FAO Regional Workshop on building resilience in agrifood systems for drought mitigation and emergency support to conflict affected countries in the ECA Region

Crop production in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region faces unprecedented challenges due to climate change and escalating conflicts. Extreme weather events, particularly droughts and the ongoing war in Ukraine, have inflicted severe consequences on agriculture, posing risks to livelihoods and regional economies. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is actively engaged in supporting countries in the implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to manage natural resources sustainably and enhance resilience to climate change.

As part of its emergency support programs, FAO is currently assisting Ukraine and neighboring countries, including Armenia and Moldova. The initiatives aim to strengthen the capacities of vulnerable farming households by providing essential support such as multi-purpose cash transfers, agricultural inputs, logistics support, and technical training on good agricultural practices. FAO is committed to promoting the development of priority crops, marketing, and value chains in the horticulture sector across the ECA region.

The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is organizing a regional workshop with the following objectives:

1. Discuss FAO emergency support in the face of the Ukraine crisis and drought, sharing experiences, lessons learned, and identifying capacity strengthening needs.
2. Present findings and key recommendations from regional studies report studies on “Review of Fruit and Vegetable Sector for EEU countries, and the draft “Study report on the Production, Marketing and Trade of priority crops for selected countries in ECA region”.
3. Share the findings and the key recommendations of the review reports on “Climate-Smart Agriculture in the ECA Region: Scaling up sustainable practices for enhancing agri-food system resilience and adaptive capacity”.
4. Inform country representatives about the FAO Agricultural drought monitoring system and early warning (ASIS).