Women farmers often cultivate land for years without having the power to own it, decide how it is used or benefit from the resources and income it generates. That gap between working the land and controlling it was at the centre of a interregional exchange convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 29 September. The event brought together nearly 90 participants from sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia to exchange experiences and examine what it takes to close the gap between rights recognized in law and rights women can exercise in practice.

“I love planting these seeds because they represent more than harvests. They connect us to our traditions, support our communities and remind us that agrobiodiversity begins in farmers’ fields.”
In Shahristan district, in Tajikistan’s northern Sughd region, where farming families rely on every harvest, agrobiodiversity often survives because of the dedication of individuals. One of them is Gulbar Mirmahmedova, a 46-year-old mother of two and a farmer whose fields have become a living repository of traditional crops.

Restoring freshwater habitats, strengthening climate resilience and supporting sustainable freshwater aquaculture through innovation and effective management emerged as key priorities at the 2026 International Symposium of the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC), a statutory body of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

Under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and with guidance from the Codex Secretariat, countries from across Europe and Central Asia gathered in Berlin for five days of discussions hosted by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). Key topics included strengthening food safety, communicating risks more effectively and supporting healthier, more sustainable diets.

Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), a workshop held in early September in Minsk helped explore how Belarus could further develop its geographical indication system to support local producers and rural development. As part of the FAO project on strengthening sustainable food systems through geographical indications, discussions focused on the main barriers to wider registration and use and on practical measures to strengthen producer cooperation, quality control and promotion. 

Shete Kemoklidze has been around hazelnuts for most of his 31 years.
"I grew up with hazelnuts," he says. "I was 13 when my father was planting this orchard. In winter, he would get me up at five in the morning, and we did all of it together."

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the National Agency for Land Improvement (ANIF) and with scientific support from the National Institute for Applied Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (IP INCAAMV), has launched a soil sampling campaign at six permanent soil monitoring sites in the districts of Orhei and Rezina. The activity is part of the land degradation neutrality project, implemented by FAO and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

For years, Mukambarxon Umarova’s family depended on their greenhouse, but every growing season brought uncertainty. Today, she manages the entire production cycle herself – from preparing the soil and selecting seeds to protecting the plants and harvesting the crop.
The turning point came in 2022, when Mukambarxon joined an initiative supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project called “Smart farming for the future generation”, is implemented by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, with financial support from Korea.

The Regional Laboratory Network on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Food and Agriculture in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia concluded its fifth annual consultation meeting in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, marking another milestone in a regional initiative that has grown into an established platform for technical cooperation on AMR surveillance and laboratory capacity.

Creating a new generation of farmers requires more than encouraging young people to enter agriculture. It means ensuring that they can build viable livelihoods, access land, finance and markets, and see rural areas as places where they can build their future. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu opened the High-Level Ministerial Conference on Generational Renewal in Rural Areas alongside David Vlajčić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Croatia.