Working meeting of the Interdepartmental Group to consider issues of developing a National Strategy for the Conservation of Agrobiological Diversity of the Republic of Tajikistan                  

                                          

December 15, 2023 at the Rumi Hotel in Dushanbe on the initiative of the National Center for Biodiversity and Biosafety of the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) within the framework of the project “Conservation of agrobiodiversity to ensure sustainable food and nutrition security in Tajikistan" a working meeting of the Interdepartmental Group on the development of the National Strategy for the Conservation of Agrobiological Diversity of the Republic of Tajikistan was held with the participation of 35 representatives of ministries, departments and experts.

The seminar was opened with a welcoming speech by the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ms. Kiemzoda Zarafo. In his speech, Kiyomzoda Z. noted the importance and necessity of protecting agrobiological diversity and plant genetic resources for food production and nutrition. It was emphasized that the National Strategy for the Protection of Agrobiological Diversity of the Republic of Tajikistan is very necessary as an important strategic document regulating the protection of genetic resources and agrobiological diversity in order to ensure food security and reduce poverty.

During the meeting, speakers presented reports on the agrobiological diversity and genetic resources of Tajikistan, existing threats and obstacles, as well as planned activities for the development of the Strategy.

It was also noted that Tajikistan, as a mountainous country, is rich in biological diversity and genetic resources, 70% of the country's population depends on natural resources and genetic resources, and products of agrobiological diversity are the basis for food security and sustainable existence of the population of mountainous areas.

The seminar participants assessed the importance of developing a Strategy for the Conservation of Agrobiological Diversity to ensure the protection of genetic resources of agrobiodiversity as important and timely in the context of climate change, and made a number of proposals towards improving legislation on agrobiological diversity, training local farmers in the direction of protecting plant genetic resources, organizing seed banks, study of the price chain of agrobiodiversity products, restoration of local crops and development of the agrobiodiversity market.