This project empowered local communities and promoted more sustainable pasture management practices for more responsible pasture usage. The programme’s influence extended beyond the local level, impacting national policies on sustainable pasture management through its implementation and revision of pasture laws.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat, that has been exacerbated by the inappropriate and excessive use of antimicrobials, especially in the human and livestock-related food-producing sectors. The Regional Legal Report presents the results of an analysis of the national legislation relevant to antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR in the food and agriculture sector that has been conducted in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The document discusses the findings of the legal analysis, gives recommendations for addressing weaknesses and formulates proposals for improving existing legislation in each country, with the ultimate goal of limiting the imprudent use of antimicrobials, and therefore decreasing the spread of AMR in food and agriculture.

Climate change is one of the most critical social and environmental concerns and the biggest threat to economic stability in human history. Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, are vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Although average forest cover is only 10.2 percent of these countries (FAO-SEC countries), they play an essential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, including human well-being and biodiversity co-benefits.

This report aims to highlight the current strengths of the institutional DRR system for agriculture in Azerbaijan as well as indicate existing gaps and capacity needs to further enhance it. A comprehensive assessment is conducted, which includes a general overview of the country’s agricultural sector and outlines the most frequent natural hazards that are impacting the sector. It is followed by an analysis of the existing legal, policy and institutional structure and discusses various components of the system, including e.g. the functioning of early warning systems, assessments of disaster risks, post-disaster needs assessments, including damages and losses assessments and the availability of agricultural insurance for farmers. It concludes by providing recommendations for capacity building interventions to strengthen the current system to reduce the adverse impacts of natural hazards, in particular, floods, landslides and droughts, and climate change on agriculture in Azerbaijan.

This report represents a synthesis of activities in development and testing of the participatory rangeland and grassland (PRAGA) methodology in Kyrgyzstan, including a national and regional baseline review, large-scale assessment & remote sensing, participatory mapping and indicator selection, field assessment results and validation workshops held to verify data and resulting conclusions that feed into next steps and technical and policy recommendations.

The project will help grass-roots rural women in Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, gain knowledge and skills to improve their economic status, start businesses and cooperatives, while empowering them to become agents of change in their communities. The project will also contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for rural women’s economic empowerment.

FAO’s work in Europe and Central Asia and throughout the world is guided by the FAO Strategic Framework, reviewed every four years. In its support for the 2030 Agenda and its drive for a transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, the new FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 focuses on what are called the four betters – a set of goals that, when implemented, will help ensure that no one is left behind. In each of the FAO programme countries and territories in Europe and Central Asia, the Organization and its many partners achieved great success in 2021 in advancing towards the four betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life. This report provides a snapshot of these important efforts and achievements.

Modernizing irrigation systems in Central Asia could increase the productivity of the irrigation sector to meet growing food and export demand, while also improving farmers’ livelihoods. It could ensure greater irrigation efficiency and crop productivity amid growing water scarcity in the region and deliver cost-effective and reliable irrigation services to farmers.