The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Freiburg (ALU-FR) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), through 2025, to continue to collaborate on areas of common interest focusing on strengthening sustainable forestry, natural resources management and rural development in Central Asia.

FAO and ALU-FR have a history of successful collaborations, and most recently finalized work on distribution maps of tree species native to Central Asia.  The maps are useful tools for aligning policies with cooperation and coordination with respect to the sustainable management of the plant genetic resources and seed systems. The maps provide information to promote resilience of the food systems under changing climatic conditions.

Continued collaboration on sustainable use of forests and other natural resources is highly desirable for better access to, and exchange of information and expertise in forestry, agriculture, and management of natural resources. FAO member countries in Central Asia, donors and clients of the ALU-FR Chair of Silviculture stand to benefit the most from the renewed collaboration, in particular through joint field programme activities.

The partners will work together on:

·   Developing and strengthening technical capacities at national and regional levels, stimulating inter-disciplinary approaches and disseminating state-of-the-art knowledge and experience in the field of forestry, natural resource management and rural development;

·   Raising engagement of prospective young professionals in multi-stakeholder processes and dialogues on the management of forests and other natural resources;

·      Mobilizing academic knowledge and information resources to directly benefit stakeholders on the ground;

·      Providing technical support to various projects in Central Asia within the specific area of expertise;

·     Sharing best practices and lessons learned from application of Ecosystem management in Central Asia with young professional and students.

On the basis of the renewed MoU, FAO will work closely with ALU-FR's Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, which focuses on the sustainable use and protection of natural resources. FAO will also work closely with the Chair of Silviculture, which adresses issues related to the management of forest ecosystems, including adaptation of forests to climate change.

The renewed partnership provides an opportunity for integrating the latest results of academic research into the implementation of technical assistance in Central Asia.  These combined efforts will help to further the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG1 - No poverty; SDG4 - Quality education; SDG5 - Gender equality; SDG10 - Reduced inequalities; SDG13 - Climate action; and SDG15 - Life on land.