In Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, smallholders are farming more sustainably

A multi-country initiative supporting smallholder farmers in adopting sustainable, productive and climate resilient practices has successfully concluded. Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the project harnessed the power of education and innovation to address interconnected challenges in agricultural production, food and nutrition security, and environmental sustainability.

Funded through FAO's Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC) mechanism, the two-year project has significantly strengthened the capacity of smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable, productive and climate-resilient agricultural practices. 

“Key results of the project include the introduction of climate-smart technologies for priority fruit and vegetable crops, alongside strengthened production and market capacity in the domestic vegetable seed sector,” said Artur Shamilov, FAO Agricultural Officer. “FAO equipped smallholder farmers with practical skills related to crop production, value chain development and farm management. In parallel, the institutional and technical capacities of national partner institutions were greatly improved.”

A backbone of the economy in both countries, the agricultural sector plays a key role in improving livelihoods, generating employment and strengthening national food security. The fruit and vegetable sector is a strategic priority within their agrifood systems. 

The FAO project “Small farmers as agricultural innovators for resilient agrifood ecosystems”, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, aims to support smallholder farmers through education, innovation and climate-resilient approaches.

A high-level closing event held on 10 December in Tashkent, Uzbekistan brought together representatives from government ministries, FAO, international organizations, development and resource partners, financial institutions and farmer cooperatives. The event served as a key platform to showcase project achievements and lessons learned, while also exploring investment and partnership opportunities to scale up climate-resilient greenhouse production and horticulture.

The programme featured an exhibition of organic and climate-resilient products presented by project participants and showcased innovative solutions, women’s leadership initiatives and successful technologies piloted at demonstration sites.

The event reaffirmed the vital role of smallholder farmers — and women especially — in strengthening food security, building climate resilience and advancing sustainable agrifood systems in the participating countries.