This leaflet is one of the communication products developed by FAO and the Cabinet of the Deputy President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia in charge of Economic Affairs, in its role as National Designated Authority (NDA) to Green Climate Fund (GCF) in the frames of the...

This event was by invitation only, applied through an open call for expression of interest. This interactive event was dedicated to networking and sharing existing experiences among projects addressing innovative solutions, farm systems and practices contributing to the optimisation of carbon balance in the European farming systems. The topic of the...

The city of Përmet is known as the city of flowers, wine, jams, and a compote called gliko. Local products such as these are important drivers of sustainable development and agrotourism, in how they enhance potential and opportunity for farming families. In this context, an FAO project on effective natural‑resource management has...

Since 1990th Azerbaijan which in the past supplied tomatoes to the whole Soviet Union has been flooded with a wave of imported tomato varieties. Never mind that the tomatoes didn’t have a refined taste, the main criteria were beautiful appearance and transportability, so prized in the market. But my family...

This report presents the results of IFAD’s stock-take on agroecology. It assesses to what degree IFAD is supporting agroecology throughout its in-country portfolio across the five IFAD regions to the benefit of small-scale producers and sustainable food systems. It also identifies gaps and opportunities for scaling up and scaling out...

The cross-country online meeting for the project “Research, innovation and technology transfer in the agri-food sector in the Western Balkan countries, Phase II” took place on 11 and 12 May. It gathered around 80 participants including representatives from research and education institution, relevant ministries’ representatives, advisory services, private sector from...

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) invites you to the launch of IFAD’s first comprehensive report on a holistic approach to sustainable production and food systems. Based on a stock-take of recent IFAD-supported projects assessing their promotion of agroecology, this learning session will discuss key findings and recommendations for more...

As more youth move to cities, in Africa, but also in South Asia and Latin America, development experts worry about the future of rural communities. So, we can learn a lesson by taking a glimpse at a region where most youth left agriculture some three generations ago.

Naile lives in a small Turkish rural town called Yolu, situated in the district of Suruç, Şanlıurfa province, a few kilometres from Syria. From afar, she used to watch her neighbours in Kobani, Syria, through the wire mesh of the border fence. With her neighbours she shared the Kurdish language...

Countries of the vast and diverse Europe and Central Asia region receive guidance on an eco-friendly transformation of their agrifood systems. Current agricultural systems of the region are extremely polarized with large-scale intensive agriculture and smallholder farming being at opposite ends. A new approach, called nature-based solutions, can help integrate both...

Azerbaijani and Georgian teas took centre stage during an online celebration on the eve of the second International Tea Day. FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) hosted the roundtable event to highlight the countries’ potential to produce high quality and specialty teas. They also shared findings from their...

A country-wide competition in Georgia that is reaching out to all age groups aims to generate new interest in and knowledge of agriculture. The Olympiad competition, part of an Austria-funded FAO project, will see contestants battle in one out in four categories – farmer, student, schoolchildren, practitioner – with the...

The state of food security and nutrition in the world, including that of the Europe and Central Asia region, was marked in 2020 by the outbreak of COVID-19 and resulting disruptions to markets, trade and food supply chains. The pandemic has had a negative effect on food security in the...

As elsewhere in the world, women in Ukraine represent a large proportion of the agricultural labour force and the majority of food producers, and thus play key roles in managing natural resources and promoting the well-being of their families. To explore and analyse gender issues in agriculture and food security, the...

The guts, heads, skin or any other part of the fish that people do not eat can be turned into organic fertiliser by fermenting or composting it. Fish waste is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins. By applying fish fertiliser, we can increase the good microbes in the soil,...

In the Republic of Moldova, over 140 000 rural people will benefit from integrated natural resource management and the sustainability of land and water resources, thanks to a new USD 1.66 million project launched today. Financed by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and implemented by FAO in partnership with the Ministry...

The Atlas of typical food from Montenegro seeks to promote not only the high quality traditional products presented in this volume, but also to raise awareness of the importance of preserving and protecting Montenegrin culinary heritage, local traditions and the rural economy. This Atlas builds on the inventory of origin-linked...

Jacqueline Frantová was a young Swiss urbanite when she first came to the Czech Republic in the mid-nineties. It was the “Wild East”, a place where anything could happen. Little did she suspect she would become a shepherdess. Today Jacqueline and her Bohemian family raise goats, sheep and cows in...

This report seeks to provide the countries in the Europe and Central Asia region with an overview and real examples of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) applied to agriculture. This is FAO’s first attempt to present NBS applied to agriculture especially pointed at the countries of this region, prompting the scaling-up of...

When grains are soaked in water for a while and left to germinate, they will put out shoots or sprouts. By absorbing water sprouted seed more than double their weight. Sprouts are easier to digest than grains, because sprouting converts nearly all of the starch in the grains into sugar....