Digital Villages Initiative in Europe and Central Asia
DVI aims to transform villages in Europe and Central Asia into hubs that are smarter, greener, and richly digitally connected and interconnected. The goal is to empower every village and rural community to utilize digital technologies to increase agricultural productivity and access to services, and uplift rural livelihoods by leveraging their local strengths.DVI’s approach is inclusive and participatory; interventions are co-created with rural communities and designed to enhance their capacities and build resilience while ensuring long-term sustainability.
Several countries in the region have laid the groundwork for the implementation of DVI, while others are in the process of establishing their first Digital Villages. These countries include Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.
Digital Villages
Aghali
Azerbaijan
Boyali
Türkiye
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Brežani-Tršće rural community
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kochkor villages
Kyrgyzstan
Lolazor
Tajikistan
Marneuli villages
Georgia
Mokro
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Përmet
Albania
Tropoja villages
Albania
Fergana villages
Uzbekistan
Featured stories
Every drop counts: FAO support for the implementation of an electronic irrigation water monitoring system in Kyrgyzstan
10/05/2024
Due to water scarcity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Government of Kyrgyzstan and scientists from the Irrigation...
A human booster for digital innovation in Tajikistan
13/05/2024
One savvy teacher helps fellow farmers harness information technology
Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan
06/06/2021
A FAO-developed app is boosting the dairy sector in Kazakhstan, helping conduct surveys and locate new suppliers.
Uzbek village becomes digital
10/01/2024
Digital Villages Initiative transforms farming in greenhouses for better livelihoods
Digital tools for an organic farm
08/03/2019
Investing in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) pays off for a farmer in North Macedonia
Water-smart greenhouses in Uzbekistan
11/09/2023
Large, flavorful tomatoes ripen in Odina Sattorova’s backyard greenhouse in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. Their perfect shape, rich colour and smooth...
Embracing change with the Digital Villages Initiative in Uzbekistan
06/09/2023
In the heart of the Fergana Valley, a quiet revolution is taking place. Thanks to digital technologies, traditional farming communities are transforming...
Digitalizing cows in Georgia
28/04/2023
Tracing animals and animal-origin products in a prompt and timely manner through NAITS is an integral part of the food safety chain. By registering...
Balkan bytes: How digital agri-entrepreneurship is changing a country
18/06/2021
Montenegro's first peer-to-peer agricultural market and knowledge-sharing platform enables farmers to buy and sell inputs and exchange knowledge.
Advanced weather data for smallholders in Tajikistan
20/04/2021
Farmers in Tajikistan are benefiting from weather stations gathering important climate data and producing advanced agrometeorological information for...
Smart farming in Uzbekistan
20/10/2022
Raising greenhouse management to a new level with the help of low-cost, high-quality sensors, based on open-source technology, with a mobile phone interface...
Smartphones are boosting gender equality in Georgia
07/03/2023
The use of social media is transforming people’s lives, including in small villages like Malika’s. By communicating through social media and messaging...
News
The Digital Villages Initiative: Starts in ‘Boyalı Village’
04/06/2024
The Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) is a collaboration with the FAO Europe and Central Asia Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry designed...
AgriTech Observatory monitors digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
20/02/2024
The AgriTech Observatory has just been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and is now live for review.
FAO initiative transforms Albanian chestnut value chain through innovation
10/05/2024
In the picturesque landscape of northern Albania's Tropoja region, nestled within the expansive chestnut forest massif, an ambitious initiative is taking...
Sustainable chestnut production boosts rural development
15/12/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the...
FAO presents the National Programme of Action for the Digitalization of Agriculture in Uzbekistan
20/02/2024
Tashkent, 20th February 2024 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the National Programme of Action for the...
Digital technologies make inroads into rural Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
19/12/2023
The Digital Villages Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is rolling out at full speed in Uzbekistan and...
Digital village hubs can transform quality of life in rural Europe and Central Asia
18/05/2023
In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) launched the global Digital Villages Initiative to promote digital innovations...
FAO and agritech innovators join hands to create digital demo farm
19/01/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that scaling up science, technology and innovation is necessary for a profound...
Meet the winners: Hack4DigitalVillages Innovation Challenge
26/11/2023
The "Hack4DigitalVillages" regional innovation challenge was held this weekend from November 24 to 26 in Fergana, Uzbekistan. The initiative aims to...
Every drop counts: FAO support for the implementation of an electronic irrigation water monitoring system in Kyrgyzstan
10/05/2024
Due to water scarcity, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Government of Kyrgyzstan and scientists from the Irrigation...
Livestock industry in Central Asia looks into digital solutions to build resilience
18/07/2023
Dairy and meat businesses in Central Asia, especially smaller ones, are being hit by multiple shocks – from the war in Ukraine, to droughts, to the...
FAO's Digital Villages Initiative to spark digital innovation in Tropoja Valley
04/03/2024
Bajram Curri and its surrounding villages in Tropoja valley have embarked on a transformative journey under the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) of...
Connecting Uzbekistan and Tajikistan under DVI twinning
26/05/2023
As part of FAO’s Digital Villages Initiative (DVI), two Memoranda of Understanding were officially signed to foster cooperation between Fergana valley...
Digitalizing Agriculture in Kyrgyzstan at all levels
03/01/2024
Marking a pivotal step towards the future of agriculture in the country, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry...
FAO Launches Digital Villages Camp in Fergana Valley
10/10/2023
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the IT-Park launched the"Digital Villages Camp", a skill development...
Innovation and digitalization will shape future food systems in Europe and Central Asia
02/10/2023
In historic Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leading thinkers from around the globe convened for an international conference on food security to discuss a more...
Innovations in Uzbek Beekeeping: The Digital Beekeeping Encyclopedia
10/10/2023
The advent of digital technologies has ushered in a new era for apiculture, offering beekeepers a wealth of benefits and opportunities. While digital...
Apps and animations improve traditional dairy production in Kazakhstan
06/06/2021
A FAO-developed app is boosting the dairy sector in Kazakhstan, helping conduct surveys and locate new suppliers.
Featured videos
Publications
Connected farmers - A casebook of good practices and inspiring stories from Europe and Central Asia
01/04/2024
Amidst the challenges confronting agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, this casebook unfolds the stories of 25 farmers and agripreneurs who have successfully embraced digital technologies.
An ITU-FAO compendium for pre-accession countries and territories
01/12/2023
This compendium summarizes the EU requirements related to two specific areas of digital agriculture: 1) the establishment of digital information systems to support CAP management, monitoring and evaluation by government authorities; and 2) public strategies and interventions supporting the digitalization of agriculture.
FAO-ITU Regional contest on good practices advancing digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia
21/06/2023
This report is the outcome of the Digital Excellence in Agriculture: FAO-ITU regional contest on good practices advancing digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Europe and Central Asia and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Offices for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Digital Agriculture Profile Türkiye
01/01/2020
To spread digital technologies in agriculture globally, the digital divide needs significant public investment, improved policy, and incentive frameworks to be bridged. The Digital Agricultural Profiling tool (DAP) helps identify bottlenecks, opportunities, and risks for digital transformation, guiding public investment and policy work to accelerate its scaling up.
Empowering Rural Smallholders in Turkey through Digital Marketing and Business Solutions in Post COVID-19 Period
01/05/2022
This report assesses the availability of digital business solutions in the agriculture sector and the demand for these services from rural smallholders in Turkey to be able to further help to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on smallholders in the agriculture sector.
FAO in Europe and Central Asia 2022
23/08/2023
FAO’s work in Europe and Central Asia and throughout the world is guided by the FAO Strategic Framework, reviewed every four years. In its support for the 2030 Agenda and its drive for a transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, the new FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 focuses on what are called the four betters – a set of goals that, when implemented, will help ensure that no one is left behind.
Status of Digital Agriculture in 18 countries of Europe and Central Asia
01/01/2020
Digital agriculture can enhance economic, environmental, and social sustainability, yet many countries lack a national strategy for ICTs in agriculture. This report by ITU and FAO examines the state of digital agriculture ecosystems and strategies across 18 countries in Europe and CIS regions.
Digital technologies in the grain sector of Ukraine
01/01/2022
The report examines the digital technology adoption of Ukrainian farmers in the grain sector, highlights the obstacles and opportunities for its implementation, and recommends actions for the private sector, financial institutions, public sector, and international organizations to embrace digital technologies to transform and develop the grain sector.
Development of an e-commerce platform (D2C) for small and medium-sized farmers and returned migrants agri-entrepreneurs
01/01/2022
The feasibility study assesses the potential for a dedicated e-commerce platform for Moldovan farmers and returning migrants in agri-business, exploring opportunities and interventions for launching or expanding the platform.
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Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood system: investment opportunities in Kazakhstan
30/12/2022
Agrifood systems are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly under pressure to become more resource-efficient. The sector also faces threats from climate change, due to its dependence on natural resources.
DVI countries
Related links
Resources
CONTACT
Daniela Di Gianantonio
Head of Digital Agriculture
FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia