Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is conducting training-of-trainers on locust management for20 master-trainers from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. This is part of the interregional and multi-funded FAO “Programme to Improve National and Regional Locust Management in Caucasus and Central Asia”.

The main goal of this training-of-trainers is to increase national capacities in locust surveillance and control based on worldwide recognized best practices. This means updating and harmonizing knowledge concerning bio-ecology of the locust pests, survey operations and information management, improving  monitoring, forecasting, early warning and timely response. It also involves improving spraying techniques and mitigating and monitoring the potential impact of locust control operations on human health and the environment.

The training-of-trainers includes regional and national sessions. The current regional session, delivered by an FAO Agricultural Officer/Locust Management and three FAO International Consultants, includes theoretical lectures and practical field exercises. All participants receive a comprehensive set of educational materials. This regional session takes place before the locust campaign so the 20 master-trainers from the four countries can deliver training sessions in their nations, spreading the knowledge to experts in their nations.

The overall objective of the programme is to contribute to food security and livelihood of the rural populations by limiting the threat posed by locust. Its immediate expected outputs are that national and regional locust management is improved in the ten Caucasian and Central Asian countries involved  through prevention, increased national capacities and development of regional cooperation. “The only sustainable way to deal with transboundary pests as locusts is the so-called preventive control strategy, based on early warning and early reaction, together with a solid regional cooperation between neighboring countries as locusts do not know borders,” said Mamuka Meskhi, Assistant FAO Representative in Georgia. To achieve that objective, a number of projects are being implemented by FAO as part of the Programme. This training-of-trainers, for instance, is being organized thanks to a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).