At first glance, the volcanic landscape of Lanzarote, in Spain’s Canary Islands, looks anything but fertile. The island is dry and harsh, blanketed in layers of black lapilli — fine volcanic gravel and ash — left behind by massive eruptions nearly three centuries ago. But look closer, and a different story emerges: green shoots of grapevines rise from black ash pits; strawberries and sweet potatoes thrive in soil that appears lifeless.

The European Forestry Commission (EFC) will meet in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 22 to 25 October to review and coordinate regional strategies on forests and the forest industry, with a specific focus on innovation. The session, coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will bring together government officials and representatives of international organizations, civil society and the private sector to discuss a wide range of issues.

This year’s World Food Day theme, “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”, calls for global cooperation to ensure a peaceful, sustainable, prosperous and food-secure future. To highlight the day’s significance, Nadire Hasani, a woman from Frashër/Svinjare village in South Mitrovica, Kosovo, shared her experience in farming and community development. Her story embodies the spirit of collaboration and perseverance. With more than 15 years of experience in growing and processing vegetables, Nadire Hasani is part of an increasing number of rural women turning small-scale farming into a promising business. 

Aggressive and invasive plant species continue to undermine biodiversity, ecosystem safety and sustainable land management in Europe and Central Asia. Both forest ecosystems and urban green spaces face ecological imbalance, loss of native species, increased fire risk and human health risk due to allergies, not to mention the emerging costs of mitigating these effects. To this end, forest and urban landscape managers, policymakers, scientists and civil society representatives came together from 13 to 16 October 2025 at the Forest Invasive Species Network for Europe and Central Asia (REUFIS) technical workshop and annual meeting to address the escalating threat posed by invasive plant species across the region.

World Food Day became part of the United Nations calendar in 1980 on the initiative of Hungary. Every year on 16 October, it reminds us that access to food is a fundamental human right and that only through joint efforts can a balanced and more sustainable diet be ensured for everyone. Approximately 8 percent of the world's population, or 673 million people, go hungry still, while in the Europe and Central Asia region, it is about 2 percent of the total population, or 24 million people.

What if a disease caused by a fungus could be a good thing? It might seem unlikely, but it is, in fact, possible, if the target of the disease is a highly invasive forest tree species. An essential component of integrated pest management (IPM), biological control involves the use of natural enemies against pests and invasive species. In a broad sense, natural enemies are organisms that cause the death or impairment of other organisms, such as pests or invasive species. FAO promotes biological control for forest ecosystem preservation.

The farmer starts a fire, takes out the horse and attempts to fix the tractor. So far, this looks like an average morning routine in the far-flung mountainous areas of Kyrgyzstan. However, nothing is average here: The farmer, Zamira, is a woman with three university degrees who left city life behind to herd yaks in the village. Zamira is the main character of the short documentary The Rock, directed by Kyrgyz filmmaker Altynay Adamalieva. The film recently won the Osiris Award, decided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), at the 2025 International Film Festival Agrofilm.

Türkiye produces most of the world’s pine honey, notably along the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. And now that pine honey – Türk Çam Balı – is nationally protected thanks to the geographic indication (GI) recently awarded by TURKPATENT, the Turkish Patent and Trademark office. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) worked closely with Türkiye’s main pine honey industry players – beekeepers, processors, exporters, government officials, economists and scientists – to develop and register the GI. 

Historically, land management in Uzbekistan largely has been directed by the state. In recent years, however, the government has taken important steps towards market-oriented agriculture by strengthening land tenure security, developing a market for land use rights and improving the system of land relations management. These steps include the development of a national strategy to improve land management and the ongoing revision of the Land Code. In response to an official request from Uzbekistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a project to support land reforms in the country. 

In Düzce, Türkiye, 32 percent of youth are unemployed. Many opt to move to the city in search of work. Beekeeping offers young people an alternative path and income opportunities in rural areas.