Healthy food for school meals must come from somewhere. As in most developing countries, more than 70 percent of food in the Kyrgyz Republic is produced by smallholders and family farmers. However, they frequently face difficulties in accessing markets, including public tenders for school meal procurement, due to low production volumes. To address this issue, FAO assisted the government in piloting an alternative model of public procurement based around a home-grown school feeding model through the establishing of a logistic centre.

Consumers need assurance that if a food product is available on the market and out in shops, it safe to eat. This requires effective, enforceable, and inclusive national food regulations that protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food t

Geographical indications and appellations of origin as intellectual property instruments have become increasingly recognized in recent decades as tools for quality and rural development. If the place of origin (the terroir) is important when buying wine,

FAO and the Macedonian Food and Veterinary Agency are leading a two-day simulation exercise on African swine fever (ASF) starting today in Berovo. The exercise is part of FAO’s efforts to work with Balkan counties onincreasing their capacities for respond

More than one-third of agricultural land in Armenia is out of use. Countering land abandonment is one of the top priorities in the country’s agricultural sector. An FAO workshop today marks the start of a project supporting the Ministry of Economy of the

Since the 1960s, a series of dramatic environmental changes have occurred in the Black Sea, putting at risk the survival of living marine resources. Black Sea countries have united to tackle this grave situation and achieve sustainable fisheries in the re

It was a sunny morning, and the farmer stepped out of his house to visit his 3 000 hens. Astonished, he found many of his animals dead, others were laying down showing breathing difficulties. Scared and desperate, he instantly started collecting the bird

A two-day seminar on the use of electronic phytosanitary certificates and the development of international standards for phytosanitary measures started yesterday on the premises of the Eurasian Economic Commission in Moscow, with key participation of FAO

The expansion of pasture areas and use of traditional extensive grazing practices with a growing number of livestock takes its toll on the forest cover of the Kyrgyz Republic. This prohibits the country from increasing carbon sequestration and storage. A

In many countries across Europe and Central Asia, the ability of rural communities to retain and attract people is jolting. Although the root causes can vary, the problems of rural out-migration have become a trend affecting the development of those areas

FAO and Rakuten Viber, a leading global instant messaging app, have partnered together for World Food Day to raise awareness around the themes of healthy and sustainable food by bringing it into everyone’s lives in an exciting and interactive way. Starti

Livestock keeping has traditionally been a baseline activity for many families in Central Asia. Protecting animal health safeguards rural livelihoods and avoids major negative socio-economic consequences. Two back-to-back FAO meetings in Tashkent this wee

Just a few hours by plane from the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) headquarters in Geneva used to be the abundant waters of the Aral Sea. At its height as the fourth biggest lake in the world, the body of water was bigger than Switzerland. But

The GFCM countries adopted today 15 decisions to ensure conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. On the occasion of the forty-third session of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterrane

FAO enters a new phase to assist implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Europe and Central Asia through a workshop today in Ankara. Participants will validate an action plan that goes more in-depth on how to implement the 21 SDG indi

Achieving equality between women and men is a precondition for sustainable agricultural production and rural development, achieving food security, and elimination of poverty. As livestock is the second-largest contributor to the global agricultural econom

Links between rural development and land management instruments are at the centre of discussions during the international meeting of LANDNET – a network of land professionals from European and Central Asian countries. Kicking off today, the four-day annua

FAO and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation today agreed to boost joint efforts aimed at providing food security and sustainable development for present and future generations, in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

World Food Day, established 40 years ago, is commemorated every year on 16 October – the date on which FAO was founded in 1945. During the month of October, the occasion is used to host a wide variety of popular events around the world. Word Food Day 201

Forty-one successful winners from Hisor city and Jaloliddini Balkhi district were awarded with matching grants to realize their business plans, which focus on improving agricultural mechanization, dry fruit production, horticulture, greenhouses for lemon