The Republic of Moldova is at high risk of drought and extreme weather events, two challenges exacerbated by climate change. Family farmers and others in the agriculture sector are the most vulnerable to the impacts of these extreme events. The severe drought in 2022, for example, was devastating for smallholder farmers. In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) distributed 30 tonnes of seeds and 60 tonnes of fertilizer to 1 224 small farmers in the Calarasi, Rascani and Cantemir districts.

A competition to find new ways to reduce antibiotic misuse in production animals has resulted in promising findings on how improved gut health in broiler chickens could boost immunity and reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an approach that could bring wider benefits across the entire sector. The competition was organized by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by the Ukraine Ministry of Education and Science and the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.

The urgency of a coordinated response to contain the threat of African Swine Fever was high on the agenda at the recent National Convention on Animal Health, Food Safety, and Quality in Serbia. At the event, lessons were shared from an EBRD/FAO project in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia that has taken a regional cross-sectoral approach to containing the spread of the disease.

The AgriTech Observatory has just been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is now live for review. The knowledge portal offers a tool to monitor the rapidly evolving landscape of digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, identify innovative solutions to regional challenges and scale up good practices.

Threats posed by infestations of Asian chestnut gall wasps have cast a vast shadow over the chestnut-growing regions of Albania. FAO, through its global One Country One Priority Product programme, has launched a project to support Albania in implementing a comprehensive programme to monitor Asian chestnut gall wasps, prepare a biological control plan and build capacity among local farmers and extension officers.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Republic of Moldova, in collaboration with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of Austrian Development Cooperation, the Government of Japan  and the  Government of Switzerland, has initiated a new phase of emergency agricultural assistance for vulnerable smallholder farmers and households struggling with the effects of the 2022 drought and the ongoing regional crisis.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has greenlighted 48 FAO-led projects worth about $2.9 billion –$294 million in project financing and $2.6 billion in co-financing– that will play a pivotal role in fostering a sustainable agrifood systems transformation to end hunger and conserve the environment. As a partner agency for the Global Environment Facility (GEF), FAO supports countries worldwide in addressing the complex challenges at the nexus between the agrifood systems and the environment.

The small ruminant sector is poised for significant change in the Western Balkans, a region deeply rooted in agricultural tradition. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released Small Ruminant Value Chains in Western Balkan Countries, a report that provides an unprecedented look into the current state and future direction of this important sector.

There is a growing trend to produce and consume sustainable food motivated both by concerns for health and for the world that future generations will inherit. Often we forget about the secret weapon in the sustainability toolbox: pulses. Luckily, every year, World Pulses Day (10 February) reminds us of their crucial role in making agriculture and our diets more  eco-friendly, carbon-neutral and low-impact.

FAO conducts national training on mountain vulnerability assessment in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Assessing the vulnerability of mountain societies to provide data that can inform communities and government in developing climate change-adaptation strategies is an essential task that requires a thorough understanding of a range of technical and socio-economic parameters.

The German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Oezdemir and the Italian Minister for Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, hosted a special event on Ukraine. Maximo Torero, Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), presented FAO’s current assessment on the situation in Ukraine and neighbouring countries as well as FAO’s rapid response plan for Ukraine in 2024 and the FAO Development Strategy for Ukraine (2024–2027). 

Agriculture is the main source of income for more than half of the population in the Republic of Moldova. To spur investments into the sector and provide a better life for Moldovan rural people, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Moldova organized a special event on investment in the republic in the framework of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, Germany, within the Agrifood Partnership Forum of the Republic of Moldova launched in October 2023. 

In the agricultural heart of Kosovo¹, under the radiant sun, stands Pajazit Thaci. At the age of 81, his face bears the traces of seven decades of farming, yet his spirit remains young and vibrant. Pajazit's presence is felt by all who pass by, his standard white shirt recognizable to all the village. He cares deeply for the land and is always looking forward to the next harvest.

In Central Asia, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture represent significant untapped potential, yet enhancing institutional capacity for increased production and development remains a persistent challenge.

In response to these challenges, the FISHCap project was launched under the umbrella of the FAO–Türkiye Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture, and implemented in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to address obstacles to sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that scaling up science, technology and innovation is necessary for a profound transformation of food and agricultural systems. Engagements with the private sector help energize digital ecosystems and catalyse innovations and integration of digital technologies. 

Shaodatkhon is one of the farmers taking part in the Smart Farming for the Future Generations project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It is closely aligned with the Digital Villages Initiative, which was introduced in the villages of Novkent and Yuksalish in the Fergana Valley of Uzbekistan in 2023.

In Europe and Central Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is expanding its online learning opportunities for animal health and production specialists. The platform is the regional Virtual Learning Center that has successfully conducted a series of virtual tutored trainings in 2023 and is set to roll out new courses that will respond to the dynamic needs of the region. 

A project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on mainstreaming adaptation into the planning process to reduce vulnerability to climate change aims to help local governments in the Republic of Moldova better respond to climate change and improve access to technology for agricultural producers.

The Digital Villages Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is rolling out at full speed in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Hack4DigitalVillages innovation challenge concluded at the end of November, awarding agricultural startups and innovators for creative technical solutions to agricultural challenges faced by rural Fergana. Simultaneously, two Memoranda of Understanding were officially signed to foster cooperation between Fergana valley (Uzbekistan) and Hisor valley (Tajikistan), solidifying the basis for knowledge exchange between rural communities of the two countries.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, have recently launched in Albania the FAO One Country, One Priority Product (OCOP) programme aimed at transforming agrifood systems. Through establishing sustainable chestnut value chains, the project in Albania will, foster economic growth, and enable community empowerment in the pilot region of northern Tropoja.