8 June 2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – Wheat is an important strategic crop in Kyrgyzstan and the main source of nutrition – accounting for more than half of the country’s total cultivated area. A key factor in obtaining a good wheat harvest is protection from harmful diseases. In recent years, rust diseases (yellow, leaf and stem rust) have begun to pose...

6 June 2023, Astana, Kazakhstan – Since April 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been implementing a regional project to boost the national capacities of countries to restore forests and other wooded lands, while also strengthening their expertise in preventing degradation. The “Forest Restoration Improvement for Environmental Development and Sustainability in Central Asia” project,...

5 June 2023, Ankara – Abandonment or un-utilization of agricultural land is a common problem in many countries. Land abandonment undermines food security, results in lost economic opportunities, and can have a range of other negative socio-economic and environmental impacts. In order to mitigate and overcome the negative consequences of land abandonment, a project entitled “Enhancing agricultural land market development to...

31 May 2023, Tashkent – From 1 to 6 May 2023, the FRIENDS project team undertook a mission to Uzbekistan to evaluate capacity and training needs. The FRIENDS (Forest Restoration Improvement for Environmental Development and Sustainability in Central Asia) project aims to develop national capacities to restore large-scale forest and other wooded lands, and to enhance know-how to prevent degradation...

26 May 2023, Ankara – Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Regional Cooperation Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (BSEC-CSFS) has launched a dedicated website to promote the food systems transformation agenda in the BSEC region, and to contribute to building a network of food system professionals. The BSEC-CSFS website will serve as a platform for knowledge exchange and information...