Women in Montenegro perform much of the country’s agricultural work yet remain largely excluded from land ownership and decision-making. They make up more than half of the workforce on family farms but just 12.9 percent of those who hold ownership or secure rights to agricultural land. This is according to the new National Gender Profile of Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in close partnership with the Government of Montenegro.

Serbia took an important step towards strengthening its health security and fostering collaboration across human, animal, plant and environmental sectors during the two-day workshop “From theory to practice: Implementing the One Health approach holistically”, held in Belgrade on 1–2 December 2025. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the current chair of the Quadripartite (FAO, WHO, WOAH and UNEP), with the support of the other partner agencies, the event brought together over 40 representatives from government institutions, academia and international organizations to support Serbia in making the One Health approach operational.

Islomjon Yusufov’s journey saw him progress from struggling with a rocky and waterless plot of land to running a thriving, innovative family farm. “Yusuf Bobo”, as his farm is called, is a powerful example of personal determination and resilience. His story reflects the potential of agrobiodiversity to provide a pathway to economic empowerment for rural communities in Tajikistan by promoting sustainable farming practices and enhancing local agricultural diversity – even on hard, mountain soil.

Türkiye has taken a significant stride forward in the fight against brucellosis, a disease that affects both animals and people, by hosting a national workshop dedicated to its progressive control. The event took place from 26 to 28 November at the Pendik Veterinary Control Institute in Istanbul. In a One Health spirit, it brought together experts from the animal and public health sectors to jointly assess Türkiye’s brucellosis control capacities.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed a USD 10 million agreement to support rural communities affected by the potential contamination of agricultural land with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine. 

Every day, small, often-invisible losses accumulate. A crate of tomatoes spoils before delivery. A restaurant prepares more meals than will be served. A household discards food it never used. These ordinary moments carry an extraordinary consequence: They consume water we can’t afford to waste, thus accelerating the climate crisis. Globally, one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted. Every piece of uneaten food represents a waste of water, land, energy and labour.

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is holding an intensive awareness campaign in the Republic of Moldova to mark World Soil Day, celebrated globally on 5 December. Under the theme Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities, the campaign aims to educate and engage the next generation on the critical importance of soil health and land degradation neutrality.

Although fisheries sustainability in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea remains a source of concern, the percentage of overfished stocks has dropped to its lowest level in a decade, a milestone that coincides with aquaculture’s rapid expansion as a major source of aquatic foods in the region, according to a report released today by FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought together governments, producer groups, civil society and international experts for the Fifth Regional Consultation on Geographical Indications (GIs). This year’s event was dedicated to advancing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of GI systems in Europe and Central Asia.

In a quiet field outside Madrid, a sheep owner looks up at a drone humming above grazing sheep, scanning for signs of stress, injury or predators. Tens of thousands of kilometres away, a young farmer shifts gears entirely, leaving a job in banking to return to his family farm in a Kyrgyz village. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, an engineer turned dairy farm owner opens her gates, creating a unique, multifunctional space focused on ethical farming, veteran rehabilitation and community well-being.

Parliament members from across the globe gathered 10–11 November at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome to exchange views and ideas on the use of legislative tools to boost progress in food security and nutrition. The Europe and Central Asia region was represented by Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Greece, with each country reaffirming its commitment to transforming the region’s food and agricultural sectors to be more efficient, inclusive and grounded in shared values.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Albania Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are working closely together to scale up efforts to equip the country for the effective implementation of the European Union LEADER measure under the instrument for pre-accession assistance for rural development (IPARD III).

Agricultural land in Georgia is highly fragmented, limiting productivity and investment in farms and in rural areas in general. Aiming to address this problem, representatives from a wide range of Georgian institutions participated in a 20 November workshop in Tbilisi under the first phase of a planned three-and-a-half-year project to support the introduction of land consolidation in Georgia. The project is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with financial support from the World Bank and the Government of Georgia.

As the world marks World AMR Awareness Week, 18–24 November, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reaffirmed its strong commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across Europe and Central Asia during the closing day of the second International Conference on Food Safety and Joint Efforts to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance.

With stronger knowledge in livestock care and feeding, women from rural areas of Kosovo¹ are improving their livelihoods and taking the lead in transforming their communities. From June through October 2025, more than 100 rural women from the municipalities of Istog/Istok, south Mitrovica and Skenderaj/Srbica participated in hands-on trainings designed to improve cow health, enhance milk quality and increase household incomes through better livestock management. Conducted directly on participants’ farms, the sessions helped women strengthen both productivity and sustainability on their farms through practical experience in stable hygiene, feeding, milk handling, disease prevention and calf care.

he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine, with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and in partnership with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust), and Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) has officially opened the Duplicate Centre for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine and handed it over to the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS).

Challenges related to water, sanitation and health are multifaceted. However, resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems – coupled with the One Health approach – can provide the right framework for safeguarding public health. This was the main message from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health in Budapest, Hungary, in early November. It was delivered by Raimund Jehle, FAO Regional Programme Leader, during the high-level segment of the session, which was marking the twentieth anniversary of the protocol’s entry into force.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a project to strengthen competitiveness and climate resilience among smallholder farmers in the Republic of Moldova. This is the second phase of the Programme on Resilient and Inclusive Markets, implemented jointly by FAO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with key support from Switzerland.

A delegation of government officials from Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Agriculture visited Lithuania from 27 to 30 October to learn from the country’s experience in digital transformation in the agriculture and land management sectors, including land registration and cadastre. The four-day study tour was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as part of its ongoing technical assistance to the Government of Turkmenistan in digitalizing its land administration and land-use monitoring systems.

Forest biodiversity experts and policymakers from five Central Asian countries, along with Azerbaijan, Montenegro and Türkiye are gathering in Trabzon for a regional training workshop on “Mainstreaming forest biodiversity into national strategies and action plans” to chart a course towards healthier, more resilient forests.