Agrarian and aquaculture sector in Russia: points of growth

On 17 September, FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation and the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev held a video conference discussing current trends, mid-term prospects, breakthrough technologies and conditions for the accelerated development of the agricultural and aquaculture sectors of the Russian economy in the post COVID-19 pandemic period. 

Leading scientists, successful business people, and chief executives of large territorial agricultural complexes, college professors and students from various regions of Russia took part in the conference. 

The conference moderator, Professor of the Moscow agricultural Academy, Doctor of Economics, Honored Scientist A.V. Golubev made a keynote report on the possibilities and conditions of accelerated development of the agro-food complex of Russia in conditions of global challenges of the XXI century, proposing to the audience the analysis of the main indicators of current development of Russian agriculture, its intersectoral linkages, the degree of implementation of achievements of scientific and technological progress. 

Mr Oleg Kobiakov, Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, outlined global trends in agri-food markets in his overview and analytical report “Sustainable Development Goal 2: ten years to go. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020”, and answered questions from the audience. 

Mr Oleg Kobiakov presented systematized data on the dynamics of the development of world agriculture and aquaculture, key problems of food and environmental security, the role of FAO in the phased solution of the main goals of sustainable development, FAO’s interaction with other international organizations, specialized universities, and research and production centers in Russia. 

The renowned experts shared their vision of the urgent tasks facing Russian agrarians and outlined the accumulated experience of the implementation of modern achievements of domestic agricultural sciences for the purpose of promoting sustainable development. The following knowledgeable specialists  took the floor: Doctor of Chemistry, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.D. Karakotov, Director General of the “Schelkovo-Agrokhim Company”; Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences G.I. Karlov, Director of the All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural biotechnology; Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences M.K. Glubokovsky, Scientific Director of the All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography; Doctor of Economics I.I. Golubov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Uglich poultry farm; Roman Kovalsky, Minister of Agriculture of the Saratov Region, as well as other prominent experts. 

Summing up the results of the three-hour online conference attended (it was attended by 185 experts from various spheres of the agro-industrial sector and fisheries), the rector of the Timiryazev Academy, Academician Dr Vladimir Trukhachev expressed deep gratitude to all the participants and shared his anticipation of regular mutually enriching interaction and joint academic research for strategic and innovative solutions to the acute problems of the Russian agri-food complex.