FAO supports sustainable development strategies for the North Caucasus

On 5-6 September, Stavropol Krai, a region in the south of Russia, hosted the IV International Environmental Forum on “Green economy: strategies for sustainable development of cities and regions”. The forum was organized by the Southern Guild of bakers, confectioners, hospitality industry and the Russian environmental fund “TECHECO”, with support from federal and regional authorities.

The forum was conducted successively in three cities of the Stavropol region. In the beginning, the city of Stavropol hosted the plenary session “Environmental trends 2019: problems and search for new solutions”. It was followed by an exchange of views on several discussion platforms: “Smart city: global experience and local challenges”, “Recycling and disposal of waste: opportunities for eco-oriented business” and “Modern problems of environmental science and education”, as well as a round table on “Vegetarianism and veganism: harmonious development of the individual or basis of a healthy diet?”

The participants then moved to Pyatigorsk, where a session on “Clean water: a global problem of the modern world” was held. Thereafter, in Kislovodsk, experts discussed the “Prospects of the development of eco-tourism in Russia”.

The forum focused on the challenges of “greening” the economy, innovative technologies in the formation of “green” infrastructure, promotion of environmental education, prospects for the development of eco-tourism in Stavropol region.

Aghasi Harutyunyan, the Officer-in-Charge of the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, delivered presentations at the plenary (on the key drivers of the future of food and agriculture, including income growth and distribution, population growth, technical progress and climate change) and the sessions on the development of smart cities (on urban growth and its impact on food systems); clean water (FAO’s role in water resources management); ecotourism (importance of agritourism in rural development) .

The festive finale of the two-day forum was the planting ceremony of a United Nations rose alley in the center of Kislovodsk.