FAO–Uzbekistan Pact Targets Food Security and Rural Development
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Uzbekistan have signed a new cooperation framework aimed at delivering more targeted support to rural communities and strengthening the resilience of the country’s agri-food sector.
The framework focuses on improving territorial development strategies, ensuring food security and better nutrition, strengthening epidemiological surveillance under the “One Health” approach, promoting sustainable natural resource management, and reducing environmental risks in agriculture by 2030, The Caspian Post reported, citing Uzbek media.
The FAO–Uzbekistan Cooperation Framework for 2026–2030 is aligned with United Nations priorities in the country and the global Sustainable Development Goals. The agreement entered into force upon its signing by FAO Deputy Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia Viorel Gutu and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Agriculture Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov.
“Our partnership with Uzbekistan is based on a strong commitment to making the agri-food sector more inclusive, resilient, and resistant to external shocks,” Gutu said. “FAO brings world-class expertise and accumulated experience to improve the lives of rural families and support the development of local economies.”
Uzbekistan joined FAO in 2001, and the organization opened its country office in Tashkent in 2014. Despite being a landlocked country with largely arid and mountainous terrain, agriculture remains a cornerstone of Uzbekistan’s economy, accounting for around 19 percent of GDP in 2024. In recent years, the country has made significant progress in strengthening food security and improving nutrition, as reflected in international indicators and national data.
However, the sector continues to face serious challenges, including limited access to key resources—particularly for women and youth in rural areas—climate change, environmental degradation, evolving trade patterns, and dependence on transboundary water resources. These pressures highlight the need for a more focused and systematic approach to building agri-food resilience.
The new framework is designed to support Uzbekistan’s national priorities for transforming the agri-food sector, with particular emphasis on sustainable agriculture, efficient land and water use, climate resilience, rural development, and the creation of inclusive economic opportunities.
It also seeks to strengthen national capacity to implement effective territorial development strategies aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in rural areas. In the area of public health and nutrition, the framework prioritizes improved food safety systems, nutrition policies, and sanitary and epidemiological surveillance within the “One Health” framework.
Another major pillar is integrated land and water management, biodiversity conservation within agri-food systems, and the reduction of environmental risks. This includes plant protection, responsible chemical use, waste management, air and water quality control, and disaster risk reduction.
Currently, FAO is implementing 35 projects across Uzbekistan, covering areas such as school feeding programs, agricultural statistics, digitalization of agriculture, biodiversity conservation, integrated natural resource management, and promotion of the “One Health” approach, all aimed at supporting the sustainable development of the country’s rural regions.
