Today is World Pulses Day, a day to celebrate the humble crops – beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils, and more– that pack a punch, contributing to better diets, better soil health and a better planet. In Kyrgyzstan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with FAO Investment Centre technical support, are helping an EBRD client that buys pulses from local small-scale farmers expand cultivation of these crops. This includes in new regions where staple crops, like wheat, have long dominated. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has completed a five-day training course on the laboratory diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) for central and regional laboratory specialists working under the Committee for Food Security of the Government of Tajikistan. The training was conducted as part of a broader FAO regional initiative on pandemic preparedness and response using the One Health approach.

Better understanding and applying two key land policy instruments has become easier through a free online learning course, launched today at a webinar. The virtual course was developed by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and the FAO elearning Academy, in partnership with universities and land consolidation agencies across the region. It explores the core concepts of land consolidation and land banking, provides detailed guidance on the key approaches, and highlights real-world examples to support its application.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has spent decades building a detailed, nationally consistent understanding of its land resources. This work has been led by the Federal Agropedological Institute (Zavod), the sole institution responsible for systematic land bonitation and soil mapping across the country. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) partnered with the Federal Agropedological Institute and the Prenj Forestry Institute to organize Terra BiH 2025 on 12 December 2025. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a new free virtual course to help ruminant farmers improve biosecurity on their farms. Available through FAO Virtual Learning Centres in English, Russian and Turkish, the self-paced “Improving Ruminant Biosecurity” course supports safer livestock production, healthier animals and more resilient farming systems.

Under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Armenia, Françoise Jacob, and with support from the UN Joint SDG Fund, the Government of Armenia, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), officially launched the joint programme “Unlocking Sustainable Finance for Nutrition-Sensitive, Climate-Smart Food Systems Transformation in Armenia” on 29 January 2026 in Yerevan. 

Agriculture is a foundational pillar of the economy of Belarus, shaping food security, nutrition and rural well-being. Belarusian agrifood system products are deeply rooted in cultural traditions, preserving genetic diversity while integrating modern technologies to enhance quality and value. As the country becomes more integrated into the global economy, the need to improve rural development and find profitable markets for producers and suppliers is increasing. To reach this goal, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) promotes geographical indications as facilitators.

In Tršće, a small village near Kakanj in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rebija Bliznović has built her life around the farm that carries her name. For three years, Rebija has been a registered farmer, giving her independence and marking a turning point in her role as a producer. Together with her husband, she manages a greenhouse and five cows and has been steadily building the farm into a source of livelihood. Having her name on the registry has given her visibility and a sense of ownership in a sector where women’s work often goes unrecognized.

An intensive forestry programme on strengthening sustainable and multipurpose forest management, improving rural livelihoods and addressing climate change has concluded in Kosovo.¹ Funded by the European Union and Sweden and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and the Kosovo Forestry Agency, the programme left a lasting legacy on the sustainable management of forest resources for the benefit of current and future generations.

Olive growers in the Municipality of Belsh, Albania, are strengthening their skills and practices through the expansion of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) Farmer Field School approach, supporting a more sustainable and competitive olive oil value chain.