The Thirty-fourth Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Conference for Europe (ERC), scheduled from 14 to 17 May in Rome, is in full swing. This conference, which is the main FAO decision-making body for its Europe and Central Asia region, features ministerial round-table discussions and side events on current challenges and opportunities for the food and agriculture realm of the region. Hosted at FAO’s headquarters and webcast live online, the ERC side events welcome speakers from governments, the private and civil sectors, and the academic community to look at such key issues as sustainable locust management, foresight drivers and triggers, climate action, water resource management, true cost accounting, and the challenges of transforming agrifood systems in landlocked developing countries to be more inclusive, resilient and sustainable – all from a regional perspective.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) helped organize the GCF Regional Dialogue with Eastern Europe and Central Asia and fostered peer-to-peer learning related to country experiences and best practices. In facilitating the identification and development of climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, FAO strengthened the GCF’s impact in the region.

The Republic of Moldova is at high risk of drought and extreme weather events, two challenges exacerbated by climate change. Family farmers and others in the agriculture sector are the most vulnerable to the impacts of these extreme events. The severe drought in 2022, for example, was devastating for smallholder farmers. In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) distributed 30 tonnes of seeds and 60 tonnes of fertilizer to 1 224 small farmers in the Calarasi, Rascani and Cantemir districts.

There is a growing trend to produce and consume sustainable food motivated both by concerns for health and for the world that future generations will inherit. Often we forget about the secret weapon in the sustainability toolbox: pulses. Luckily, every year, World Pulses Day (10 February) reminds us of their crucial role in making agriculture and our diets more  eco-friendly, carbon-neutral and low-impact.

FAO conducts national training on mountain vulnerability assessment in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Assessing the vulnerability of mountain societies to provide data that can inform communities and government in developing climate change-adaptation strategies is an essential task that requires a thorough understanding of a range of technical and socio-economic parameters.

In Central Asia, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture represent significant untapped potential, yet enhancing institutional capacity for increased production and development remains a persistent challenge.

In response to these challenges, the FISHCap project was launched under the umbrella of the FAO–Türkiye Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture, and implemented in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to address obstacles to sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

A project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on mainstreaming adaptation into the planning process to reduce vulnerability to climate change aims to help local governments in the Republic of Moldova better respond to climate change and improve access to technology for agricultural producers.

A joint session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) European Forestry Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry will meet in San Marino this week to review and coordinate strategy on forests and the forest industry in Europe.

It is estimated that around half the obsolete pesticides in the world can be found in the former Soviet Union, with a large portion currently sitting in Central Asia. During Soviet times, the region was an important centre for agriculture, particularly cotton production, with mandatory pesticide application and oversupply.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) works to support countries to move to sustainable agriculture, adapt to climate change and to mitigate climate change by reducing or preventing greenhouse gas emissions. As part of this effort, FAO organized a two-day workshop on advancing climate action in agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, from 27 to 28 September in Istanbul, Türkiye.  

To raise awareness of the importance of work to strengthen urban agrifood systems in the region of Europe and Central Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a webinar in early June focusing on the challenges and opportunities in urban food agrifood systems faced by countries in the region. 

An FAO project taking place in Türkiye and four Central Asian countries has made enormous strides in reducing the use of dangerous pesticides and promoting more natural methods of pest control in the region.

According to estimates, in Europe and Central Asia, 42 percent of monitored terrestrial animal and plant species have declined in population in the past decade. It is now more important than ever before to conserve and use biodiversity sustainably, and to reduce the pressure on natural resources and ecosystems.

In 2023, proclaimed as the International Year of Millets, these crops are celebrated across the globe for their multiple benefits. It’s a perfect opportunity for people of the Europe and Central Asia region, where the crop’s popularity isn’t so high, to learn more about the values of producing and consuming millets.

The second meeting of the International Network on salt-affected soils (INSAS) is taking place this week in Tashkent to address land degradation and build stronger linkages between science, policy, and farmers.

By definition, pesticides are a poison. These chemicals denigrate and pollute the soil, water, air, plants, and other insects and organisms essential to biodiversity of ecosystems; leave residues in foods; and can be harmful to human health.

Biopesticides offer a better, more sustainable solution for Central Asian farmers.

Unique plant genetic resources have been transported over a thousand kilometres from Kharkiv to the west of Ukraine.

Whenever we drink water, eat fruit or take a deep breath, we should thank the forests that make it all possible. Forests and trees play a crucial role in addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development by absorbing greenhouse gases and creating more sustainable landscapes.

Sayad village is one of the most ancient settlements nestled on the Caspian Sea coast of Azerbaijan’s Khachmaz district. It’s long been famous for its numerous varieties of succulent tomatoes thanks to the farmers’ careful cultivation of the crop and the sunny climate.

Seed quality management, seed policy frameworks, and principles and elements for seed quality assurance and certification were the main topics during a four-day workshop just conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Yerevan, Armenia.