A landmark declaration of support for smallholders and small-scale agriculture in the Republic of Moldova was adopted today at an international conference on strengthening the inclusion of small-scale farmers in agrifood value chains. The declaration will serve as a crucial road map for future policy actions aimed at empowering small family farms in the country.

Supported by all participants at the conference, the declaration is the result of collaboration from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, and the German–Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is encouraging private-sector investments and private-public partnerships to make agrifood systems more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable, Director-General QU Dongyu today told the Partnerships and Investment Forum in Tashkent.

The Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) QU Dongyu highlighted the large untapped potential of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) that needs to be harnessed to ensure an effective transformation of agrifood systems in these countries. He spoke on Thursday at the LLDC Forum on Food Security and the Sustainable Development Goals (5-6 September) in Tashkent jointly organized by FAO and the Government of Uzbekistan.

On 3 September 2024, a webinar "One Health" was held with the participation of 87 representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), representatives of the European Economic Community (EEC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Commonwealth of Independent States CIS Executive Committee, authorized bodies of the, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Isgandar Shiralizada’s passion for all things related to bees and honey began as a child at his family home in Bilasuvar, a town in the southern region of Azerbaijan. Isgandar's career truly flourished after he joined a course offered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), funded by the Government of Azerbaijan. This initiative, part of the "Increasing Youth Employment in Agriculture" project, equips young men and women in rural areas with the skills necessary for careers in agriculture, focusing on agribusiness and entrepreneurship development.

A project under the joint Partnership Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Türkiye has become a productive gateway for strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye and Nigeria. Entitled “Support to the Diversification and Sustainable Crop Production Intensification for Smallholder Farmers in the Drylands of Borno State, Nigeria”, the project connects relevant institutions in the two countries with the support of FAO. This collaboration promotes sustainable agricultural practices by diversifying cropping systems and fostering sustainable crop management techniques for drylands in the state. The ultimate goal is to transform agrifood systems in Borno State, Nigeria, where the livelihoods of 5.6 million people largely depend on small-scale subsistence agriculture.

The AgriTech Observatory, established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has made significant strides since its launch in February and is now in full-scale operation. The tool monitors the rapidly evolving landscape of digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia and identifies innovative solutions to regional challenges. One of the major advances includes the expansion of the platform's database to now host over 270 digital agriculture initiatives. This growing repository provides comprehensive insights into the latest innovations, helping practitioners, policymakers, and researchers stay informed about the current and emerging landscape of digital agriculture in the region.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a special issue of its Unasylva journal on the restoration of Mediterranean forests, which are increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change and human activity. Unasylva 255 - Restoring the Mediterranean region: status and challenges, explores, through 13 expert articles, the extent of ecosystem restoration in the region over recent years, the advances and the challenges, as well as the tools and approaches that can help increase the quality and quantity of restoration work. 

Women are vital to the livelihoods and the economies of rural areas and smallholder agriculture in Kosovo¹, yet they do not benefit equally with men from their labour and contributions.

To map the situation and provide a possible way forward, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the Kosovo gender profile for agriculture and rural livelihoods that aims to improve knowledge on gender related issues in agriculture, with special attention to the state of digitalization. The publication provides evidence based recommendations for advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in agriculture and rural development for improved strategies and programmes.

Building on the success of the initial stage of the land consolidation programme, the European Union (EU), together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), continue to support the process of bringing together fragmented agricultural parcels, improving agricultural infrastructure and developing quality policy and legislation in North Macedonia. An equally important outcome is that it also helps the country come closer to sustainable land use and food systems, which are among the goals of the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda.