The farm structures in the countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are highly diverse, but in most of the countries are still largely dominated by smallholders and family farms. Supporting smallholders and family farms is one of four priorities for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Europe and Central Asia, confirmed by the FAO Regional Conference in 2018. FAO established in the region in 2014 the Regional Initiative on Empowering Smallholders and Family Farms for Improved Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction (Regional Initiative 1) as a programmatic umbrella for the implementation of support to smallholders and family farms in the programme countries in the region.

During 2018-2019, FAO REU conducted country studies on the needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in eight countries of the region. Seven of these were funded from a regional project (TCP/RER/3601) and the Serbian study was financed from extra budgetary funds. The countries were selected from among those where smallholders and family farms dominate the farm structures and from the various sub-regions so that together they provide a regional overview. The countries covered in the report are Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia and Tajikistan.

The methodology was common among the eight country studies, although with some variations from country to country due to differences in national contexts. The eight studies were elaborated by national experts supported by international consultants and FAO technical guidance. The research methodology combines the use of desk research and statistics, interviews with key stakeholders, workshops with key stakeholders and decision makers, and the use of qualitative cases.