Uzbek students participated in the World Food Forum on Science and Innovation

October 25, 2023
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

The students of Tashkent State Agrarian University took an active part from 16 to 20 October in the World Food Forum October held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. The participation of the youth delegation from Uzbekistan was supported by the FAO Country Office in Uzbekistan and by the UNDP project (EU-AGRIN) funded by the European Union.

The forum convened young people to discuss the most effective ways to transform agrifood systems through innovation and technologies. Among them were the members of the National Youth Delegation of Uzbekistan – Abdusalom Abdurozikov, A’lo Kholmatova, Madina Saidullaeva, Farrukh Ziyodullaev and Khusniddin Erkulov, students of the Tashkent State Agrarian University.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

As noted in the national statement at during the Regional Youth Assembly session of the Global Youth Forum for Europe & Central Asia, “Despite the challenges that Uzbekistan faces in connection with the Aral Sea crisis, the country’s modern youth are the main driving force on the path to environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture and water conservation. As the guardians of both today and tomorrow, we recognize education as the cornerstone for a flourishing agrifood sector.

Within the framework of the World Food Forum, the youth delegation from Uzbekistan met with Angélica María Jácome Daza, FAO Director for the Office of Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries. The meeting provided good platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities for increasing the agrifood systems sustainability in landlocked countries, including Central Asia.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

The forum, which was held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), attracted hundreds of stakeholders from across the globe. Nearly 150 speakers from the world of academia, business, government and non-governmental organizations, as well as Indigenous People, shared their expertise and perspectives during a series of roundtables and panel discussions. Participants were also presented with the Action Plan 2022-2025 for the implementation of the FAO Science and Innovation Strategy, which provides a common framework for the agency's action at country, sub-regional, regional and global levels.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

The experts of the World Food Forum participated in Think20 (T20), the official engagement group of the Italian Presidency G20, bringing together leading think tanks and research centers worldwide. The Think20 (T20) is the official engagement group of the G20, bringing together leading think tanks and research centers worldwide. It serves as the ‘ideas bank’ of the G20 and aims to provide research-based policy recommendations to the G20 leaders. The T20 Italy strives to be inclusive, digital and policy-oriented in order to better engage the research community, policymakers and the public at large in the context of the year-long Italian presidency of the G20.

Due to an eventful and interesting programme, the week-long World Food Forum promoted dialogue and experience exchange that will greatly benefit youth, farmers, agricultural producers, policymakers, scientists, and investors about global food issues.