FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

News and events

News
13/10/2026
“I love planting these seeds because they represent more than harvests. They connect us to our traditions, support our communities and remind us that agrobiodiversity begins in farmers’ fields.”
In Shahristan district, in Tajikistan’s northern Sughd region, where farming families rely on every harvest, agrobiodiversity often survives because of the dedication of individuals. One of them is Gulbar Mirmahmedova, a 46-year-old mother of two and a farmer whose fields have become a living repository of traditional crops.
08/10/2026
Restoring freshwater habitats, strengthening climate resilience and supporting sustainable freshwater aquaculture through innovation and effective management emerged as key priorities at the 2026 International Symposium of the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC), a statutory body of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 
22/09/2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the National Agency for Land Improvement (ANIF) and with scientific support from the National Institute for Applied Research in Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (IP INCAAMV), has launched a soil sampling campaign at six permanent soil monitoring sites in the districts of Orhei and Rezina. The activity is part of the land degradation neutrality project, implemented by FAO and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
21/09/2026
For years, Mukambarxon Umarova’s family depended on their greenhouse, but every growing season brought uncertainty. Today, she manages the entire production cycle herself – from preparing the soil and selecting seeds to protecting the plants and harvesting the crop.
The turning point came in 2022, when Mukambarxon joined an initiative supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The project called “Smart farming for the future generation”, is implemented by FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, with financial support from Korea.
13/08/2026

Natural hazards are unavoidable. The way we mitigate and manage them is within our control – and preparedness is the first line of defence. The Europe and Central Asia region is vulnerable to several types of natural hazards, including floods, storms, droughts, wildfires and landslides. Due to the effects of climate change, climate-related hazards in particular have increased in frequency and intensity over the past few decades. The agriculture sector and food security are heavily impacted by these phenomena. FAO estimates that the agriculture sector absorbs more than 26 percent of total economic costs from climate-related disasters.    

31/07/2026

Serbia has taken an important step towards building more climate-resilient forests with its first national training of trainers on climate-adaptive silviculture. The three-day programme, held from 15 to 17 July 2026, united experts from research institutions, government and public forest enterprises who will play a leading role in introducing climate-adaptive forestry practices across Serbia.

27/07/2026
Kazakhstan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched three new projects under the FAO–Kazakhstan Partnership Programme. Raimund Jehle, FAO Deputy Regional Representative, and Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, exchanged signed official documents at a ceremony on 22 July.
22/07/2026

As Montenegro works to realize its climate ambitions and build greater resilience, strengthening institutional capacity to access international climate finance is becoming increasingly important. Building a common understanding of climate finance mechanisms across institutions is a key step in translating national priorities into high-quality investment projects. To support this process, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Region Development, implemented the Month of climate finance learning, a unique six-week awareness-raising initiative under the Readiness Project of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

23/07/2026
Sustainable forest management not only helps reduce forest degradation but also supports poverty reduction and improves livelihoods. Achieving these outcomes requires the meaningful participation of all groups that depend on and contribute to forest resources, including women, who play important roles in forestry and agroforestry systems. For this reason, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) calls for greater recognition of women’s contributions to forestry and agroforestry systems across Europe and Central Asia. 
03/07/2026
Agriculture plays a central role in Uzbekistan’s economy. While being a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, it is also highly exposed to climate risks. To this end, the Government of Uzbekistan has officially endorsed a new investment roadmap to support the transition towards climate-smart agrifood systems, marking an important step from the ambitious national climate commitments to concrete investment action.
Events

6/11

2026

Belgrade (Serbia), Hybrid Event, 06/11/2026

The hybrid workshop marks the transition of the Climate-Adaptive Silviculture (CAS) package from its development phase to its first operational application under the project “Enhancing the resilience of Serbian forests to ensure energy security of the most vulnerable while contributing to their livelihoods and carbon sequestration (FOREST Invest)”.

22/10

2026

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 22/10/2026

At the final workshop, FAO will present the final approved Guidelines Document on the creation of artificial glaciers, together with the new “Artificial Glacier – Reservoir – Farmer” system equipped with drip irrigation. Participants will review the results of testing the system in the field and discuss the next steps for scaling up the approach across the country.

25/9

2026

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 25/09/2026

The inception workshop, organized by FAO Kyrgyzstan under the Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the Forestry Service under Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, marks the official launch of the project. The meeting will bring together key stakeholders to present the project's objectives, implementation approach, and expected results, while fostering collaboration and coordination amon...

6/10

2026

06/10/2026

EIFAAC, the Latvian Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment ‘BIOR’, and the ProtectFish Project are organizing a Workshop on Ecological and Economic Effects of Predators on Freshwater Fish Resources and Aquaculture within EIFAAC’s 2026 International Symposium. The workshop will bring together scientists, fisheries managers, aquaculture professionals and policy-makers to address ...

18/9

2026

Virtual Event, 18/09/2026

The European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC) is organizing this webinar to provide an accessible overview of current and emerging applications of molecular methods in inland fisheries and aquaculture and to share practical examples from research and implementation.

The webinar will bring together experts working across a wide range of fields. Presentations w...

21/7

2026

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 21/07/2026

The inception workshop, organized by FAO Kyrgyzstan under the Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the Forestry Service under Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, marks the official launch of the project. The meeting will bring together key stakeholders to present the project's objectives, implementation approach, and expected results, while fostering collaboration and coordination among p...

12/7

2026

18/7

2026

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 12/07/2026 - 18/07/2026

As a co-organizer, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the Green Climate Fund (GCF)-funded Carbon Sequestration through Climate Investments in Forests and Rangelands in the Kyrgyz Republic (CS-FOR) Project, will contribute to the implementation of the Inter-Regional School for Young Pastoralists 2026 – Kyrgyzstan by organizing technical sessions in Bish...

9/6

2026

11/6

2026

Manas (Kyrgyzstan), Hybrid Event, 09/06/2026 - 11/06/2026

In 2026, the Annual Meeting of the Forest Invasive Species Network for Europe and Central Asia (REUFIS) will be held on 9 to 11 June in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the International Conference on "Walnut-fruit forests of Kyrgyzstan: World natural heritage, a global treasure for biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development". The two events are aimed at creating a unified inte...

9/6

2026

11/6

2026

Manas (Kyrgyzstan), 09/06/2026 - 11/06/2026

The International Scientific and Practical Conference “Preservation and Development of the Unique Relict Nut-Fruit Forest of Arslanbob” and accompanying FAO regional events aim to promote the sustainable management and conservation of one of Central Asia’s most valuable forest ecosystems. In parallel, FAO will organize two regional technical events: a meeting of the FAO Forest Invasive ...

30/5

2026

6/6

2026

Samarkand (Uzbekistan), 30/05/2026 - 06/06/2026

The Eighth Global Environment Facility Assembly will take place from 30 May to 6 June 2026 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, bringing together representatives from 186 member countries and partners from across government, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, academia, youth, and the private sector to shape the future of global environmental action. As the highest governing body of the Global Environme...