Agriculture plays a central role in Uzbekistan’s economy. While being a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, it is also highly exposed to climate risks. To this end, the Government of Uzbekistan has officially endorsed a new investment roadmap to support the transition towards climate-smart agrifood systems, marking an important step from the ambitious national climate commitments to concrete investment action.

FAO designed and implemented a foot-and-mouth disease simulation exercise in Ganja, Azerbaijan, on 30 June 2026. Exercise participants included private and official veterinarians, with the aim of equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to react quickly and effectively in the event of a disease outbreak.

The Europe and Central Asia region remains broadly on track for many Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets, with undernourishment staying well below global levels. Yet millions of people across the region still face food insecurity and cannot afford a healthy diet, according to the new edition of the annual Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in Europe and Central Asia, produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) The report provides an annual assessment of progress towards ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Ukraine has deposited its instrument of accession to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and will become the 156th Contracting Party (member) of the International Treaty.

For generations, table grapes have been one of the most important agricultural products in the Republic of Moldova. The country produces over 130 000 tonnes a year, exporting roughly 60 percent of its harvest to markets across Europe and beyond. But in recent years, the farmers behind those numbers have been caught between rising agricultural input costs, disrupted export routes, and the growing demands of EU market standards — a combination that has left many struggling to keep pace.

On 25 June, David Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, and Raimund Jehle, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Georgia, signed the new Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2026–2030. 

“You can’t keep cows just for profit. You have to love the animal. You have to love the land. You have to love the work itself.” 
For 39-year-old Vitalie Vrabie, these words capture everyday life as a small-scale dairy farmer in the Republic of Moldova. A former migrant worker who left for the Russian Federation at 16, Vitalie spent years working abroad, returning home only briefly between jobs.

Experts, policymakers, researchers and forestry practitioners from across Europe and Central Asia gathered in Kyrgyzstan from 9 to 11 June for the Annual Meeting of the Forest Invasive Species Network for Europe and Central Asia (REUFIS), advancing regional efforts to address shared forest health issues and invasive species threats.

Agricultural economics has a critical role to play in preventing conflict-related shocks from deepening, said Raimund Jehle, Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), during a panel discussion at the three-day IAMO Forum 2026 in Germany. Agricultural economics has the potential to support reconstruction after conflicts, Jehle said, and help countries build more resilient food and agriculture systems.

Representatives from across Europe gathered in Tartu, Estonia, on 3–4 June 2026 for a technical workshop on the European Union’s LEADER approach and its contributions to the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems.
The event was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Tartu County Development Association, a local action group.