Key international food security issues to be discussed in Samarkand

An international conference on Food Security will be held in Samarkand on September 7-8. The agenda includes achieving the goal of "Zero Hunger" by the world, opening express corridors for the supply of products between the participating countries and not only. The event is also designed to review the current state of food security in the world and the countries of Eurasia, discuss the key tasks of the agro-food system that hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (2) and try to find a solution to these problems.

These issues are among the priorities of the state policy of our country. To this end, work is being carried out on the rational use of land resources, the introduction of modern technologies in the agro-industrial sector, measures are being taken to stimulate the work of agricultural workers and other measures. Goal 30 of the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026 provides for an increase in the incomes of dehkans and farmers at least twice, ensuring an annual increase in agricultural volumes by at least five percent due to intensive development of agriculture and the use of advanced scientific achievements, specialization of districts on the cultivation of a specific type of products.
The expansion of the scale of state support and the introduction of new insurance mechanisms in agriculture, the cultivation of export-oriented products and the development of fruit and vegetable growing, the increase in the area of intensive gardens by three times and greenhouses by two times, the export potential by an additional billion dollars are indicated.
The Head of State has repeatedly drawn attention to the relevance of these issues. Thus, on August 11 of this year, in Bukhara, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video conference was held on ensuring price stability through increasing food production and guaranteed energy supply to the population and economic sectors. 
It is determined that from now on the lease term of 73 thousand hectares of land allocated for 10 years will be extended to 30 years; 100 thousand hectares of unused pastures will be allowed to be leased to pastoralists for a period of 10 years, the area of one plot will be at least 10 hectares. When granting land to the needy population included in the Unified Register of Social Protection, it will be exempt from paying all types of land payments. 
The instruction was given to replace the plots that did not arouse the interest of the population with lands close to water sources and settlements, and to put up new cultivated lands for transparent auctions. 
It was emphasized that this will allow to prepare a million tons of products and provide an additional 800 thousand people with income. The implementation of the program for growing grapes, pumpkins, melons, watermelon and vegetable crops on the edges of fields, harvesting 220 thousand tons of additional products due to this, maintaining 600 thousand heads of poultry and 300 thousand bee hives was considered.
At the same time, in today's realities, issues of ensuring food security go beyond the efforts of a particular country and become the subject of combining the actions of states in creating a common food market - an important element of countering possible threats. Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a comprehensive approach to multi-stakeholder partnerships for the implementation of national Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among them is ensuring food security.
International context
According to the UN terminology, food security means that all people at any time have physical, social and economic access to a sufficient amount of safe and nutritious food that meets their nutritional needs and dietary preferences for an active and healthy life.  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has identified four pillars of food security: availability, access, use and sustainability. The UN recognized the right to food in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and has since stated that it is vital for the realization of all other rights. The main global policy to reduce hunger and poverty is laid down in the SDGs. In particular, Goal 2 (Zero hunger) The SDGs set globally agreed targets for eliminating hunger, ensuring food security and improving nutrition, as well as sustainable agricultural development. 
 As part of the actions to achieve the SDGs, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened a Summit on Food Systems in September 2021 in New York. The event marked the beginning of new measures aimed at achieving progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which depends to some extent on sustainable and fairly functioning food systems. 
According to FAO estimates (results of 2021), about 2.3 billion people are currently in conditions of moderate or acute food insecurity, of which Asia accounts for 25 percent, or 566 million people. 
Objectives and expected results
The international conference in Samarkand is designed to consider the current state of food security in the world and the countries of Eurasia, to discuss the key problems of the agro-food system that hinder the achievement of SDG 2. 
The event will be attended by ministers and diplomats from more than 30 countries, as well as representatives of international, scientific organizations, financial institutions, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Economic Cooperation Organization, the World Bank, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, the Asian Development Bank and more. The parties will conduct a critical analysis of the state of implementation of measures to achieve Goal 2 of the SDGs to move towards "Zero Hunger". In this context, the participants will be provided with information on the implementation of the decisions of the UN Summit on Food Systems, held in September 2021. Special emphasis is supposed to be placed on the state of food security in the countries of Eurasia. 
Equally important will be a special session dedicated to the landlocked developing countries of the region to discuss common problems and find sustainable solutions for the development of agri-food systems and agricultural trade. 
The discussions will include a broad exchange of views on the current situation in the field of food security at the national, regional and global levels. 
Uzbekistan will present its own achievements in reforming the agricultural sector, as well as turn to the experience of the world community to establish the transfer of knowledge and innovative solutions. 
 - Today, the whole world is facing the problems of land degradation and water scarcity, a pandemic and an unstable geopolitical situation. Against the background of these challenges, the issue of food security is becoming more acute," commented the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan Aziz Voitov. - Climate change significantly affects agriculture and, as a result, the provision of food to the population. Water resources are being depleted, high temperatures negatively affect crop yields and livestock. 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. 
Also on the agenda is the opening of green and express corridors between the participating countries for direct supplies of high-quality and affordable food. 
As a result of the discussions, it is planned to adopt general principles and approaches to ensuring food security, which will provide for specific measures to bring the regulatory framework closer, harmonize standards and certifications that contribute to the growth of regional food trade, as well as joint research and innovation. It is also planned to develop programs for the cultivation and processing of agricultural crops, the formation of coordinated schemes of direct mutual supplies, the organization of effective logistics, green and express corridors for the delivery of high-quality and affordable food. 
Within the framework of the FAO Strategy in the Field of science and Innovation for 2022-2031, it is proposed to discuss the possibilities of creating:
 - a permanent platform for interaction of scientists in the field of agricultural science;  
- unified food security monitoring system;
 - electronic food trade balance; 
- evidence-based agricultural production monitoring systems for planning production volumes, policy measures and development programs.
The exhibition "Agro-food potential of Uzbekistan" and the first Agro-food Investment Forum of Uzbekistan will also be held within the framework of the event.  More than 50 companies from Germany, Italy, Israel, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Poland, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan will take part in the latter.