FAO, Azerbaijan to enter next-level partnership within new program - sub-regional coordinator

By Trend

The new phase of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) partnership program in Azerbaijan will be adopted soon, Viorel Gutu, Sub-Regional Coordinator for Central Asia at FAO, told Trend in an exclusive interview.

"We very much hope that the second stage of the FAO-Azerbaijan partnership program will be accepted by the Government soon, and our cooperation will reach a completely different level," he said.

According to the coordinator, technical problems that FAO can solve in the field of rural development can lead to practical results on the ground and significantly improve the lives of residents, especially in the rural areas of Azerbaijan, as well as impact various environmental issues.

Gutu pointed out that FAO is focused on protection of natural resources, i.e. soil, water, biodiversity, which are key to efficient agricultural production

"One of the projects that we discussed most intensively with the Government of Azerbaijan is connected with the food waste management. We are implementing this project at the regional level, we have given it the highest priority in Turkiye, and now we have achieved very significant results. We want to apply the experience gained in Turkiye in Azerbaijan, taking into account the interest in this project in the country," he said.

As the coordinator explained, the project is more focused on changing people’s mentality. FAO is trying to draw people’s attention to how much food is thrown away.

"Globally, more than a third of food products are loss and waste. This is a dramatic figure. This is a big problem that, if tackled, can solve many issues related not only to basic nutrition, but also to healthy food provision. The Government of Azerbaijan and FAO are very interested in this joint cooperation," he said.

Also, as the coordinator mentioned, a small team working on the regional forestry project, which is implemented within the framework of the FAO-Turkiye partnership program, is now in Baku.

"The project is aimed at restoring forests, increase forest plantations and improve soil condition through various technologies, growing both forest and agricultural crops. We pay great attention to our cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of climate change and soil and water conservation," he added.

According to him, water management issues will be raised within the framework of various projects in Azerbaijan.

"As a technical organization, we look at the problems of water in terms of its efficient and effective use, the implementation of various irrigation technologies. It is in terms of conserving resources and conserving those resources for our future generations that different methods of using water are used. This activity is more focused on farms," Gutu explained.

Water management is also considered from a fisheries perspective. There is a high potential for the development of the fisheries sector in Azerbaijan, he stressed.

"Azerbaijan is a very active participant in our Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission (CACFISH). It is a platform based on FAO, where the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Turkey exchange experiences, technologies and innovations in fisheries and aquaculture. The potential in this field in Azerbaijan is very high," he said.

As FAO representative pointed out, the number of people in the world suffering from hunger and malnutrition has increased over the past few years, reaching 828 million. At the same time, more than 3 billion people lack adequate healthy nutrition. These challenges are due to the coronavirus pandemic, various global conflicts, climate change, and other aspects.

"Unfortunately, what needs attention is that over the past three years this trend has been increasing, while we have set the goal to end hunger by 2030. We have very little time left," he said.

He said that FAO continued to raise with world governments the issue of access to healthy food for vulnerable populations.

Gutu noted that FAO has a very wide range of cooperation with Azerbaijan, and there are definitely prospects for further deepening of this partnership.

"We proceed with intensive dialogue with the Government of Azerbaijan in various fields. I have already met with the minister of agriculture, the minister of ecology and natural resources. We have several initiatives at the regional level that we would like to promote more extensively in Azerbaijan. We have a very close and active cooperation, and we will work together to further expand it," he added.