By 2025, the Serbian food and agriculture sector should be more sustainable, innovative, and inclusive, and with better management of the country’s natural resources. These objectives are detailed in the Country Programming Framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Republic of Serbia.

Dairy and meat businesses in Central Asia, especially smaller ones, are being hit by multiple shocks – from the war in Ukraine, to droughts, to the lingering effects of COVID-19. 

To raise awareness of the importance of work to strengthen urban agrifood systems in the region of Europe and Central Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a webinar in early June focusing on the challenges and opportunities in urban food agrifood systems faced by countries in the region. 

An FAO project taking place in Türkiye and four Central Asian countries has made enormous strides in reducing the use of dangerous pesticides and promoting more natural methods of pest control in the region.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are working to unite Georgia's unique food heritage, traditions and landscapes, by strengthening the links between agriculture and tourism. 

Food safety saves lives. It is not only a crucial component of food security, but it also plays a vital role in reducing foodborne diseases that are estimated to affect every year 23 million people in Europe and Central Asia only. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a joint programme in collaboration with mine action partner Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD) to support smallholder farmers and rural families most affected by the war. 

On 6 June 2023, a group of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) conducted an inception workshop in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, for a new digital cadastre project, “Support for the establishment of a digital land cadastre.”

According to estimates, in Europe and Central Asia, 42 percent of monitored terrestrial animal and plant species have declined in population in the past decade. It is now more important than ever before to conserve and use biodiversity sustainably, and to reduce the pressure on natural resources and ecosystems.

Several transboundary animal diseases are controlled with a “stamping out” policy, which consists of depopulation of the diseased animals, disposal of the infected carcasses and materials, followed by cleaning and disinfection of the affected farm. 

Ahead of Sustainable Gastronomy Day (18 June), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have issued a new publication for hotels, restaurants and catering enterprises (HoReCa) on how best to source food from local suppliers.

 

The Central Asian Animal Health Network (CAAHN) convened on 8−9 June for its third meeting since its establishment in 2019 in the historical city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to delve into the future of animal health and the One Health approach within the region.

When you eat, are you sure your food is safe?  Most likely, the answer will not be categorically affirmative. Foodborne diseases affect 1 in 10 people worldwide each year. To change this situation, many people work every day to ensure that safety requirements are met in the food production process. Food standards help us to ensure what we eat is safe. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is hosting the third regional workshop of an informal technical network on community development for Europe and Central Asia. Members will discuss ways to promote the principles of the territorial approaches to rural development in the region. The event is a forum to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and share lessons learned from regional and country-level experiences.

North Macedonia has joined the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as it 37th member. Ljupcho Nikolovski, the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of the Republic of North Macedonia, informed QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General, about the decision.

In 2023, proclaimed as the International Year of Millets, these crops are celebrated across the globe for their multiple benefits. It’s a perfect opportunity for people of the Europe and Central Asia region, where the crop’s popularity isn’t so high, to learn more about the values of producing and consuming millets.

A regional wine symposium is helping build agrifood system resilience and diversify export markets

The second meeting of the International Network on salt-affected soils (INSAS) is taking place this week in Tashkent to address land degradation and build stronger linkages between science, policy, and farmers.

In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) launched the global Digital Villages Initiative to promote digital innovations to rural communities. Now the initiative is being scaled up in Europe and Central Asia, aiming to improve livelihoods, wellbeing, and social cohesion in this region.

Morning breaks in the village Durmon, a quiet hamlet in the Bukhara region of southern Uzbekistan. There is no bustle of a big city. The only sounds are of chirping of birds and the humming of peaceful nature.