SCO webinar on food security

A webinar, "SCO food security: Smart agriculture development," was held in Yangling on 10 March under a joint action plan of the SCO Secretariat and FAO for 2001-2023.

It was organised by the SCO Secretariat, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the SCO demonstration base for agricultural technology exchanges and training in Yangling.

The webinar was attended by representatives of interested ministries, departments, companies, and scientific and business circles, as well as experts on agricultural production and food security from Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Speaking at the webinar, SCO Deputy Secretary-General Sherali Jonon noted the importance of promoting agricultural high technology and innovations and enhancing food security in the post-pandemic period. He emphasised the FAO's active support for the drafting and adoption in 2020 of a joint action plan on implementing the memorandum of cooperation. This plan is a big package of thematic events providing for closer hands-on cooperation of the relevant departments of the SCO member states until 2023.

Speaking about Yangling, Mr Jonon noted that the use of its potential as an agricultural high-tech industrial zone can promote SCO cooperation in developing cutting-edge agricultural clusters and enhancing food security. The SCO countries have already launched thematic online courses for their agriculture specialists.

"In the Moscow Declaration, the leaders of the SCO countries advocated the further promotion of agricultural cooperation. They paid special attention to the effective implementation of the SCO Food Security Cooperation Programme adopted in October 2018. The plan for carrying out this programme approved by the agricultural ministers of the SCO countries in 2020 is an important practical step in this regard. A discussion of member states' new initiatives lies ahead," noted Mr Jonon.

Shi Gaoling, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee and Deputy Executive Secretary of the Board of the Yangling Agricultural High-Tech Industry Demonstration Zone, addressed the participants with a welcome speech. He noted the relevance of the topic in the current conditions, and expressed the readiness of the SCO demonstration base to conduct a series of studies and exchange experience on this subject. Today, Yangling is focused on building a smart agricultural valley and establishing platforms such as the Yangling international joint agricultural laboratory and Yangling Smart.

In his speech, FAO Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia Vladimir Rakhmanin thanked the SCO Secretariat and his colleagues in Yangling for offering their venue and noted the great importance of food security and modern agricultural development.

"The agrarian sector is a serious producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the air. To prevent agriculture from polluting the environment and make it more sustainable, it is necessary to use new smart technology that is capable of averting environmental pollution, preserving biodiversity and making the food systems sustainable environmentally, economically and socially," Mr Rakhmanin said.

Today, the FAO is working on the adoption of a new strategy for 2022-2031. Its goal is to create food systems that would be environmentally sustainable, inclusive and immune to the impact of external factors. These systems are designed to upgrade the existing standards in four areas: production, food quality, the environment and living standards. The diplomat urged the participants to conduct active dialogue at the UN summit on food systems scheduled to take place during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly session in September 2021.

The participants discussed different aspects of food security and factors preventing its effective development. They exchanged opinions and practices of introducing innovations and promoting digital technology in the SCO countries.