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The project is a pivotal step toward fostering innovation and cooperation in agricultural research across Central Asia and the Caucasus, ultimately contributing to regional food security and sustainable development.
4 December 2024, Ankara – Boosting research and innovation in agriculture is at the heart of a joint FAO-TAGEM project in countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Entitled “Developing a Platform for Applied Agricultural Research and Innovation among Central Asia and Caucasus (CAC) countries”, the project has organized bilateral and cross-country training and technical visits on plant health priorities and emerging agricultural research themes. It has also established a framework for enhanced collaboration among research institutions in the participating countries.
The ultimate aim of the project is to establish a regional platform for agricultural research to foster innovation and cooperation. A draft Letter of Intent, to be signed by the relevant ministries of the participating countries, was finalized at the project’s final workshop.
The final workshop took place on 28–29 November in Ankara, and was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye. It brought together regional experts and government officials from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye.
The workshop served as a forum to strengthen cooperation in agricultural research and plant health by identifying emerging research areas, gathering feedback on the proposed research platform and knowledge hub, and finalizing key documents. Participants also exchanged insights on the capacities of agricultural research institutions in the region, enabling the identification of potential areas for collaboration and the development of a network among institutions and experts.
The opening remarks were delivered by representatives of FAO, TAGEM and the Directorate General for Food and Control, underscoring the importance of regional collaboration to address pressing agricultural challenges.
Ayşegül Selışık, FAO-Türkiye Assistant Representative, emphasized the significance of the project, stating that: “This initiative reflects our shared commitment to advancing agricultural research and innovation. By fostering collaboration to address regional challenges and emerging agricultural threats, this project has paved the way for strengthened food security and sustainability. Through consultations, workshops and cross-country exchanges, we have fostered dialogue among institutions and identified critical needs to enhance agricultural research in the region.”
Fatih Özdemir, Deputy Director-General of TAGEM highlighted the importance of agricultural research in agricultural development and in addressing emerging challenges such as climate change and land degradation. He further indicated that with its 49 research institutes in different areas of agriculture, the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies is ready and prepared to collaborate in the advancement of agricultural research in the region.
In his opening remarks, Yunus Bayram, Deputy Director-General for Food and Control highlighted the importance of emerging transboundary pests and the role of “one health” approaches and regional collaboration for their prevention and management. Bayram also emphasized that the General Directorate is ready to share its experiences and expertise in integrated pest management with countries of the region.
During the subsequent technical discussions, Didem Kokden, the TAGEM expert on international collaboration, provided an overview of activities and achievements of the project to date.
A video exploring some of these achievements was also shown as part of a presentation given by Fazil Dusunceli, technical lead of the project, who also spoke about the emerging theme of “One Health”. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing common challenges of the region such as climate change and transboundary plant and animal pests and diseases and presented a case study on the importance of regional collaboration in managing wheat rust diseases in Central Asia and the Caucasus – a project supported by the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Programme.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the participants shared their recommendations on emerging agricultural research themes and strategies. The draft Letter of Intent to establish the proposed regional platform for agricultural research was then discussed and finalized. This platform represents a pivotal step in fostering innovation and cooperation in agricultural research across Central Asia and the Caucasus, and will ultimately contribute to regional food security and sustainable development.
