Collaboration among BSEC member countries on sustainable food systems
Ankara- Agricultural and food systems are undergoing dramatic changes worldwide, becoming increasingly globalized, concentrated, industrialized and science and capital-intensive. Rapid urbanization and increases in income levels are also driving changes in consumer preferences.
Although these developments provide immense opportunities, they can also give rise to challenges such as growing malnutrition, increased incidences of food safety issues and transboundary animal and plant disease outbreaks, misuse of antibiotics resulting in antimicrobial resistance, and significant levels of food loss and waste. Other more global challenges include environmental degradation and climate change. In addition, those segments of society that traditionally have less access to education, resources and capital, namely women, youth, the urban and rural poor, indigenous peoples and smallholders, face barriers to participation in modern value chains. For these reasons, strengthened and inclusive agriculture and food systems have a critical role to play in eliminating poverty and hunger, and increasing our resilience to pandemics and climatic and economic shocks. Sustainable food system must be examined holistically to generatepositive social, economic and environmentalvalues.
No region is free from these challenges. Therefore, developing sustainable food systems is also a priority of member countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Covering an area of nearly 20 million km² and a market of approximately 337 million people, BSEC has an internal trade volume of more than US4 167 billion annually, of which trade in agriculture products accounts for a significant share.
The BSEC Regional Cooperation Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) project, which represents a collaboration between by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Government of Turkey and the Permanent International Secretariat of BSEC, addresses these challenges through a regional approach. The Regional Cooperation Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (BSEC-CSFS) will have a budget of US$ 0.5 million available over three years (May 2020 to April 2023), funded by the Government of Turkey, and will provide BSEC member states with advice, guidance and information in the areas of food security and safety, poverty alleviation and sustainable natural resource management including aquatic resources and institutional capacities – with a view to making food systems more sustainable. The BSEC-CSFS will be equipped with a clear mandate, relevant institutional framework and technical capacity to enhance the sustainability of the whole food value chain from farm to fork among BSEC member countries.
This investment is vital to help countries recover from the short and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on food and nutrition security and to assist with rebuilding BSEC economies. By the end of the project, BSEC member states will be able to analyse and monitor food systems for sustainability and implement actions to build food systems that are more resilient to future shocks and crises.
About the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme on Food and Agriculture
The objective of the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme (FTPP) is to provide support to ensure food security and rural poverty reduction in countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Established in 2007, the programme benefits from trust fund contributions totalling US$ 20 million to date, financed by the Government of Turkey, and represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. During the first phase of FTPP (2009-2015), 28 projects were implemented in 16 countries. In 2014, Turkey and FAO commenced the FTPP II under which a range of projects will be implemented to address issues of food security and nutrition, agricultural and rural development, protection and management of natural resources, agricultural policies and food safety.
CONTACT :
KIVANÇ ÖZCAN
Communication Specialist
FAO Turkey
Journalists and editors:
For video, photos and audio clips contact: (+39) 06 570 53625 or [email protected].
Online tools:
Footage downloads: FAO Media Vault
Photos: FAOnews Flickr account
FAO online newsroom
RSS feed of FAO news releases
Follow us on Twitter: @FAOnews
FAO Regional Office | 20 Kalman Imre utca, H-1054 Budapest, Hungary| (+36) 1 4612000| www.fao.org/europe