FAO’s work globally and in the Europe and Central Asia region is guided by the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031, which articulates the Organization’s vision of a sustainable and food-secure world for all. The Strategic Framework seeks to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind. With the Strategic Framework and the four betters as a lens, this report reviews and describes the project and the programme work of the Organization at the regional level and in each of the FAO programme countries of the region.

For the Europe and Central Asia region, the year 2023 was marked by the tests of war, conflicts and natural disasters. The year began with the 6 February earthquake in Türkiye

and Syria – the most severe to occur in Türkiye in a century – that directly affected an estimated 9.1 million people in the 11 hardest-hit provinces, and caused great loss of life. Additionally, the war in Ukraine continued to disrupt domestic, regional and world food markets and displace great numbers of people. The region also experienced extreme weather events. This report summarizes FAO’s achievements and accomplishments in Europe and Central Asia in 2023, including work to increase social protection, ensure climate action, improve conditions for youth and women and implement solutions based on science, innovation and digitalization. The first section of this report interprets FAO’s work in countries and regionally through the lens of the four betters, while the second summarizes the work completed in each country in 2023 and outlines ongoing efforts.

The report captures snapshots of FAO's work in the Europe and Central Asia region. Short entries cover such topics as FAO's work on agrifood systems transformation, the digital and green transformation of agriculture to increase sustainable resilience, land banking and consolidation, the Digital Villages Initiative, Farmer Field Schools, precision agriculture, the One Health approach, fish health management, the One Country One Priority Product initiative, reduction of food loss and waste, women's empowerment and gender equity, youth empowerment, the Hand-in-Hand Initative, food systems controls, climate change action, mainstreaming biodiversity, the regional seed programme, management of agrichemicals, an overview of the fruit and vegetable sector of the Eurasian Economic Union, Agricultural Market Information and strengthening agrifood policy and market developments and resource mobililization.