From vision to momentum: Green Agriculture takes global stage

By Tania Santivanez, Agricultural Officer, Responsible for Green Agriculture, FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

Every great transformation begins as an idea that someone once called impossible.

In 2021, when we first spoke about green agriculture, the idea carried more questions than answers. It was ambitious, hopeful and, to many, uncertain. What would it look like? Could countries with different histories and capacities walk this path together? And could a vision so bold ever become real?

Today, just months into the new year, we know the answer. It is real. It is happening. And with every passing day, its momentum grows stronger.

This transformation did not happen overnight. It unfolded through determination, collaboration and resilience. What started as a small group in the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia with a daring vision has now become a global family – researchers and policymakers partnering with innovators, universities sharing insights with ministries, and civil society bringing community perspectives into regional dialogues. What once was a regional initiative is now a truly global movement, with people from throughout the world having gathered in September 2025 at the Green Agriculture Global Conference and Second Science and Innovation Week in Budapest.

Across Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, this year marked a turning point. Countries identified their most urgent capacity-development needs: support for climate-resilient practices, stronger institutional mechanisms for coordination, science and innovation, more research on green technologies, better public awareness of green policies, and an enhanced ability to access and manage green finance. Building on these priorities, each country validated a detailed road map of capacity-development activities through national workshops. These road maps became more than documents; they became shared commitments to long-term transformation.

Knowledge also grew at an unprecedented scale. In partnership with the University of Sant’Anna in Italy and Polytechnic University of Madrid in Spain, a review of 3 000 academic papers on green agriculture was completed. This effort enriched the Green Practices Repository of the Regional Technical Platform on Green Agriculture, which now presents more than 100 verified practices ready for adaptation and scaling. Nearly 50 technical webinars and six regional forums created vibrant spaces for exchange, including conversations on biodiversity, climate change, nature-based solutions, gender, youth, science, innovation and policy. These moments of dialogue sparked collaboration, built trust and reminded us that knowledge grows fastest when it is shared.

Policy development has advanced as well. The region now has a foundational guiding document: the Indicative Operational Framework for Green Agriculture 2024–2030 (internal document). This is more than a road map; it is a vision, strategy, governance mechanism and implementation tool all in one, integrating science, innovation, policy and capacity-development principles aimed at guiding countries towards greener agrifood systems.

This year also brought valuable insights through the Green Agricultural Policy Assessments for Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. These assessments documented progress, from investments in water-saving irrigation and conservation agriculture to strengthened institutions and the establishment of innovative models. They also identified the remaining gaps and opportunities for action. Complementing this work, the study The greening of agricultural policies in Germany offered actionable principles that can inspire policy transformation across the region.

Behind this progress stands a new expert community. The public call for green agriculture experts in August 2023 attracted more than 250 applicants, from which 19 outstanding experts now form the Green Agriculture Experts Working Group. Their technical reviews, guidance and vision have shaped many of the ideas, practices and frameworks created this year. They remind us that when expertise meets purpose, change becomes unstoppable.

Throughout the year, the Regional Technical Platform on Green Agriculture strengthened its presence in global, regional and national platforms. It is available in English and Russian and soon will be in Arabic, Chinese and Spanish as well. Its updated structure, communication materials, brochures, newsletters and videos have enhanced visibility and made green agriculture accessible to a wider audience. What once was a digital tool has become a living, breathing space for connection and learning.

Momentum is also being reinforced through Green Connect, the interregional collaboration mechanism that has created bridges among countries, institutions and knowledge communities since 2024.

Looking ahead, in the next biennium we will continue to support the transformation of agrifood systems through a coherent combination of policy guidance, applied science and innovation, digital tools and the facilitation of green finance.

We also will expand and consolidate the global green agriculture network, ensuring that collaboration moves from dialogue to sustained joint action.

Above all, this has been the story of a region that chose to move forward together – and is now stepping onto the global stage.

The future belongs to those who believe that change is not only possible, but necessary.