With two FAO workshops this week in Bishkek, countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus are advancing towards improvements in their fisheries and aquaculture sectors. One workshop was aimed at disseminating knowledge on restocking- and culture-based fish

FAO project will provide technical assistance to Moldovan authorities for conducting the first National Forest Inventory Forests are important strategic natural and renewable resources for Republic of Moldova, with the potential to positively contribute

Today, the first-ever celebration of United Nations World Food Safety Day aims to strengthen efforts to ensure that the food we eat is safe. Two UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), lead efforts in promoting food safety around the world. Since contamination can occur at any stage of the farm-to-fork continuum, ensuring food safety is the shared responsibility of everyone who grows, processes, transports, stores, sells and consumes food.

Experts in agricultural trade from 12 post-Soviet countries gather alongside state representatives beginning today in Chisinau for the fifth annual meeting of the Agricultural Trade Expert Network in Europe and Central Asia, or ATEN in short. Over the tw

The civil war in Syria is now in its ninth year, and in that time the number of refugees hosted by Turkey has surpassed 3.6 million.Most of the Syrian refugees are able to live in host communities with support from families or friends. But given high livi

Investments designed to benefit livelihoods and the environment and cater to the needs of communities are critical to ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition while at the same time promoting sustainable agriculture. This was the key

The global consumption crisis was one of many pressing issues on the agenda of the Eurasian Media Forum "The World Today: Transforming Reality?" which took place 22–24 May 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It was the sixteenth such forum held in Kazakhstan. Mo

Countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus will showcase their efforts and achievements on forest monitoring and landscape restoration at the UNECE/FAO Forest Congress, which starts today here in the Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan. In recent years, count

Agriculture is highly vulnerable to weather extremes and disasters. In developing countries, the agriculture sector absorbs 26 percent of the total economic damage and loss caused by climate-induced disasters, according to one recent FAO study . Smallhol

Ukraine has productive and healthy soil, called chernozem, that is rich in organic matter. However, leading Ukrainian soil scientists estimate that water erosion affects 13.4 million ha, including 10.6 million ha of arable land. Erosion directly impacts s

Many communities in the Caucasus and Central Asia rely heavily on healthy forests for the social, economic and environmental benefits they provide. However, countries in the region often do not have the capacity to fully monitor their forests and thus ar

A pig disease originating from Southeast Africa, never before seen in Europe and Central Asia, hit the news in 2007 when it was first detected in Georgia. Since then, African swine fever has spread throughout Eastern Europe, entering the European Union in

Rich in karst fields and scenic views, rural life in Canton 10 of Bosnia and Herzegovina has its opportunities and challenges. Although the canton’s geography does not allow for intensive farming, it provides a good basis for livestock production and rura

In response to the growing challenges of rising hunger and malnutrition due to continuous conflicts and the effects of climate change, considerable efforts are required to strengthen partnerships in food security and nutrition among developed, transition

North Macedonia has reached an important milestone in the sustainable management of its forests. With a sound forest monitoring system designed, the country is now able to take further steps in improving policies and decision-making to increase Macedonian

Until now, there has been little information available to the international community regarding the state of forests in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Today, however, the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section has released the first regional overview of t

Prevention is better than cure – and more effective, too. Especially if one can start laying the foundations of a healthy diet at a young age. Last week, experts from several United Nations agencies, along with government representatives from eight count

Turkey is home to a great variety of biodiversity and ecosystems. The country’s diverse geographic features range from the Black Sea Mountains to the Mediterranean plains, from eastern highlands to Aegean coastline, with three biogeographical regions. For

It is estimated that about half of the world’s obsolete pesticides can be found in the former Soviet Union, with many of them stored throughout Central Asia. As an important centre for agriculture, particularly cotton production, the subregion was a heavy

In Kyrgyzstan, a FAO pilot programme is enabling local farmers to supply food for schoolchildren’s meals