“So how do you say ‘Farmer Field School’ in Turkish?” asked Marjon Fredrix, as she began her comprehensive presentation on the subject in Turkey’s Konya province. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Fredrix, an agricultural officer from FAO’s Pla

Breeding livestock, producing crops and household goods, fetching water and firewood, housework, cooking for family, looking after children, caring for the elderly and sick members of the family – this is the short list of rural women’s obligations in Geo

Wheat has a long history in Tajikistan; it has been grown here for more than a thousand years. The crop plays a crucial role in people’s well-being, particularly in rural areas. With a workshop today in Dushanbe, a successful effort to improve small-scal

Under the theme “Our actions are our future,” World Food Day 2018 brought into focus the ability to take control of humanity's collective future by working together for a hunger-free world. World Food Day has been commemorated every year on 16 October –

With a food donation convoy rolling through the historic streets of Budapest today, FAO and the Hungarian Food Bank Association aim to raise awareness on the problems of food waste and the growing double burden of malnutrition, in commemoration of World F

Fish is an excellent source of protein and essential micronutrients, with global average per capita fish consumption now topping 20 kilograms a year. In Central Asia and certain landlocked countries, though, average consumption is closer to 2 kilos, accor

African swine fever is one of the major animal health challenges worldwide, as demonstrated by recent developments in China and the European Union, where recent outbreaks have prompted health officials to take action. The disease first entered Europe thr

Moldovan authorities and FAO have successfully implemented a four-year project to increase drought resilience amongst small-scale farmers by helping them adopt modern irrigation technologies and best practices. At the closing event, held today in Chisina

A logistics centre was opened today in northern Kyrgyzstan’s Kemin district to aid in supplying local schools with fresh agricultural produce. An initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the centre should improve th

Increasing agricultural productivity by over 20 percent just by using a negligible percent of arable land for creating forest areas sounds like a good deal. As practice shows, this is achievable with agroforestry – the practice of integrating woody vegeta

Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia, is awarded with the Hungarian Order of Merit by Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy. Rakhmanin, who has served in his present role with

Encompassed by the Caucasus mountains with heights of 5 000 meters – offering breathtaking views and, at the same time, damming them – lies Georgia’s Tusheti region. Its inhabitants are strongly attached to this remote area, but the natural beauty alone i

Roughly one-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted every year, according to FAO estimates. Food loss and waste increases prices, reduces the availability of micronutrient-rich foods, and lowers the income of smallhold

More competitive small-scale farming and better livelihoods for rural people are central goals of the new cooperation agreement between FAO and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Equally important are steps to confront climate change and manage nat

Agricultural development in Kyrgyzstan is being hampered by farmers’ lack of access to quality seeds, finance and market information, according to a new FAO assessment of value chains and the agribusiness environment. Additional factors slowing the devel

Ukraine, due to its geographical closeness to the European Union and its recently signed Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement, has committed to aligning its food safety and quality systems with EU standards. The needed changes in legal requir

With extreme weather events posing serious risks to agriculture and the rural economy, the Macedonian Government has recognized the importance of regular information and early warning systems in guarding agriculture against climate change. At a workshop

The intensification of agricultural production and the effects of climate change have increased the pressure on crops from pests and diseases. According to recent estimates, annual losses caused by insects, weeds, and diseases are around 20–40 percent, a

Agriculture is an important sector in the national economies of Caucasus and Central Asian countries, and locusts can cause severe damages. However, technology developed by FAO allows anti-locust services to view online locust data collected in the field

Social protection plays a crucial role in accelerating progress in the fight against hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty, with the potential to transform the lives of rural women and men by improving their well-being and livelihoods. Still, evidence s