29 May 2025, Baku – Wheat rust diseases represent a significant threat to food security globally. In Azerbaijan, wheat is cultivated on approximately 600 000 hectares, with the country facing an annual import gap of over 1 million tonnes. Key challenges include drought, outdated irrigation practices and stripe rust disease.  As part of activities of the FAO-CIMMYT Project Agreement funded by...

26 May 2025, Dushanbe, Tajikistan - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has successfully concluded a series of practical trainings designed to strengthen the capacity of farmers, field agronomists, and technical officers in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of wheat rust diseases in Tajikistan. Conducted under the project “Strengthening regional collaboration and national capacities for surveillance and...

6 May 2025, Izmir, Türkiye – From 28 April to 2 May 2025, a technical training workshop on advanced breeding techniques to combat wheat rust diseases was held at the Aegean Agricultural Research Institute in Izmir. The workshop was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT)...

2 May 2025, Semey, Kazakhstan –A two-day Integrated Forest Fire Management Training programme took place on 22–23 April 2025 in Semey, Kazakhstan. It assembled forestry professionals from Kazakhstan, with a focus on personnel working in fire management units. The comprehensive programme addressed critical aspects of integrated forest fire management in a context of intensifying wildfire risks globally due to climate change....

15 April 2025, Ankara – Central Asia stands at the junction of three of the world’s bio-geographic realms, supporting a unique and diverse ecosystem spanning vast steppes, deserts, vital wetlands and mountain ranges that provide essential water resources to millions across Asia. This remarkable biodiversity, however, faces mounting challenges that require coordinated regional action. Over the past three decades, countries across...