FAO’s new publication on working safely with a chainsaw is now available in three languages to help self-employed farmers, farm workers and contractors stay out of harm's way when using the powerful tools. The guide – available online  in English, Albani

With 1.5 percent of the local population in Ukraine engaged in beekeeping, the country is the top player in Europe for honey production. Contributing to that production has been the practice of honey hunting, or the plundering of wild honeybee nests to o

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and FAO, with funding from Luxembourg, have been working with the Serbian Government and the Serbian Union of Cooperatives to promote the development of cooperative organizations across the count

In parts of Asia, where animal transport often happens quickly through unregulated and remote border areas, animal diseases are especially difficult to control. Because of this, and because livestock play a major role in economic growth in the region, it

Some 5 000 northern Montenegrin farmers still make the traditional dried beef Crnogorska Goveđa pršuta, which, along with the Montenegrin dried and smoked sheep meat Crnogorska Stelja, is poised to receive geographical indication (GI) status, an origin-ba

Convenient portion sizes, uniformity in “use by” and “best before” dates, and new packaging technologies that prolong shelf life are just some of the ways in which food packaging is helping reduce food losses in high-income countries. But what about low-

Over 2.5 million hectare of forest landscape will be restored by countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia under the Bonn Challenge by 2030. The commitment was made by Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan at the first Minis

A team of experts from the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority of Romania (NSVFSA) participated this week in the first workshop of a series of activities aimed at strengthening the national capacities of the Republic of Moldova in asses

Membership in the World Trade Organization would open up new prospects for Uzbekistan, and the country is intent on moving toward that goal. At a two-day seminar starting here today, national officials, agricultural producers and many others will study th

Fish and fish products are among the most widely traded food commodities in the world, with trade totaling around US$ 145 billion per year. Demand is especially strong in Europe. Market access and regional trade in fish products in Eastern Europe – especi

Identifying regional best practice and developing common approaches to land consolidation legislation in countries of the Western Balkans are the focus of a three-day international LANDNET workshop opening here today. The workshop is organized jointly by

A growing number of consumers are getting hungry for organic produce, and production is on the rise in many parts of the world. Because of their agricultural tradition, manpower and favourable environmental conditions, Central Asian countries have a signi

Fisheries experts convene today in Sofia, Bulgaria – to take stock of progress towards sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Black Sea and propose actions to maintain the momentum. All Black Sea countries signed the landmark Bucharest Declaration

Managing natural resources sustainably while also coping with climate change is the focus of a new FAO initiative for food and agriculture in Europe and Central Asia. The initiative was endorsed by FAO’s regional governing body when it convened last month

In the past 50 years, the population of the Central Asia region has tripled. With the need to feed a larger number of people amid increasingly limited water resources and highly vulnerable climatic conditions, the region faces serious food security challe

Greenhouses are opening in rural schools in Armenia’s Ararat region today with the goal of increasing schoolchildren’s dietary diversity and improving their nutrition. All three greenhouses – in the public schools of Vedi, Verin Artashat and Surenavan – a

Serbia’s main grain industry stakeholders gathered last month to discuss ways to increase exports, a significant milestone in developing dialogue between public and private institutions in the country. Players – including grain producers, processors, exp

Fragmented land, limited access to finance and limited knowledge among small-scale food producers are among the main constraints to growth highlighted in the FAO report Republic of Moldova Value Chain Gap Analysis, published recently. This study consolid

The occurrence of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in the Caucasus and the Russian Federation highlights the potential for further spread to other countries in Eastern Europe. Belarus, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine make the list of at-risk countries, where

Throughout Europe and Central Asia, wild boar raid crops and spread swine diseases, negatively affecting agriculture, conservation, road traffic and the health of livestock, wildlife and even humans. Due to their increasing densities and expanding ranges,