If Kyrgyzstan expanded and diversified its agricultural exports, agricultural trade would be more efficient and inclusive, contribute to better livelihoods for rural people, and foster the country’s social and economic development. This summarizes the message of Thomas Shipton, FAO chief technical advisor in the Kyrgyz Republic, as he addressed a workshop...

Semi-dwarf fruit tree seedlings will be planted this spring on the grounds of eight middle schools in the Chui Valley of Kyrgyzstan. Each school will receive 200 apple, plum, peach and cherry seedlings under an FAO pilot project in partnership with Roza Otunbayeva’ International Public Foundation. More than 3,000 school children...

This publication is a collection of articles written by economists, sociologists, and gender specialists and practitioners from twelve post-Soviet countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. It is unique in its effort to review and analyze the issues that are at the intersection of gender equality, social protection...

The National Gender Profile of Agricultural and Rural Livelihoods is part of the project GCP/SEC/008/TUR, which contributes to the Regional Initiative 1 for the REU Region and to the SO3 by improving knowledge for evidence-based policies. The purpose of the National Gender Profile of Agricultural and Rural Livelihoods for the...

A new fish hatchery and aqua feed production unit were inaugurated last week in the Issyk-Kul province of Kyrgyzstan – the first instance of support for aquaculture infrastructure since dissolution of the Soviet Union.  Financed by the Government of Finland, the facilities were built under an FAO project entitled, “Towards Sustainable...

Although relatively new, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is attracting increasing interest and attention in various parts of the world including in Central Asia. FAO and other partners have a number of on-going and forthcoming projects which deal with different aspects of the CSA approach. Given the importance of conceiving and...

Fifty-four dairy cows were handed over to selected rural women in the Issyk-Kul province of Kyrgyzstan last week. Provision of the livestock – together with several units of agricultural machinery – was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Switzerland.  The handover event was attended by representatives...

As protein-rich quinoa becomes a trendy food choice worldwide, one pioneering farmer in remote Kyrgyzstan is reaping the benefits. Azamat Kaseev in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul province harvested his quinoa crop earlier this month. Equipment, training, field testing and more were provided under an FAO project designed to test the feasibility of quinoa...

Although relatively new, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is attracting increasing interest and attention in various parts of the world including in Central Asia. FAO and other partners have a number of on-going and forthcoming projects which deal with different aspects of the CSA approach. Given the importance of conceiving and...

In Kyrgyz custom, nothing is more important than good relations with others.  Nomadic people, Kyrgyz always shared their last piece of bread with anyone who visited their home – or yurt. Also embedded in tradition are respect and awe of Mother Nature. Moving with their livestock from summer to autumn pastures,...

The upland grasslands and meadows are one of the most important natural resources in Kyrgyzstan, covering up to 85 % of the designated agricultural areas. Most of the crop and livestock based small scale farms are located there, faced with degradation and loss of biodiversity due to overgrazing. Hence, proper...

The present work takes guidance from the FAO  flagship publication, “The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2010-2011: Women in agriculture – Closing the gender gap for development” (FAO, 2011a). The SOFA report argues that, “despite the diversity in the roles and status of women in agriculture, the evidence...

Humans have always taken what they needed from the planet’s soils, but the time has come to pay back this debt to Nature. These words from Kyrgyz National Agrarian University rector Ryspek Nurgaziev capture well the essence of discussions at the international scientific conference on soils and food security in Bishkek,...

The brochure provides an overview of sustainable land management and climate change Adaptation in Central Asia and how they relate to the partnership between ADB and ICARDA.

Major problems facing farmers in the south of Kyrgyzstan, such as degrading soil fertility and very low incomes are addressed by the project. The project was built upon the previous experience of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and other organizations in organic cotton production in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, India and...

The national food security and nutrition programme just adopted by Kyrgyzstan is expected to serve as a road map to fulfilling people’s rights to food, healthy nutrition and development. The programme, which springs from the country’s National Sustainable Development Strategy, was developed over the last two years by Kyrgyzstan with substantial...

The four Central Asian countries mentioned are heavily agrarian societies and have a low income per capita, except for Turkmenistan due to its large oil and gas revenues. The region is characterised by mountainous terrain and dry areas. The climate is continental, with cold winters and dry, hot summers. There...

With a relatively new history of membership at the Eurasian Economic Union, Kyrgyzstan believes that joining the Russia-backed economic club has garnered confidence in the nation’s economic stability. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, who is the primary supporter of his country's accession to union, believes that Kyrgyzstan's EEU membership will take the...

An ambitious five-year project on integrated natural resources management in drought-prone and salt-affected areas is on its way to take-off, thanks to US$ 11 million in financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The FAO project will assist Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan in tackling challenges related to desertification, land...

Agriculture plays an important role in social stability of the Kyrgyz Republic. More than a half of the population lives in rural area and their income is strongly linked to agricultural activities. The level of poverty among the rural population (41.4 percent) is much higher than urban areas (28. 5...