Samarkand will become the center of world food security in September.

An international conference on food security will be held in Samarkand on September 7-8 this year. About 70 foreign ministers of agriculture are expected to participate in this conference, which will be held in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Food security is one of the most urgent global problems, and the governments of all countries of the world are trying to find a solution to this problem. The need to fundamentally change the current approaches and views on food production and distribution is being repeatedly emphasized from the highest platforms, including the UN and its Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Because, according to scientists, if rational use is established, the existing agriculture, forestry and fishing farms are able to fully supply humanity with food and create a source of income for the population as in the pamphlet.

Unfortunately, indifference to nature, increasing anthropogenic influence on it, wastage, growing difference in the food balance between developed and developing countries, and climate change are causing a number of negative factors. Natural gifts, fresh water, seas, forests, biodiversity are rapidly decreasing, land fertility is decreasing and soil is being degraded. As a result, humanity is threatened by dire dangers such as malnutrition, hunger, and deterioration of the population's lifestyle. According to UN data, by 2050 the number of hungry people in the world will reach 2 billion. reaches a person. Malnutrition-related death rates among children also show alarming figures.

There is another side to the matter. Agriculture is the largest employer in the world. Today, 40 percent of the population of the planet makes a living through this industry. It is a major source of income and employment for families in impoverished villages. According to the data, five million smallholder farms, mostly dryland, supply 80 percent of food in developing countries. Therefore, the development of this sector will be a solid foundation for improving the lifestyle of the general population.

It should be said that ensuring food security is a guarantee of ensuring the independence, socio-economic and political stability of Uzbekistan as well as all other countries. This problem has not lost its relevance in our country. At the same time, the demand for food products is increasing, and the per capita consumption is increasing due to population growth. At this point, it is worth noting that the issue of ensuring food security in Uzbekistan is given priority at the state level. In particular, the adoption of the Decree of the head of our country on January 16, 2018 "On measures to further ensure the country's food security" and the "Strategy for the development of Uzbekistan's agriculture for 2020-2030" was a turning point in this regard. After all, the strategy indicates that the share of undernourished people in Uzbekistan as of 2018 is 6.3 percent. Reducing this share to 5 percent by 2021, to 3 percent by 2025, and to zero by 2030 is set as a priority.

A number of practical measures are being taken to ensure food security in Uzbekistan. In particular, the legislation aimed at ensuring productive and efficient use of land and water resources in agriculture is being further strengthened; the share of food products in the composition of agricultural products is increasing.

Another important direction is the improvement of the water use system in order to grow agricultural food products in the necessary volumes. After all, the introduction of drip irrigation technologies allows to reduce the volume of mineral fertilizers to a certain extent. This will help to reduce the cost of food and solve the problem of land quality deterioration..

At the same time, in order to solve the tasks of increasing the yield of agricultural products and productivity in animal husbandry, priority is given to the promotion of the introduction of modern agrotechnologies, the creation of an effective system of purchase and preparation, distribution, processing and sale of agricultural food products..

At the international conference on food security, which will be held in Samarkand in September, the work carried out in this regard in Uzbekistan will be demonstrated to the world community, the international experience in this regard will be studied, and general solutions, recommendations and conclusions will be drawn up for everyone. The holding of this event in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO will further increase its prestige and ensure the global significance of the conclusions reached at the conference.

For reference

UN Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO organized at the first conference in Quebec (Canada) on October 16, 1945. It was. This day is celebrated every year as World Food Day.

In 1946, FAO received the status of the United Nations Specialized Agency for Nutrition, Food and Agriculture.

FAO's main objectives: to increase the quality of nutrition and the standard of living of people, to ensure the increase in the efficiency of the production and distribution of food products, to improve the condition of the rural population, the growth of the world economy and the liberation of humanity from hunger and malnutrition.

From August 1, 2019, the General Director of the organization is Tsui Dun'yu (China). The highest body is the Conference of FAO Member States, which is convened every two years. The next, 43rd session of the Conference will be held on July 1-7, 2023 in Rome. The governing body is the FAO Council, which consists of 49 member states elected for three years. As a rule, Council sessions are convened twice a year.

FAO has offices in more than 100 countries, regions and sub-regions.