Major food security challenges caused by unsustainable water management were presented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Hungarian Food Bank Association and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture today, World Food Day, in Budapest. Olympic aquatic athletes also joined the water-themed event, which featured water-friendly dishes of the future and the World Food Day convoy – a line of 21 trucks carrying 50 tonnes of food donations for needy families.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy of the Republic of North Macedonia, in partnership with the 'Hans Em' Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Engineering, convened an event in Skopje, focusing on good practices and experiences in forest restoration.

African swine fever, an infectious viral and highly lethal disease that kills pigs and wild boar, first appeared in the Balkans and the Republic of Moldova nearly a decade ago. While not a threat to human health, the virus is a major hazard to pig farms, livelihoods, local economies, and food security. 

The multitude of vital benefits that nature provides to society are called ‘ecosystem services’. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) applauds the Czech movie The values of nature that helps us understand the value of these ecosystem services, and has just awarded it the Osiris Prize at the thirty-ninth international Agrofilm festival in Slovakia (2 – 7 October 2023).

Hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the first-ever Science and Innovation Week for Europe and Central Asia   facilitated robust discussions and knowledge exchange on the integration of science, research, and innovation with policymaking to drive the transformation of agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia toward sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience.

In historic Samarkand, Uzbekistan, leading thinkers from around the globe convened for an international conference on food security to discuss a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for the world's agrifood systems. The event was organized by the Government of Uzbekistan, with technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Food loss and waste (FLW) is an intricate, multidimensional socioeconomic issue that results from malfunctioning agrifood systems. Given the complex nature of the latter, comprising  institutions, processes, and – importantly - people's interactions, FLW prevention and reduction should consider the complex interrelations between the various actors involved and their environments. In other words, it is important to understand human behaviour and the ways to influence it so that more sustainable choices are made by all actors all along the food chain.

In Europe and Central Asia, Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) talked about improving the management of land and water resources at the Forty-third Session of the European Commission on Agriculture, held in Budapest from 27 to 28 September. The meeting marked a significant step towards Member Nations enacting their commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Food standards help ensure that food produced, traded, and consumed is safe, and meets the quality parameters expected by the consumer.  Several countries in the Europe and Central Asia region use Codex standards and texts as the basis for strengthening their legal framework for food safety including development of food laws, regulations, and other measures.

The drought-resistant cereal millet is now undergoing a renaissance in its cultivation and consumption as an important crop in sustainable agrifood systems. Türkiye ranks high in the world as a drought-risk prone country. As climate change accelerates the frequency and severi...