Policy Pathways for Greening Agriculture in Europe and Central Asia – an overview

by Dmitry Zvyagintsev, Policy Officer, FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

Agriculture across Europe and Central Asia is undergoing a profound transformation. Climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss and mounting pressure on water and soil resources are reshaping the region’s food systems. At the same time, agriculture remains central to rural livelihoods, food security and economic stability – particularly in the Western Balkans, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, where its contribution to employment and rural welfare significantly exceeds the European Union average and continues to serve as a social safety net for rural households.

In this context, the greening of agricultural policy – understood as the integration of environmental, climate and sustainability objectives into agricultural strategies, policies and farming practices – has become both an urgent necessity and a strategic opportunity. This publication provides an evidence-based overview of green agriculture and related policy developments across Europe and Central Asia.

The regional analysis we conducted for Europe and Central Asia provides an evidence-based overview of green agriculture and related policy developments across Europe and Central Asia. It aims to support policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders by reviewing existing policy frameworks, institutional arrangements and practical experiences in climate-smart and sustainable agriculture across the Europe and Central Asia region.

Key findings show that countries across the region increasingly recognize the importance of green agriculture, with sustainability and climate objectives progressively being integrated into national development strategies and agricultural programmes. However, implementation often remains limited and uneven.

Across the ECA region, levels of public budget support to agriculture differ widely, ranging from USD 8.58 billion in Türkiye to USD 86 million in Tajikistan in 2022, illustrating the highly diverse fiscal capacities and agricultural priorities among countries. Available data largely capture total agricultural expenditures but provide limited information on the share explicitly devoted to greening in general in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. In the Western Balkans, the share of agri-environmental and climate-related measures in total agricultural budget support remains very low, typically below 3 percent. Montenegro allocates about 2.3 percent of its agricultural budget to such measures. North Macedonia allocates about 1.3 percent, Serbia around 0.8 percent and Albania and Kosovo[1] less than 0.2 percent.

Country experiences provide valuable insights into practical pathways for greener agriculture. In Kazakhstan, conservation agriculture practices such as no-till farming and diversified crop rotation demonstrate how improved soil management can enhance climate resilience at scale. In Armenia and Uzbekistan, investments in water-efficient irrigation systems and climate-resilient crop varieties illustrate how technological innovation can support adaptation in water-scarce environments. Across the Western Balkans, growing policy support for organic farming reflects increasing alignment with European Union standards. In Albania, the gradual introduction of biological pest control in greenhouse production signals a shift towards more sustainable pest management, although financial and institutional constraints continue to limit broader adoption.

The analysis underscores that greening agriculture is fundamentally a policy and governance challenge. Fragmented institutional responsibilities, insufficient funding for agri-environmental measures and weak data and monitoring systems hinder the effective translation of strategies into action. While progress has been stimulated by European Union accession processes and donor-supported initiatives, green measures often remain uneven and project-based.

Importantly, relatively modest reallocations of agricultural support towards agri-environmental and climate-smart measures could generate significant benefits. Such reallocations may help improve the alignment among productivity objectives, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

It is our hope that this report will support policymakers, practitioners and development partners in advancing a coordinated and inclusive green transition in agriculture across Europe and Central Asia.