SIMRA has just released its third brochure collecting examples of social innovation in marginalised rural areas in the Balkan peninsula. The focus of the SIMRA project is on the European Union and the Mediterranean area, including the Balkan Peninsula in South-East Europe which includes both countries which are Member States of...

The benefits of cooperation and opportunities for small- and medium-sized dairy enterprises topped the agenda of the Second Caucasus Dairy Congress held in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, today. The event, supported by the European Union and Georgia’s Ministry of Agriculture, was the latest effort by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development...

FAO’s Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia 2018 (Regional SOFI 2018 in ECA) describes the current situation vis-à-vis SDG 2 in countries of the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. It focuses in particular on the countries’ status in relation to SDG Target 2.1...

Senior staff members of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and its Statistics Agency are in Georgia now to meet with representatives of the National Statistics Office and the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgia. They are on a five-day study tour, sharing experiences on agriculture reforms, learning about implementation of agricultural policies,...

n the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, aquaculture is an active and growing sector which plays a major role in achieving food security, employment and economic development while reducing the dependence on often overexploited wild stocks. According to some national aquaculture strategies, the production in Mediterranean and Black Sea riparian...

Serbia has a dynamic horticulture industry. But with increased competition from the European Union, Serbian producers need to find ways to get an edge in the market, both at home and abroad. Recently the country’s renowned Oblačinka from Oblačina sour cherry and Arilje raspberry received geographical indication (GI) status in line...

Throughout Europe and Central Asia, wild boar raid crops and spread swine diseases, negatively affecting agriculture, conservation, road traffic and the health of livestock, wildlife and even humans. Due to their increasing densities and expanding ranges, economic losses are on the rise. To better manage wild boar populations, officials have needed...

L’objectif général de ce colloque est de faire le bilan des recherches en matière de vulnérabilité des sols méditerranéens face à l'érosion hydrique, de discuter des principales pistes d'adaptation face au changement global, de favoriser la diffusion de ses résultats et de promouvoir les collaborations entre chercheurs Nord-Sud et Sud-Sud....

Agriculture remains the most important sector in Albania’s economy and provides the income base for the majority of the population. Among Albania's farmers 74 percent are small family farmers with very limited size of holdings averaging not more than 0.5 hectare, but accounting for the highest share of agricultural production. This...

Following the 11th Ministerial meeting of CIHEAM's Member states focused on the root causes of migration from the point of view of agricultural development and food security and in line with the CIHEAM Action Plan for the Mediterranean (CAPMED 2025), the CIHEAM jointly organised a Forum with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Union for...

On the eve of the first World Bee Day, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has urged countries and individuals to do more to protect bees and other pollinators or risk a sharp drop in food diversity. Bees are under great threat from the combined effects of climate change, intensive...

Bringing together the wider community of scientists and experts working on fisheries and the marine environment in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in order to build a lasting network, discuss advancements in research, integrate scientific knowledge in support of decision-makingand identify research priorities for the coming decade.

Although only 5 percent of Tajikistan's land area is farmable due to the country's mountainous geography, agriculture accounts for 53 percent of total employment. Among those households that engage in agriculture, almost 90 percent can be classified as small family farms. With 0.2 hectares on average, Tajikistan's smallholders operate on...

The Thirty-first Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe which took place for the first time in the Russian Federation concluded its work today after three days of intense discussions. It was the fifth in a series, following on the heels of spring regional conferences for Africa, Latin America...

Geographical indications (GIs) refer to products with specific characteristics, qualities or reputations resulting from their geographical origin. This differentiates products based on unique local features, history or distinctive characteristics linked to natural and human factors, such as soil, climate, local know-how, and traditions. GIs are recognized as intellectual property rights...

Aida Baimakova is only 27 years old, but already a year has passed since the Slow Food congress elected her international councilor for Belarus, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russian Federation, and Ukraine. On the eve of Slow Food’s annual “Terra Madre” event in Torino, Italy, FAO communication specialist Olga Grebennikova...

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...

When the announcement was made that FAO regional offices around the world would each receive an additional US$ 1 million to advance food and agriculture priorities, the technical team in Budapest wasted no time in putting forward proposals for Europe and Central Asia.

Smallholders and family farms are strongholds of food production, food security, and rural development. Without innovation, their important services cannot be secured for the long term. Representatives of governments, academia, civil society, and private sector and international organizations from Europe and Central Asia are meeting for four days in Hungary to...

Agribusiness representatives and agricultural trade experts from post-Soviet countries gather here this week for three days dedicated to agrifood trade. First up is the FAO-organized regional workshop on World Trade Organization (WTO) instruments, where they’ll learn about a variety of instruments to protect their interests in trade and to promote their...