For three days, Tashkent is hosting an international conference to promote conservation agriculture in this corner of the world, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan.

Plant health and safety standards are indispensable. They ease safe international trade, help ensure food security, promote sustainable agriculture production, and help protect biodiversity and the environment. The primary guardians of plant health and s

Biotechnology presents enormous potential benefits for world populations in food security and nutrition, but it is not without risk. Upon invitation of the Czech Republic and FAO, government officials, renowned scientists and private sector and civil soc

FAO assists and advises on food security and nutrition, forest health, fisheries and aquaculture, climate change, plant and animal pests and diseases, international food trade, organic agriculture, rural livelihoods, and much more. Overseeing and setting priorities for this work in Europe and Central Asia is the job of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe. Convening every two years in a different location, the Regional Conference is a complex undertaking for both the host country and FAO's team in the region. Goran Stavrik, who has played a coordinating role in three consecutive conferences, reflects on the many behind-the-scenes factors that make for a successful FAO Regional Conference.

The growing resistance of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites to antimicrobials is a grave health concern the world over. If nothing is done to limit it, an estimated 10 million people per year will be at risk by 2050, to say nothing of the enormous a

The Soviet Union collapsed nearly 30 years ago, but its effects linger in the fragmented farm structures and market channels that plague food value chains throughout Europe and Central Asia. A series of FAO publications is dedicated to improving this iss

The Bosphorus, the narrow strait in Istanbul that connects the Black Sea basin to the rest of the world, hosted a special guest on 12 July. Affectionately named “Bilim” (Turkish for “Science”), the oceanographic research vessel (RV) from Middle East Techn

A Hungarian master attentively places his basketry utensils while Konobaeva Venera, a weaving master from Kyrgyzstan, packs up after a weaving workshop. Nearby, other masters from Uzbekistan and Hungary prepare for their time slots in the FAO stand at the

Montenegro is looking to strengthen the links between agriculture, food and tourism, uniting its mesmerising coastline and spectacular mountains with its traditional foods – ranging from speciality cheeses and cured hams to bitter greens and crisp wines.

Khushnid Sattarov, a professional with broad experience in project management, research analytics and humanitarian strategic planning, took up his duties last week as FAO programme coordinator in Ukraine. He succeeds Farrukh Toirov, who was appointed rece

Bananas – they’re the most exported fruit in the world, and they’re almost everyone’s darling. But not only humans are fond of them. Plant pests and diseases love bananas, too – especially the soil-borne fungus causing the Fusarium wilt disease, which po

With its moves in support of sustainable forest management in the country, Uzbekistan this week is taking another step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Today through Aug. 10, more than 30 forestry experts from Uzbekistan, Turkey and t

As one short-term FAO intervention on food safety ends in Belarus, another will soon begin. This is what governmental representatives agreed upon this week in Minsk during five days of talks to conclude the previous project and set priorities for future w

To spur progress in the development of organic agriculture in Kazakhstan, FAO continues to support the Kazakh Government in establishing and piloting a rigorous traceability and certification system. Framed by a multiannual effort to support the developm

It was recently, in 2015, when the infectious lumpy skin disease first entered the Balkan Peninsula and started its rally by infecting cattle in several countries. Measures to control – or possibly eradicate – the disease differed in various countries, an

FAO, Japan and Turkey have inaugurated a vocational training programme for Syrian refugees and their Turkish host communities in Şanlıurfa and Kilis, where agriculture provides employment opportunities on a large scale. The project aims at improving part

Discarding food appropriate for human consumption is a waste of resources that negatively impacts the climate and the environment. Yet, there is a set of proven solutions that could help tackle food waste – provided that all actors in the food supply chai

Cooperation on scientific issues related to animal diseases is one path towards increased regional peace. Happy, healthy societies with reliable and nourishing sources of food are less likely to turn towards crime or extremism, and ensuring stable livelih

Kutaisi, Georgia, is home to over 1 000 producers of culinary herbs, and for one day last month it was home to more than 60 industry players who met for an international conference to discuss investment opportunities in the culinary herbs value chain. Ge

More than a matter of human rights, gender equality in agriculture is key to eliminating poverty and hunger. Only by closing the gender gap can sustainable agriculture and rural development reach their full potential. What does it take to achieve this? A