FAO hosts a panel discussion at the 2023 edition of the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin

World Food Day inspired Mihaela Stojmenovikj, a 17-year-old student from North Macedonia to portray the important work of family farmers, who are ensuring that our agrifood systems provide us with a variety of nutritious foods. Separated by more than 700 kilometers but sharing an appreciation for nature, Dilara Karabacak, a 10-year-old student from Türkiye, successfully conveyed the respect and care we owe the Earth for the gifts of the soil given to farmers and to us all that nourish us.

FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development help update food safety measures for smallholders’ traditional culinary products

Rural households, smallholder farmers and small-scale agricultural enterprises will benefit from a $15.5 million project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support the functioning, reinforcement and strengthening of value chains in agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and their adaptation to the wartime conditions.

World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October to raise awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all, leaving no one behind. It’s an occasion to work together and create a better, more sustainable future. Each year, World Food Day is marked by hundreds of events and outreach activities all over the globe. One of the activities launched for countries of Europe and Central Asia was a photo contest.

Timely information on food prices and markets is important for agricultural development, especially for smallholders and food producers. In this regard, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Westminster International University in Tashkent have launched today an instrument for monitoring and analysing food prices in Uzbekistan – a web-based tool to facilitate the dissemination and analysis of food price data from the country.

By incorporating the vision of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on digital innovation to prevent and control avian influenza, the FAO Virtual Learning Center for Europe and Central Asia has trained over 240 veterinarians through an online, Russian language course for preparedness against an outbreak of the detrimental disease.

Recent global events have thrown a spotlight on the urgency for more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive agrifood systems and have also shown us possible holistic and inter-linked approaches to a greener and more food secure future for all. Greening agriculture provides a pathway to come closer to this goal.

After nine months of war in Ukraine, rural households are increasingly affected by the conflict with many forced to scale down or abandon agricultural activities, according to a new survey released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

Healthy soils are the prerequisite for healthy plants and crops, and consequently for healthy food. World Soil Day, celebrated on 5 December every year, is an occasion to focus on the crucial role of soils in our food systems, and to assess the state of soil resources.

Two back-to-back events addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food and agriculture sectors of Europe and Central Asia concluded today in Moscow. Countries at the consultation meeting on 5-6 December agreed to set up an antimicrobial resistance laboratory network, with the active participation of the main animal health and food safety laboratories involved in the detection of AMR in the six countries of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan.

Cattle are the most common and widespread species of large ruminant livestock and are raised primarily for their milk, meat, and skin. To help increase efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of cattle production, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a knowledge-exchange workshop for smallholders on 1-2 December in Budapest, Hungary. The objective of the event was to gather experts and sector representatives to share knowledge, skills, and successful initiatives, with a particular emphasis on cattle production.

The survival of our species and of the planet itself depends on a healthy and biodiverse plant ecosystem. As part of its work to conserve biodiversity and encourage sustainable agriculture FAO is organizing a virtual event for countries of Europe and Central Asia today on current issues in plant protection. The webinar will address new phytosanitary treatments adopted and applied internationally, as well as the use of biological control agents for pest control.

A training workshop “Towards the development of a roadmap for the digitalization of agriculture in Tajikistan” takes place today in Dushanbe, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close cooperation with the Ministry of the Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan.  

To support agricultural actors maximizing the benefits of migration, while minimizing the costs for migrants and societies in general, specifically in rural areas, FAO is organizing a regional workshop on mainstreaming agriculture and rural development into migration governance and vice versa, starting today.

Fostering gender equality and rural women’s empowerment are global programme and policy priorities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In Europe and Central Asia, the Organization’s efforts are guided by the Regional Strategy for Gender Equality (2019–2022). Now, as the timeframe for the document runs out and, given the new challenges that have emerged in the past years, it is time to discuss the way forward.

Under the annual theme “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together,” the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is planning various activities during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 to raise awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe and Central Asia.

Carp was once the “King of Lake Shkodër”. Found in abundance in the largest inland body of water in the Balkan Peninsula, carp was a lifeline for fishers and their communities for generations. The lake, situated on the border of Albania and Montenegro, was also the home of birds, eels, freshwater snails and several fish species. The lake’s communities were fishing communities and until recently, people always thought of themselves as fishers.

How Uzbekistan’s farmers are overcoming soil salinity and water shortages