Budapest, Hungary – Migration – and the connections between migration and rural livelihoods, agriculture, sustainability, and other issues – are firmly in the spotlight this week. World Food Day – the anniversary of the founding of FAO on 16 October 1945 and one of the most widely observed of all United Nations days – has as its theme this year “Change the future of migration – invest in food security and rural development.”

More than 150 countries worldwide are marking the occasion with public events of all kinds. Here is a sampling of the events happening across the Europe and Central Asia region:

Albania: A panel discussion on “Managing returning migrants for long-term positive development impacts” was held on 28 September at the University of Agriculture in Tirana. Participants included United Nations representatives, the Italian Cooperation office, GIZ and others. A panel discussion on “Role of returning migrants for long-term positive development impacts” was held on 25 October at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Tirana. Participants included United Nations representatives (UN, FAO, IOM, UNDP, ILO), the Italian Cooperation office, GIZ and other partners.

Armenia: This country marked the occasion with an FAO exhibit at Armprodexpo 2017, and a ceremony and open class for Agrarian University students – both in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. On 18 October, a press conference is planned for the signing of the Host Country Agreement between FAo and the Government of Armenia.

Austria: A screening of a film on entomophagy entitled “Bugs” was organized by the UN Regional Information Centre in Vienna, followed by a panel discussion.

Azerbaijan: Together with IDEA and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture, FAO organized a high-level event at ADA University in Baku, with a panel discussion on “Economics and Politics of Migration: Implications for Agriculture and Food.” Speakers included FAO Goodwill Ambassador and IDEA founder Leyla Aliyeva, Minister of Agriculture Heydar Asadov, and a number of government officials, international and local community representatives. A second event organized with the Ministry of Agriculture took place on the premises of the State Veterinary Service and involved school children in a tour to the Azerbaijan State Agriculture Museum.

Croatia: A World Food Day commemoration in Croatia was held together with the 2nd Croatian Food Safety Risk Assessment Conference (16-17 October). Speakers were drawn from public administration and academia, and included FAO Rural Development Consultant Katalin Ludwig. In her statement, Ludwig presented findings from The State of Food and Agriculture 2017 and other recent FAO publications, and discussed regional perspectives on migration including root causes and how FAO is assisting its members as they address migration challenges.

Georgia: The Ministry of Agriculture and Austrian Development Cooperation teamed up with FAO for a World Food Day event in Tbilisi on 17 October. Results were highlighted for two FAO projects linked to the migration theme: one on rural development in Racha, and a second on economic empowerment of internally displaced persons in Georgia. The programme included screening of the World Food Day video, an exhibition and tasting of the agricultural products from Racha, and a photo exhibition on IDPs were presented.

Hungary: The award-winning film “HOME,” by British director Daniel Mulloy, had its Hungarian premiere at the Urania cinema in Budapest, followed by a panel discussion on global migration. Hungarian television journalist Piroska Bakos moderated, with featured speakers including Argentina Szabados of the International Organization for Migration, Andras Kovats of Menedek / Hungarian Association for Migrants, and Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia. Also in Budapest, the 12th annual World Food Day Food Convoy crossed the city and circled Heroes Square, followed by a press conference with Hungarian Foodbank Association president Balazs Cseh, State Secretary Andrea Gyulas of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, and FAO’s Vladimir Rakhmanin. Students from Szent Istvan University participated in a global videoconference – connected with other students around the World and FAO Zero Hunger Ambassadors in Rome – for the launch of a new publication, Towards Zero Hunger. Finally, on 15 October, FAO staff ran in the 32nd SPAR Budapest marathon and related events.

Kazakhstan: Expo 2017 Astana included numerous roundtable discussions and other events organized by FAO. From June to September, visitors to the Expo received commemorative porcelain spoons in blue and white. Reflecting the Expo’s theme of “future energy,” the FAO spoons were imprinted with the slogan, “Food is energy for life!”

Kyrgyzstan: The World Food Programme, UN Women and FAO are teaming up this year to celebrate World Food Day, with events that will take place on 24-25 October in the city of Osh. The event will include a festival, a fair and master classes on cooking dishes from local and exotic products. In addition, a round table discussion and press conference on migration issues will be held together with the Ministry of Agriculture and partner organizations.

Moldova: Creating livelihood opportunities in Moldova’s agricultural sector to reduce out-migration will be among the topics covered at Moldova’s World Food Day Conference, set for 27 October in Chisinau. The discussion – on current migration challenges and solutions – will include public authorities, nongovernmental organizations and farmers’ associations, the Italian Embassy in Moldova, and the International Organization for Migration.

Russian Federation: A seminar entitled "Let’s change the future of migration flows. Let’s invest in food security and rural development" was held at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration on 16 October. FAO’s Liaison Office with the Russian Federation initiated a food collection among Moscow-based United Nations staff, to be distributed among Syrian refugees. An official ceremony was held for the signing of a partnership agreement between FAO and the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, as well as exchange of Letters of Intent on cooperation between FAO’s Moscow office and three Russia-based institutions: the non-commercial partnership “Ecological Union,” the charity organization Rus Food Bank, and the Russian Guild of Bakers and Confectioners. A new poster by Ilia Rozhentcov, 2016 winner of FAO's international World Food Day poster contest in 2016, was presented, with Ilia and his mother traveling from St. Petersburg to Moscow for the occasion.

Tajikistan: Tajikistan’s annual observance this year was organized by FAO in partnership with World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration. A day-long awareness-raising event at a secondary school in Nurek on 17 October reinforced an information campaign in the capital city of Dushanbe earlier in the week.

Turkey: World Food Day received strong attention in Turkey with five separate events commemorating the occasion. A half-day panel on migration was organized by the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers on 14 October in Ankara. Together with FAO Representative in Turkey Yuriko Shoji, President of Union of Agricultural Chambers Semsi Bayrakrar and Turkish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ahmet Esref Fakibaba addressed the main event on 16 October. A panel discussion on migration and rural development followed, presenting FAO’s work in Turkey on a Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan. At the national football match on the same day, a World Food Day banner was displayed prominently. A special session for World Food Day was organized on 18 October at the Sustainable Food Conference where Istanbul private sector representatives convened to discuss different aspects of food systems. On the same date, a concert featuring a polyphonic choir composed of Syrian refugees and young people from Turkey put on an inspiring performance with songs in English, Turkish and Arabic. The concert was organized in collaboration with Yenimahalle Municipality and Migration and Asylum Research Center. Celebrations concluded on 19 October with the traditional World Food Day horse race, organized by Turkey Jockey Club.

Ukraine: The International Farming Forum, held from 4 to 6 October in Kharkiv, was placed under the World Food Day umbrella, in cooperation with AGROPORT and the agricultural department of Kharkiv city administration. FAO held two panel discussions – on external and internal foor markets in Ukraine, and on adaptation measures to climate change in eastern Ukraine. In Lviv, and international economic forum is set for 26-27 October, in collaboration with the agricultural development department of the regional state administration. FAO will moderate a panel discussion on investments in the agricultural sector as a way of preventing labour migration. Plans for commemorating World Food Day 2017 in Ukraine were announced in Kyiv in mid-September, during a round table on investments in food security and rural development in Ukraine.