Sustainable Food Systems in Agriculture

Sustainable Food Systems in Agriculture FAO Deputy Director-General Vladimir Olegovich Rakhmanin stated, "Establishing sustainable food systems will be one of the strategic topics of the European Regional Conference. Other strategic issues are sustainable food value chains for nutrition and innovation and digitalization in agriculture. Dialogue with the private sector is very important in ensuring sustainability in food." The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (FAO REU) held a Private Sector Consultation Meeting. At the FAO REU-Private Sector Consultation Meeting, where food security issues were evaluated in light of recent developments, Demir Şarman, Chairman of the Board of TGDF, also delivered a speech representing the Turkish food and beverage industry. Ahead of the 33rd FAO European Regional Conference to be held this year, the meeting was organized to gather assessments from food and beverage producers in the region and to convey FAO's work in the region. In addition to experts from FAO, sector representatives from many countries participated in the meeting.

"Reducing food and agricultural input prices is the top priority"

The meeting, moderated by Brian Baldwin from the International Agriculture-Food Network, was opened by FAO Deputy Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia Vladimir Olegovich Rakhmanin. Noting that the pandemic and the subsequent conflict in the region have impacted the Sustainable Development Goals, Rakhmanin emphasized that reducing food and agricultural input prices is currently the highest priority. Vladimir Olegovich Rakhmanin conveyed that establishing sustainable food systems will be one of the strategic topics of the European Regional Conference, and stated that the other strategic issues are sustainable food value chains for nutrition and innovation and digitalization in agriculture. Rakhmanin also stressed that dialogue with the private sector is very important in ensuring sustainability in food. During the continuation of the meeting, information was provided about the issues to be addressed at the Regional Conference and the views of the private sector were gathered on various matters.

"We are pleased to work in cooperation with FAO"

At the meeting, Demir Şarman, Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Food and Beverage Industry Associations Federation (TGDF), also delivered a speech as an invited guest representing Turkey's food and beverage sector. Speaking in the section where the impact of the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on food security in the region and the world was evaluated, Şarman addressed the issue from both Turkey's and the global perspective. Noting that in today's world where food supply chains have become global, food security also needs to be evaluated in global terms, Şarman emphasized that states should take steps to act with common sense rather than make protectionist decisions hastily in times of crisis, allowing the world to overcome the crisis with minimal damage. Underlining that FAO plays an important leadership role in this regard, Demir Şarman expressed the satisfaction that the Federation, which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FAO, will participate in all kinds of joint work to ensure food security not only in Turkey but also in the region. The European Regional Conference is one of FAO's highest decision-making bodies According to the information provided, the 33rd FAO European Regional Conference will be held on 10-13 May this year in Poland with hybrid participation. The Conference, which is FAO's highest decision-making body at the regional level and convenes every two years, is attended by Agriculture Ministers from member countries, discusses issues related to food and agriculture, evaluates solution proposals, and determines the priority work areas for the following two years.