvest event organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Held alongside the Thirty-fifth Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe, the multi-day event was structured around three interconnected pillars – youth engagement, science and innovation, and investment – highlighting how inclusive dialogue and coordinated action can drive sustainable change in the region.

The ancient Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates once said: “We are what we eat.” This statement remains relevant today: human health depends directly on one’s diet. To this end, a three-day technical workshop on the development of healthy dietary guidelines took place from 20 to 22 May. The event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the multi-country project “Multisectoral Policy Recommendations for Addressing Malnutrition from an Agrifood System Perspective", aimed at improving nutrition and transforming Central Asian food systems through enhanced cross-sectoral collaboration. 

Thousands of hectares of agricultural land in Khersonska oblast in Ukraine remain uncultivated due to explosive ordnance contamination combined with prolonged drought and the destruction of irrigation systems, preventing farmers from cultivating their land and rebuilding their livelihoods. Taken together, these overlapping crises have reduced agricultural output in the oblast by more than 98 percent since the onset of the full-scale invasion. To help Ukrainian farming communities safely return to agricultural production, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) have launched a new joint project funded through the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund (UCRF). 

Partnership, sustainability, digital innovations, investment and empowering women farmers – these were the core topics of several side and special events at the Thirty-fifth Session of the Regional Conference for Europe, held from 11 to 15 May in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

On the occasion of World Bee Day (20 May), Slovenia is hosting the third International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination today and tomorrow. The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations, Apimondia.

The Government of Uzbekistan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are scaling up efforts to strengthen the sweet cherry value chain through a new FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) project under the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative.   

With the adoption of the joint report by consensus, the Thirty-fifth Session of the Regional Conference for Europe concluded in a positive spirit on 14 May. Hosted by Tajikistan in the capital, Dushanbe, the event was attended by over 230 participants, including representatives of more than 50 Members and of United Nations agencies, civil society, the private sector, research and academia, and rural youth.

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.