Representatives of Asian and European countries to discuss food security in Samarkand
Representatives of more than 30 countries, as well as international organizations, will take part in the International Conference on Food Security in Samarkand on September 7-8. On the agenda is an analysis of the current state of food security in the world and the countries of Central Asia, a discussion of certain problems in the agro-industrial system and the search for their solutions. Among the key issues are the opening of "green" and express corridors for the supply of high-quality and affordable food between countries and more.
The event is organized by the Government of Uzbekistan with the technical support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the World Bank, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, the Asian Development Bank and others will be represented at the forum.
At the conference, Uzbekistan will present achievements in reforming the agricultural sector and will turn to the experience of the world community in order to establish a transfer of knowledge and innovative solutions, gazeta.uz reports.
“We all feel how climate change affects agriculture and, as a result, the provision of food for the population. Water resources are depleted, high temperatures have a negative impact on crop yields and livestock,” Uzbek Minister of Agriculture Aziz Voitov said. — Climate fluctuations make food production less predictable, which reduces the accuracy of forecasting and planning. Meanwhile, planning is the key to avoiding a shortage of certain products on the market.”
FAO estimates that about 2.3 billion people in the world are currently moderately or severely food insecure, of which a quarter, or 566 million, live in Asia.
The upcoming event will provide an opportunity to review progress towards the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal, which includes specific targets to improve food security and nutrition, as well as measures to develop sustainable agriculture by 2030, Viorel Gutu, FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Central Asia said.
Within the framework of the conference, the exhibition "Agro-food potential of Uzbekistan" and the first Agro-food investment forum of Uzbekistan will be held. More than 50 companies from Germany, Italy, Israel, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Poland, etc. will take part in the forum. Also, the conference participants will visit the enterprises directly and get acquainted with how things are at local agricultural farms.
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