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FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia

Empowering smallholders, family farms and youth

FAO Regional Priority Programme

As a result of land reforms in the 1990s, Europe and Central Asia is largely a region of smallholders. In some countries, large commercial farms exist side-by-side with many economically unprofitable smallholders. Yet small farms can achieve high levels of productivity and income – through improved organization, intensified and sustainable production, and integration into agrifood chains. With appropriate support, family farms can be a model for achieving sustainable growth, ensuring food security and mitigating rural poverty.
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This Regional Priority Programme uses a complex, multidisciplinary and area-based development approach, tailored to the Europe and Central Asia region. It takes into consideration the region’s heterogeneity and the special challenges it faces.

The overall goal is to address the key problems of rural people by empowering smallholders and family farms to improve their livelihoods. Elimination of rural poverty, improving the resilience of rural populations (with a focus on smallholders) and inclusive growth for rural economies based on sustainable use of natural resources are the basic principles of the Priority Programme.

The work focuses equally on technical issues (animal health, production, phytosanitary and so forth) and social, economic and environmental aspects. Inclusiveness – with respect to gender and vulnerable groups, for example – is also a key principle.

The Priority Programme tackles two main areas: (1) policy, institutions and governance, and (2) farms and communities. Priority actions include strengthening governance and policies, building capacities, enhancing participatory approaches, supporting small holders in sustainable production technologies, supporting land consolidation processes, income diversification, and improving smallholder access to markets, rural finance and value chains.

The Priority Programme aims to achieve the following results:

  • Increased participation of farmers and rural communities in national development;
  • Enhanced sustainable and inclusive growth of rural economies;
  • Improved sustainable management of natural resources.

Activities are in the following areas:

  • sustainable management of agricultural land and water resources;
  • intensification of smallholders’ production in a sustainable manner;
  • strengthening the organizations of small producers and family farms;
  • enhancing rural services – such as advisory services and micro-loans.

Results are foreseen mainly in:

  • increased participation of farmers and rural communities in national development;
  • enhanced sustainable and inclusive growth of rural economies; 
  • improved sustainable management of natural resources;
  • dissemination of sustainable agricultural best practices;
  • strengthened governance to support producers and resource managers;
  • enhanced and equitable access by smallholders to productive resources, services, organizations and markets;
  • development of inclusive and efficient agribusinesses and agrifood chains.

Related news and events

Events

22/9

2025

23/9

2025

Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming for Europe and Central Asia
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital (Italy), 22/09/2025 - 23/09/2025

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing the Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming for Europe and Central Asia under the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) from 22 to 23 September 2025, at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The two-day event will take place together with the

26/9

2025

Launch of the Land Tenure Journal – special issue on land consolidation
Virtual Event, 26/09/2025

FAO invites you to the virtual launch of the newly published Land Tenure Journal – Special issue on land consolidation that will take place on 26 September. This special issue, recently published by FAO, features 12 articles about land consolidation.

12/8

2025

Celebrating International Youth Day in 2025
12/08/2025

To mark this year’s International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, youth leaders from across Europe and Central Asia will come together for an engaging regional webinar titled “Stronger Together – Sharing Good Practices Across European Youth Chapters”. 

17/7

2025

National training workshop on aquaculture systems design and operation
Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), 17/07/2025

Commercial aquaculture in Turkmenistan dates backs to the early 1970s when pond fish culture was introduced to the country, however, production figures indicate that production decreased significantly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The reestablishment of freshwater aquaculture, especially smallholder farming models, has the potential to diversify farmer livelihoods, contribu...

16/7

2025

National training workshop on aquatic animal health management
Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), 16/07/2025

Aquaculture is a diverse production sector that encompasses a wide range of culture species, environments, production systems and practices. The complex and diverse nature of the sector leads to a broad range of hazards and related risks that have the potential to impact production, food security, profitability, livelihoods and biodiversity. In this respect, disease represents one of the most s...

11/6

2025

13/6

2025

Second Regional Rural Youth Forum for Europe and Central Asia
Budapest (Hungary), Hybrid Event, 11/06/2025 - 13/06/2025

Young women and men can play a catalytic role in supporting economic growth and development in rural areas. However, there are still gaps in understanding the specific economic, social, and cultural issues that affect their aspirations, livelihoods, well-being, and integration into local economies. Given this, effective policies and interventions are needed to support rural youth’s livelihoods,...

14/1

2025

18/1

2025

Training on RuralInvest toolkit (Kyrgyzstan)
(Kyrgyzstan), 14/01/2025 - 18/01/2025

Training for cooperatives from Naryn and Issyk-Kul regions to learn how to develop business plans using the RuralInvest toolkit. The RuralInvest toolkit offers users an interactive, hands-on path, going from theory to practice, to work together with the entrepreneurs and create feasible, appropriate, and sustainable business plans. Thus, beneficiaries in Kyrgyzstan will be equipped with knowled...

17/12

2024

19/12

2024

Speed dating consultations
Batken (Kyrgyzstan), 17/12/2024 - 19/12/2024

Within the framework of the project “Capacitated women civil society organizations sustaining peace in Kyrgyzstan”, so-called "Speed dating" sessions will be held in two rural areas of Batken district with the participation of national experts and local self-government bodies, local council deputies and residents.

19/9

2024

Workshop: Resolving private-public co-ownership to improve agricultural land management and land tenure in the Pelagonija Region
Bitola (North Macedonia), 19/09/2024

On 19 September 2024, FAO, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy of North Macedonia, will launch the project “Support for Resolving Private-Public Co-ownership to Improve Agricultural Land Management and Land Tenure in the Pelagonija Region”, under the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme. The workshop, taking place in the Council Hall of the Municipality o...

5/6

2024

7/6

2024

15th International LANDNET Workshop
Middelburg (Netherlands), 05/06/2024 - 07/06/2024

The 15th LANDNET workshop will take place from 5 to 7 June 2024 in Middelburg, Netherlands. The workshop is organized by FAO together with Kadaster and the Province of Zeeland in the Netherlands.

13/12

2023

Regional consultation on integrated land use planning
Virtual Event, 13/12/2023

FAO published the first 'Guidelines for land-use planning' in 1993 as the first key source of knowledge on land use planning. After 30 years, new challenges, demands and insights for integrated land use planning call for an update of these guidelines. In this context, FAO has been working on the new version of 'Guidelines for integrated land use planning - an update' in collaboration with key p...

29/11

2023

30/11

2023

Regional Rural Youth Forum for Europe and Central Asia
Budapest (Hungary), Hybrid Event, 29/11/2023 - 30/11/2023

To better coordinate the youth-related work and processes in the ECA region, under the Regional Priority Programme on Empowering smallholders, family farms and youth, facilitating rural livelihoods and poverty reduction, FAO organizes the Regional Rural Youth Forum for Europe and Central Asia.

5/9

2023

Youth consultation: Take action and scale up initiatives to reduce food loss and waste
Virtual Event, 05/09/2023

Join us for the conversation on shaping food waste policy in Europe and Central Asia. Food waste has wide-ranging consequences, impacting resources, the environment, and social equity. At the World Food Forum, we are dedicated to reducing food waste globally. In response to its importance, our Europe and Central Asia team conducted a comprehensive analysis of food waste policy in the region, id...

5/9

2023

7/9

2023

14th International LANDNET Workshop
İstanbul (Türkiye), 05/09/2023 - 07/09/2023

The 14th international LANDNET workshop will take place from 5 to 7 September 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye, organized by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye.

22/6

2022

24/6

2022

2nd Regional Workshop on integrated community development
Budapest (Hungary), Hybrid Event, 22/06/2022 - 24/06/2022

Based on country experiences, FAO aims at further developing the concept of integrated community development for Europe and Central Asia. FAO established an informal regional technical network on community development in 2019. The 2022 workshop should help revitalize the technical network and strengthen partnerships with key regional and national actors.

18/5

2023

Digital Villages in Action in Europe and Central Asia
Virtual Event, 18/05/2023

Join us for the “Digital Villages in Action in Europe and Central Asia” virtual event, where we will launch DVI actions in eight countries, bringing together policy actors, stakeholders, partners, and beneficiaries. The event will be held on Zoom on 18 May 2023, from 09.30 to 12.00 (CEST) with English-Russian interpretation.

26/4

2023

Promoting youth engagement in agriculture and food systems in Europe and Central Asia
Virtual Event, 26/04/2023

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) is organizing a series of regional youth consultations on promoting youth engagement in agriculture and food systems in Europe and Central Asia.

Participants will discuss how to enlarge youth engagement in agricultural value chains in the region. The event will consider the benefits and gains that youth can bri...

23/1

2023

25/1

2023

Training on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas
İstanbul (Türkiye), 23/01/2023 - 25/01/2023

Small-scale family farmers can be instrumental in elevating human rights in the food and agriculture sector – a key element in ensuring the sustainability of food security.

27/4

2022

28/4

2022

Subregional workshop on land market development in Central Asia
Hybrid Event, 27/04/2022 - 28/04/2022

The workshop will gather representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as experts from the government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to share experience in land market management

6/6

2023

8/6

2023

Third Regional workshop on integrated community development
Budapest (Hungary), 06/06/2023 - 08/06/2023

Based on country experiences, FAO aims at further developing the concept of integrated community development for Europe and Central Asia. FAO established an informal regional technical network on community development in 2019.