Agrifood systems in Europe and Central Asia are strongly affected by multiple crises. To take stock of the current situation and discuss a way forward, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened its Member Nations of the Eurasia region in Budapest, hosted by the Government of...

Legume-supported cropping systems affect environmental, production, and economic impacts. In Europe, legume production is still marginal with grain legumes covering less than 3% of arable land. A transition towards legume-supported systems could contribute to a higher level of protein self-sufficiency and lower environmental impacts of agriculture. Suitable approaches for designing...

Grafting of tomatoes has the potential to increase tomato seed production under organic conditions. Grafting means to combine the positive characteristics of a rootstock (e.g., increased vigour, resistances to soil-borne diseases) with the positive characteristics (e.g., fruit quality, taste) of the upper part of the plant (scion). We compared the...

Morning breaks in the village Durmon, a quiet hamlet in the Bukhara region of southern Uzbekistan. There is no bustle of a big city. The only sounds are of chirping of birds and the humming of peaceful nature. This is the setting for an ordinary day in the life of Gulhayo...

In this video, Gilles Libourel from GRAB describes the challenges with rootstocks. Julia Frézel explains the criteria for choosing fruit varieties at Ferme de la Durette.

I have worked in Community Supported Agriculture for the last 15 years in the UK. Over the last year, I have combined this activity with CAWR’s MSc Programme in Agroecology, Water and Food Sovereignty.  The gender module has allowed me to piece together new narratives through which to explore and contextualise...

Both climate change and biodiversity loss have distorting social and economic impacts on development and cause severe risks for food security, nutrition and livelihoods among rural populations in Europe and Central Asia, most of whom depend directly or indirectly on the agricultural sector. The mutually reinforcing and complex nature of...

The IFOAM Organics Europe team is closely monitoring the many legislative initiatives being launched as part of the Farm to Fork strategy. We are committed to providing political and technical input on behalf of the organic sector and movement. The feedback, the experience and knowledge of our members are key...

Right now, agroforestry makes up only 3% of the UK's land use. For a better climate, this needs to be scaled up. But first we need effective policies. To accomplish that, AGROMIX hosted a policy workshop in England this past January with farmers, policy makers and major landowners. Watch this...

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...

A partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Japan is sustaining agricultural production and safeguarding food and nutrition security for highly vulnerable households in the Republic of Moldova, which is affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine and recent, extreme weather...

SHARING KNOWLEDGE FOR STRONGER AGROECOLOGY MOVEMENT IN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA AGROECOLOGY SCHOOLS’ TOOLKIT: THURSDAY DIALOGUES IN 2023. This knowledge-sharing series is a part of the project Sharing knowledge for a stronger agroecology movement in Europe and Central Asia (ECA), supported by Agroecology Fund. It is hosted for and by the ECA Community of Practice...

The concept of a ‘nexus’ across issues regarding the management of natural resources has gained increasing academic attention in recent years, but there is still relatively limited research on the application of the nexus approach for evaluating policies. This study analyses coherence among the main goals of five policy areas...

Results of various studies in the UK suggest that there are several advantages to more complex mixtures, including: 1) Greater resilience to variable conditions caused by extreme weather such as drought and flooding; 2) A reduction in overall weed biomass and suppression of both early and late weeds; 3) Opportunities...

Since 2014, North Macedonia has developed into the flagship country for FAO support to land consolidation in Europe and Central Asia. The first small technical assistance project began in 2014. During 2017–2022, support to the national land consolidation programme was scaled up with European Union IPA funding through the FAO-implemented...

Due to the global climate crisis, the importance of communities adopting sustainable methods and practices is becoming increasingly urgent. Globalised production systems and rampant consumption cause the loss of living soils, biodiversity and local seeds, the abandonment of lands, and the deepening of socio-economic inequalities. However, some systems that sprout...

 Food systems stakeholders in Albania, Jordan, and Morocco have gotten a boost from a project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to operationalize their food systems transformation pathways. “SFS-MED: a multi-stakeholder...

What is family farming and why we need it? Although there is no clear definition of family farming yet, there are some premisses which can describe and guide our understanding of this complex concept. Family farming starts with food for people. This type of production model allows to ensure food and nutrition...

“The Mediterranean Caravan: Learning and Sharing Agroecology” podcast aims to show that agroecological practices help to tackle biodiversity loss, climate change, and rural poverty with a focus on the Mediterranean region. This podcast is part of an ERASMUS+ educational project that aims to collect, valorise and share local and innovative...

In this era when many societies have embraced fast food and convenient, ready-made meals, it was refreshing to watch a documentary on the Korean Air flight back home recently, showing how citizens, chefs and scientists across the globe are increasingly waking up to the importance of nurturing and promoting local...