Kazakhstan And FAO Strengthen Agriculture And Climate Resilience Through New Projects

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.

“These three projects turn our shared priorities into practical action – from strengthening national breeding and seed systems to improving locust early warning and building the foundations for reliable soil carbon monitoring,” Jehle said. “Through the FAO–Kazakhstan Partnership Programme, we can support innovation, sustainability and resilience in agriculture while developing solutions that benefit farmers and rural communities in Kazakhstan and can contribute to knowledge-sharing across the wider region.”

Strengthening crop production
The project on Kazakhstan varieties and seeds will help address longstanding constraints in plant breeding and seed production. Food security, rural livelihoods and exports in Kazakhstan strongly rely on crop production – in particular cereals such as wheat, barley and maize. Still, domestic breeding institutions operate with outdated infrastructure, limited access to modern tools, slow introduction of new varieties and weak links among research, testing and commercial seed production. These challenges have contributed to greater reliance on imported varieties and seed.

The first phase will establish the scientific, institutional and governance framework needed to revitalize domestic breeding and seed systems, improve farmers’ access to high-quality planting material and reduce dependence on imports. It will cover both field crops and horticulture, including the apple sector, where stronger links between research and production can support diversification and investment. The project will also promote the participation of women farmers, researchers, extension workers and women-led farms so that new technologies and market opportunities are more widely accessible.

FAO will also help improve locust monitoring and forecasting through artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicles. Locust infestations pose serious threat to crops and rangelands and thus to food security and rural livelihoods. Improving early warning and reaction is key to avoiding or limiting damage, as well as for environmental sustainability, thanks to well-targeted control operations. This is a key pillar of the locust preventive control strategy promoted by FAO.

In close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Republican Methodological Centre of Phytosanitary Diagnostics and Forecasts and the Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine, FAO will develop modern geospatial and artificial intelligence tools for collecting, analysing and forecasting locust monitoring and treatment data. The work is expected to strengthen locust management in Kazakhstan, helping authorities respond more efficiently and reduce locust-related risks through this state-of-the-art approach.

Healthy soils for climate resilience
Kazakhstan manages more than 219 million ha of agricultural land, yet soil organic carbon losses in rangelands and rainfed areas are estimated at 20–40 percent over recent decades. This decline has weakened soil structure and water retention and increased vulnerability to extreme climate events.

To this end, a new project will support the development of a national monitoring, reporting and verification system for soil organic carbon. It will help Kazakhstan build a robust and internationally recognized framework for measuring soil carbon sequestration, supporting the country’s carbon-neutrality goal for 2060 and its commitments under its nationally determined contributions. Together, FAO and Kazakhstan will prepare an institutional and methodological workplan, modernize and certify the national laboratory network, pilot monitoring protocols in representative agroecological zones and strengthen national capacity.

Satellite and ground data will be used to develop soil organic carbon monitoring layers and analytical tools for integration into the existing national geoportal. The project will also strengthen laboratory capacity and conduct soil sampling to depths of up to 100 cm. At least 80 national specialists and 500 farmers will be trained, including women and young people.

In the coming years, the three projects will combine innovation, stronger institutions and practical capacity development to support a more productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural sector in Kazakhstan.