Potatoes are cultivated in over 150 countries and consumed all over the world, including here in Europe and Central Asia where it is both an important crop and a staple in regional diets. It is food, fodder, and a source of income for farmers. Potatoes are low in fat and high...

Does Eastern Europe have a specific dynamic regarding the development of LSPA (Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agroecology)? Together, let’s find different methods and models to build a more sustainable food system. The module is designed for consumers and producers interested in finding out more information about CSA in Hungary and Romania. It may also...

The abandonment of agricultural land in North Macedonia is a pressing concern, with approximately 32 percent of arable agricultural land in the country having been abandoned – a much higher rate than in most other European countries. Land abandonment has significant implications for North Macedonia, including environmental degradation and lost opportunities...

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. Action...

While the negative environmental, social and health impacts of the current food system have been acknowledged and evidenced for several decades, the recent and current transformations in food systems at diverse scales are not yet addressing the many inter-related stakes at play. Due to the much wider set of interactions...

Species of zoophytophagous genus Dicyphina, plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) are among the most abundant and effective predators of tomato pests. Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter, 1895 (Hemiptera: Miridae) is the predominant species of Dicyphina sp. and it is considered to be a major natural enemy of insect pests in tomato crops...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have launched a joint programme in collaboration with mine action partner Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD) to support smallholder farmers and rural families most affected by the war.  The programme has already started in Kharkivska...

Livestock is the subject of widespread allegations regarding its responsibility for global warming. And yet authorisations for factory farms continue to be granted and there is still major confusion about the different types of livestock farming. This confusion, added to the call for people to eat "less but better meat",...

This paper provides insights into the information behaviour of European farmers, foresters, and advisors in the context of the ongoing digital transformation. Data collection and analysis for this study were carried out as part of a substantial innovation project to create a new online knowledge platform, called EU FarmBook, for...

Comprising 30 percent of agricultural output and with an area of 15 million hectares, the grain sector is a pillar of Ukraine’s agriculture. In 2020 Ukraine exported USD 9.4 billion worth of cereals, the second largest exporter after the United States of America, making Ukraine a major contributor to global...

This report assesses the impacts of the COVID-19 on the agrifood sector and rural areas in Türkiye. Taking a panoramic picture of the agrifood sector in the country during the COVID-19 period, the study portrays how the pandemic impact on agrifood chains, smallholders and rural economies in Türkiye. The report...

Miloš Pajić follows a recipe over 250 years old to make the local spicy smoked sausages for which the village of Backi Petrovac in northern Serbia’s Vojvodina region is renowned. He also follows the new food safety regulations, drawn up by the government with the support of FAO and the...

Agricultural journalists are actors in the ecosystem of agricultural innovation communication and therefore important for EU-FarmBook. EU-FarmBook supports the activities of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists (ENAJ), because journalists play an important role in the most relevant target groups of EU-FarmBook, such as farmers, advisors and decision makers. ENAJ is...

FiBL turns 50! On the 1st of February 1973 the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Schweizerische Stiftung zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus) was established, thus laying the foundations for FiBL. It’s an occasion to take a look back: Browse through our image gallery on FiBL's history from...

This report aims to highlight the current strengths of the institutional disaster risk reduction (DRR) system for agriculture in Uzbekistan as well as indicate existing gaps and capacity needs to further enhance it. A comprehensive assessment is conducted, which includes a general overview of the country’s agricultural sector and outlines...

FiBL biodiversity expert Lukas Pfiffner has updated the factsheet on the effects of production and cultivation systems on biological diversity. The publication is available for download free of charge in the FiBL Shop. To promote species diversity is one of the principles of organic farming. Do scientific studies on actual farms...

The Republic of Serbia is the latest country to join the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission. Jelena Tanaskovic, Serbia’s Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, informed QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), of the country’s decision to join EIFAAC...

FiBL turns 50! On the 1st of February 1973 the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Schweizerische Stiftung zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus) was established, thus laying the foundations for FiBL. It’s an occasion to take a look back: Browse through our image gallery on FiBL's history from...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), key national stakeholders and partner organizations of the three-year project “Reduction of Food Loss and Waste in Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye” have come together to conclude the project, take stock of its milestones, and set a vision for more...

Views and perspectives on key challenges and solutions on forest and health at the global and regional level. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The theme for each International...