Partnership, sustainability, digital innovations, investment and empowering women farmers – these were the core topics of several side and special events at the Thirty-fifth Session of the Regional Conference for Europe, held from 11 to 15 May in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

On the occasion of World Bee Day (20 May), Slovenia is hosting the third International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination today and tomorrow. The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations, Apimondia.

Held from 22 to 24 April 2026, the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, offered a clear signal: as countries in Central Asia face intensifying climate pressures and resource constraints, environmental challenges in the region are no longer treated as isolated national issues, but as shared risks requiring coordinated responses. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), represented by Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative Viorel Gutu, took part in discussions, highlighting the role of agrifood systems in addressing these challenges, both as a source of pressure and as part of the solution.

The 23 April event marked an important step towards strengthening climate resilience in the agricultural sector and supporting rural livelihoods, particularly among women farmers. It was framed by the project Promoting Rural Women’s Empowerment in Kosovo, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN Women. Among other topics, discussions centred on a joint assessment report being developed to provide an in-depth analysis of current and projected climate risks affecting agriculture.

On 30 April, Aram Meymaryan, Deputy Minister of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Armenia, signed the project “Support the establishment of a National Forest Monitoring and Assessment System in Armenia”. The project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). 

On 30 Aprils, Gevorg Papoyan, Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, and Raimund Jehle, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Armenia, signed the new FAO–Armenia Country Programming Framework (CPF) for 2026–2030. The five-year plan sets out FAO’s strategic engagement in the country.

In Kyrgyzstan, a country dominated by mountainous landscapes, issues related to soil fertility conservation are of particular relevance. In the context of a changing climate, the country faces challenges such as soil erosion, degradation, salinization, and loss of fertility. These factors directly affect crop yields and the resilience of agrifood systems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Kyrgyz Research Institute of Agriculture, has begun the implementation of the FAO’s Global Soil Doctors Programme in the country. 

Declining glaciers, shrinking water sources and increasingly unpredictable weather are threatening the livelihoods of thousands of rural families in the At-Bashy district of Kyrgyzstan – and urgent action is needed. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat conducted a comprehensive field mission to the district, where communities reported a dramatic deterioration in water availability, worsening droughts, and accelerating land degradation over the past five years, calling for immediate climate-resilient solutions.

For Radoje Marić and his family, fruit growing is both a livelihood and a longstanding tradition. As fourth-generation producers of fruit and certified raspberry seedlings, the Marić family cultivates orchards at 500–600 m above sea level, where generations before them learned to work the land. But in recent years, changing weather patterns have made production increasingly uncertain.

“Everyone in my family is involved in agriculture. It is the main pillar of our lives. We could do without many things, but not without food and water.” With these words, 19-year-old Đorđe Mićević describes both his upbringing and his future. A former student of the Dr. Đorđe Radić Agricultural and Chemical School in Kraljevo, Đorđe is part of a new generation of young people in Serbia who are learning how to adapt agriculture to climate change.