As part of the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has facilitated a twinning study tour between pilot digital villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Almería SmartAgriHub in Spain. Over a week in February 2025, representatives from these villages – alongside key institutions such as the University of East Sarajevo Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Agriculture – participated in an in-depth knowledge exchange. The goal of the participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina was to learn from Spain’s pioneering agricultural innovation model and explore the potential to implement similar strategies in their own communities.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held an interactive lecture series at the Agricultural University of Tirana, engaging students in discussions on climate-smart agriculture and international plant protection standards. This event, part of the Business4SDGs Phase II project, aimed to bridge scientific research with practical implementation, equipping Albania’s future agricultural professionals with knowledge to address pressing global challenges.

Improving the food security and nutrition of children, especially those in rural areas or from poor families, through school feeding is a priority in Uzbekistan, and one which is supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Schools are an ideal setting to give children and adolescents the good diet they need in order to grow, develop, be protected from disease and have the energy to study, learn and be physically active. School meal programmes reach children at an age when positive food and health habits are being formed—and an increased awareness of nutrition can be a spillover benefit to families and the wider community.

African swine fever (ASF) is a serious animal disease that may kill up to 100 percent of infected animals, both domestic pigs and wild boar, and for which, currently, there is no commercially available vaccine or treatment. It poses significant economic, livelihood and biodiversity threats to the region's pig sector and hunting.

Empowering rural women is central to fulfilling the mission of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to eradicate hunger and ensure food security globally. Women play critical roles in agrifood systems as farmers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. However, their contributions are often limited by systemic inequalities that impact their working conditions and economic opportunities. 

Ensuring food safety and quality remains a top priority for North Macedonia. Codex Alimentarius standards are a crucial set of tools to ensure food safety and quality across the food chain from production through to consumption. Co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Food and Veterinary Agency of North Macedonia, a national event was held on 19 February dedicated to promoting the Codex standards. The event was another step in strengthening the country’s food safety and quality through the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund project.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), partnering with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan, today set in motion a new project to develop locally relevant recommendations to ensure healthy diets from sustainable food systems in Tajikistan. The project was launched today at a national inception workshop that raised awareness about the potential for food systems-based dietary guidelines (FSBDGs) to contribute to the country’s development goals and national priorities. 

Over the past two years, Moldovan farmers have faced a devastating drought, economic hardship and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine, jeopardizing their livelihoods. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with important financial support from the Austrian Development Agency and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, responded promptly to this crisis. Through a joint project with the United Nations Development Programme, FAO provided emergency support to more than 17 000 vulnerable small-scale farmers and households across 23 districts of the country.

The agriculture sector in the Republic of Moldova, a cornerstone of the national economy, faces many diverse challenges. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova today signed a new project agreement aimed at strengthening agricultural extension and advisory services to make it easier for farmers to receive crucial information, advice and training opportunities.

On 27 February 2025, key stakeholders gathered in Baku for the national inception meeting of the project “Building Capacities on Food Consumption Data for Better Nutrition and Safer Food”. The initiative aims to equip Azerbaijan with the knowledge and tools needed to make informed, data-driven decisions that improve public health and nutrition. By strengthening national data systems, this project will help ensure that the people of Azerbaijan have access to safer, more nutritious food.