On April 15, 2026, the 11th Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States was held in Bishkek under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers – Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, Erlist Akunkbekov.
The theme of the meeting was "Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Organic Agriculture for the Development of Sustainable Food Systems in the SCO Region."
An exchange of views took place on issues of agricultural policy, ensuring food security, trade and economic interaction, scientific and technological cooperation in agriculture, the development of cooperation in the fields of crop breeding and seed production, organic agriculture, and personnel training.
T.R.Midhun, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, noted that the Organisation's member states emphasize the need to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and ensure food security, diversify areas of interaction with a focus on innovation and resource conservation, and develop environmentally sustainable production methods.
The participants adopted a Plan of Actions for the implementation of the Program for the Development of Cooperation in the Field of Crop Breeding and Seed Production among the SCO Member States.
They also approved regulations for a new mechanism – the Expert Group on Cooperation in the Field of Crop Breeding and Seed Production within the framework of the SCO Member States' Permanent Expert Working Group on Agriculture.
A discussion on the Plan of Actions for 2026–2029 for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) took place.
Representatives of the FAO and the Eurasian Economic Commission participated in the meeting.