Signing of the 2022—2026 Country Programming Framework (CPF) by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ushers in a new phase of the progress towards sustainable and resilient agrifood systems and improved rural livelihoods for the country. 

In countries of Europe and Central Asia, as well as globally, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) furthers the identification and registration of new geographical indications (GI) in the food and agriculture sector, and works to improve current geographical indications schemes to make them simpler and more effective.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – when antimicrobial drugs lose their effectiveness against microorganisms they should kill – is a global threat that affects human, animal, and environmental health. For effective action to prevent AMR, it is essential that all professionals handling antimicrobial drugs are well aware of this phenomenon and become familiar with the best practices to combat it. 

Global goals – just like regional and national goals — can only be achieved if we work together. This is a reason that revitalizing partnerships is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October, the date FAO was founded in 1945. This year’s theme, “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind,” highlighted water's importance to food production, food security, healthy environments, and human health and the need to protect global water resources.

It is estimated that around half the obsolete pesticides in the world can be found in the former Soviet Union, with a large portion currently sitting in Central Asia. During Soviet times, the region was an important centre for agriculture, particularly cotton production, with mandatory pesticide application and oversupply.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) works to support countries to move to sustainable agriculture, adapt to climate change and to mitigate climate change by reducing or preventing greenhouse gas emissions. As part of this effort, FAO organized a two-day workshop on advancing climate action in agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, from 27 to 28 September in Istanbul, Türkiye.  

Major food security challenges caused by unsustainable water management were presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Hungarian Food Bank Association and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture today, World Food Day, in Budapest. Olympic aquatic athletes also joined the water-themed event, which featured water-friendly dishes of the future and the World Food Day convoy – a line of 21 trucks carrying 50 tonnes of food donations for needy families.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy of the Republic of North Macedonia, in partnership with the 'Hans Em' Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Engineering, convened an event in Skopje, focusing on good practices and experiences in forest restoration.

African swine fever, an infectious viral and highly lethal disease that kills pigs and wild boar, first appeared in the Balkans and the Republic of Moldova nearly a decade ago. While not a threat to human health, the virus is a major hazard to pig farms, livelihoods, local economies, and food security. 

The multitude of vital benefits that nature provides to society are called ‘ecosystem services’. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) applauds the Czech movie The values of nature that helps us understand the value of these ecosystem services, and has just awarded it the Osiris Prize at the thirty-ninth international Agrofilm festival in Slovakia (2 – 7 October 2023).

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the first-ever Science and Innovation Week for Europe and Central Asia   facilitated robust discussions and knowledge exchange on the integration of science, research, and innovation with policymaking to drive the transformation of agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia toward sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.

In historic Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leading thinkers from around the globe convened for an international conference on food security to discuss a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for the world's agrifood systems. The event was organized by the Government of Uzbekistan, with technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In Europe and Central Asia, Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) talked about improving the management of land and water resources at the Forty-third Session of the European Commission on Agriculture, held in Budapest from 27 to 28 September. The meeting marked a significant step towards Member Nations enacting their commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Food loss and waste (FLW) is an intricate, multidimensional socioeconomic issue that results from malfunctioning agrifood systems. Given the complex nature of the latter, comprising  institutions, processes, and – importantly - people's interactions, FLW prevention and reduction should consider the complex interrelations between the various actors involved and their environments. In other words, it is important to understand human behaviour and the ways to influence it so that more sustainable choices are made by all actors all along the food chain.

Food standards help ensure that food produced, traded, and consumed is safe, and meets the quality parameters expected by the consumer.  Several countries in the Europe and Central Asia region use Codex standards and texts as the basis for strengthening their legal framework for food safety including development of food laws, regulations, and other measures.

The drought-resistant cereal millet is now undergoing a renaissance in its cultivation and consumption as an important crop in sustainable agrifood systems. Türkiye ranks high in the world as a drought-risk prone country. As climate change accelerates the frequency and severi...

The fourteenth International LANDNET Workshop took place from 5 to 7 September 2023 in Istanbul. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) and the General Directorate of Agrarian Reform (GDAR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye, the workshop brought together approximately 100 participants from around 30 countries, mostly from Europe and Central Asia.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a groundbreaking workshop that unveiled the findings of a pioneering survey on antimicrobials use (AMU) within the food and veterinary sector in Armenia. The survey, the first of its kind in Armenia, represents a significant step towards understanding and addressing the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to the country's vital livestock sector.

Odina learned to utilize these transformative techniques through the project, “Smart Farming for the Future Generation”, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). With financial support from the Republic of Korea, this project was launched in 2021 in Uzbekistan and Viet Nam to introduce new growing methods and tools that decrease water consumption and labour, while increasing yields, crop quality and incomes.