Forests are complex ecosystems that provide not only food, fuel and income opportunities for locals, but also provide important services at the global level as well. Recognizing this, FAO and the Czech Republic have been working together for more than ten

Aida Baimakova is only 27 years old, but already a year has passed since the Slow Food congress elected her international councilor for Belarus, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russian Federation, and Ukraine. On the eve of Slow Food’s annual “Terra Madre” ev

Ukraine is well on its way to establishing a legal framework on self-regulation – a mechanism that will improve standards in the agribusiness sector and provide private companies with an opportunity to boost their role in defining their future. The legal

When the announcement was made that FAO regional offices around the world would each receive an additional US$ 1 million to advance food and agriculture priorities, the technical team in Budapest wasted no time in putting forward proposals for Europe and

Recognizing that the unregulated use of antimicrobials is a growing problem across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, FAO has been working hard to implement improvements across the region, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. One e

The green economy is creating new job opportunities in the forest sector in a variety of areas, such as recreation, leisure and sports, ecotherapy, urban forestry, and the control of pests, fire and disease. In this spirit, more than 30 forest experts fr

Humankind is in the midst of an unprecedented data-gathering and number-crunching effort, and national statistical offices are on the front line. Giorgi Kvinikadze is FAO statistician for the Europe and Central Asia region, based at the Organization’s re

Smallholders and family farms are strongholds of food production, food security, and rural development. Without innovation, their important services cannot be secured for the long term. Representatives of governments, academia, civil society, and private

Agribusiness representatives and agricultural trade experts from post-Soviet countries gather here this week for three days dedicated to agrifood trade. First up is the FAO-organized regional workshop on World Trade Organization (WTO) instruments, where

For three days, Tashkent is hosting an international conference to promote conservation agriculture in this corner of the world, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan.

Plant health and safety standards are indispensable. They ease safe international trade, help ensure food security, promote sustainable agriculture production, and help protect biodiversity and the environment. The primary guardians of plant health and s

Biotechnology presents enormous potential benefits for world populations in food security and nutrition, but it is not without risk. Upon invitation of the Czech Republic and FAO, government officials, renowned scientists and private sector and civil soc

FAO assists and advises on food security and nutrition, forest health, fisheries and aquaculture, climate change, plant and animal pests and diseases, international food trade, organic agriculture, rural livelihoods, and much more. Overseeing and setting priorities for this work in Europe and Central Asia is the job of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe. Convening every two years in a different location, the Regional Conference is a complex undertaking for both the host country and FAO's team in the region. Goran Stavrik, who has played a coordinating role in three consecutive conferences, reflects on the many behind-the-scenes factors that make for a successful FAO Regional Conference.

The growing resistance of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites to antimicrobials is a grave health concern the world over. If nothing is done to limit it, an estimated 10 million people per year will be at risk by 2050, to say nothing of the enormous a

The Soviet Union collapsed nearly 30 years ago, but its effects linger in the fragmented farm structures and market channels that plague food value chains throughout Europe and Central Asia. A series of FAO publications is dedicated to improving this iss

The Bosphorus, the narrow strait in Istanbul that connects the Black Sea basin to the rest of the world, hosted a special guest on 12 July. Affectionately named “Bilim” (Turkish for “Science”), the oceanographic research vessel (RV) from Middle East Techn

A Hungarian master attentively places his basketry utensils while Konobaeva Venera, a weaving master from Kyrgyzstan, packs up after a weaving workshop. Nearby, other masters from Uzbekistan and Hungary prepare for their time slots in the FAO stand at the

Montenegro is looking to strengthen the links between agriculture, food and tourism, uniting its mesmerising coastline and spectacular mountains with its traditional foods – ranging from speciality cheeses and cured hams to bitter greens and crisp wines.

Khushnid Sattarov, a professional with broad experience in project management, research analytics and humanitarian strategic planning, took up his duties last week as FAO programme coordinator in Ukraine. He succeeds Farrukh Toirov, who was appointed rece

Bananas – they’re the most exported fruit in the world, and they’re almost everyone’s darling. But not only humans are fond of them. Plant pests and diseases love bananas, too – especially the soil-borne fungus causing the Fusarium wilt disease, which po