Ideas that might have sounded naïve or unrealistic just a few years ago are now firmly planted in the public conversation about food and agriculture.

How to make the best use of digital technologies? How to eliminate food waste and loss? How to ensure that agriculture works together with nature? What role can organic play? These and other topics head the agenda of a three-day UN conference that opened here yesterday.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) holds its Regional Conference for Europe every two years – each time hosted by a different member country. Now in its 31st session, the Conference is FAO’s highest governing body for the Europe and Central Asia region, defining priority areas of work in the region for the coming two years.