DUSHANBE, May 6, 2016, Asia-Plus — Having made major strides in reducing the prevalence of hunger, many countries in Europe and Central Asia are now looking to improve the quality of people”s diets and transform their food systems in order to adapt to climate change, optimize the use of natural resources, and cut waste.
The absolute number of hungry people in the region – measured in terms of their caloric energy intake – dropped by at least 40 percent since 1990, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva noted in a policy speech made on May 4 at the start of the biennial FAO Regional Conference for Europe in Antalya, Turkey.
For example, in 48 of 53 countries in the wider Europe and Central Asia region, the combined overweight and obesity prevalence in the adult population exceeds 55 percent, while relatively high rates of stunting continue to be seen among children in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Pointing out that a substantial number of the region”s poor and malnourished people live in the countryside, the Director-General said that fostering dynamic rural economies must remain at the heart of development efforts.
To support such work, FAO has embarked on two priority regional initiatives.
The first focuses on empowering smallholders and family farmers in order to improve their livelihoods and resilience to disasters and shocks, including climate change. Spillover benefits include bettering people”s nutrition and making the use of natural resources in food production more sustainable.
The second regional initiative aims at improving the agriculture and food trade-policy environment in ways that can help small- and medium-sized farm operations thrive and expand.
Armed conflicts are one cause, but climate change, food-chain threats such as agricultural pests and diseases, rural poverty, climate-induced natural disasters and other harsh realities also put pressure on families and communities, FAO director-general said.
Prioritizing food security, agriculture, and rural development can help support the establishment of peaceful and stable societies, Graziano da Silva argued, describing sustainable development as an essential element for building a safer, more peaceful world.
FAO Regional Conferences take place every two years, bringing together in the case of Europe and Central Asia delegates from 53 member countries and one member organization (the European Union). Numerous observer organizations representing civil society and the private sector also participate. The Conference sets regional priorities for food and agriculture, and oversees FAO”s active field program and other work in the region.
