This report is based on a survey conducted in the Western Balkans and Turkey between June and November 2019. The survey focused on sectors deemed suitable for participation in modern supply chains (MSCs) and covered one to three sectors for each country. Based on data retrieved from national statistical offices...

The COVID-19 pandemic fully exposed the vulnerability of the global agri-food system to shocks and stresses, highlighting the need for transformation and action to make it more resilient and inclusive. This paper offers a unique insight into the global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic by examining impacts and responses in...

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring inclusive growth requires partnerships and collaborations with everyone concerned. The expertise and experience of the private sector is also key to meet the challenges of our times and ensure sustainable agrifood systems. In this context, FAO is facilitating a consultation with the private...

An important focus of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for its 2023-2027 period relates to environmental sustainability – as an integral part of the European Green Deal. The new environmental support possibilities are included in both Pillars of the CAP and this comprehensive strategic approach, together with a modernised mix...

The project will help grass-roots rural women in Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, gain knowledge and skills to improve their economic status, start businesses and cooperatives, while empowering them to become agents of change in their communities. The project will also contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for rural...

This monthly e-newsletter gives a bird’s eye view of all the exciting updates from Access Agriculture, a world-leading organisation for quality agricultural training videos in international and local languages, working across the Global South. The Access Agriculture Panorama features information on new videos, audio podcasts, blog posts, articles contributed by experts,...

The basis of agricultural production is land, and farmers need a properly functioning land market in order to make the most out of this precious asset. To this end, FAO convened Central Asian representatives of all related spheres in Bishkek to discuss the potentials of developing their national agricultural land...

 About 30 percent (12.6 million people) of Ukraine’s population lives in rural areas (as of January 2021). Agriculture plays an increasingly important role in the Ukrainian economy, with its share of GDP (including forestry and fishery) rising from 6.3 percent in 2007 to 9.3 percent in 2020.  When upstream and downstream industries...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)  launched in the Europe and Central Asia region the Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products: One Country One Priority Product. This global initiative aims to make agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Introduced by FAO’s Director-General in September...

Women farmers continue to be at a disadvantage position with limited access to resources, financial services, and government subsidies, among other things. Aside from farm work, women take care of their children and the elderly. Thus, the multiple crises such as the pandemic, extreme weather events, and increase in agri...

Climate change has a detrimental effect on Macedonian agriculture contributing to water scarcity, temperature variations, intense drought, severe fires, and flooding. At the same time, declining biodiversity causes (or triggers) reduced yields and damage to agricultural production, all of which affect the food security and livelihoods of the agriculture-dependent rural...

The Europe and Central Asia region is rich in biodiversity, hosting a great variety of wild relatives of cultivated plants and domesticated breeds. Biodiversity provides ecosystem services – such as pollination, healthy soils and clean air – that are essential to all forms of life and are key to improving food...

An effort to improve animal health in Central Asia that started in March 2019 concluded with 2021. Despite the COVID-19 and related limitations, FAO managed to redesign the project and, whenever possible, move to a virtual format to achieve goals set up at the start. The most prominent achievement has been...

Cassava should have a clean, fresh scent and a pure white center when cut open. Fresh roots also have a pleasant taste.When using bitter cassava, ferment the peeled roots for 3 days to leach out the poison cyanide, Then wash the roots.

In the context of the release of our latest publication ‘Peasant agroecology according to ECVC’, ECVC invites members,allies and policy makers to a webinar to explore and discuss its approach to peasant agroecology. In this webinar, ECVC wishes to develop its vision and policies proposals for a new paradigm, based on...

The feasibility study looks into the e-commerce ecosystem for agricultural products (D2C model) and examines the feasibility of developing a dedicated e-commerce platform for Moldovan farmers, including returning migrants engaged in agri-business. It also focusses on identifying the opportunities, optimal scenarios and interventions, as well as the premises needed to...

The recent escalation in conflict in Ukraine is affecting the food security of the most vulnerable rural households. According to the United Nations (UN) Flash Appeal, given the scale and direction of the ongoing hostilities, 18 million people are projected to be affected, including up to 6.7 million projected to...

Olga Babayeva, a 52-year-old farmer from Samukh region in northwestern Azerbaijan, is a well-recognized businesswoman in her community. Apart from being the biggest producer of vegetable seeds for onions, coriander, dill, radishes and parsley, among others, she is also known for her strong support of women’s engagement in farming.  She was...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow to organize the international forum “Food policy, rural development and gender equality in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia: current trends and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”...

In the arid south-western borderlands of Tajikistan stand the ruined mud walls of Kuhdomani bolo. The village was once lush and green, but when the irrigation systems failed, the fields and pastures dried up. Unable to earn from their land, one by one the villagers left. Today, Kuhdomani bolo is abandoned. Yet just...