Kazakh President addresses UN Food Systems Summit

NUR-SULTAN, September 24 (KAZINFORM) – Kazakh Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his speech at the UN Food Systems Summit, Kazinform cites the Akorda press service. In his speech, Tokayev pointed out the increasing importance of the task of creating conditions for sustainable development of food markets. According to him, the food systems affect all aspects of human being: physical existence, the environment, economy, and culture. «Kazakhstan, being an active participant of the global food supply chain, is committed to greener agriculture and its sustainable development. The county is among the top 10 producers of wheat and flour, exporting up to 7mln tons of wheat a year. Despite the potential limitations, the country managed to increase exports of oil crops to over 1 million tons. Yet, the food system needs to be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable,» said the Kazakh President. The Head of State noted that Kazakhstan sits in the zone with hazardous agriculture and is susceptible to droughts, adding that 40% of the country’s water potential depends on the flows from neighboring countries. «For more efficient use of the soil and water resources the measures are taken to increase fertility, implement water-saving technologies, and digitalize water supply systems. It is clear now that the issues of water diplomacy are more relevant than ever and of critical importance for many countries when speaking of sustainable food systems. The issues regarding food systems and water management, including the use of transborder rivers, are closely connected, which agreements of food systems should reflect,» said Tokayev. He mentioned that Kazakhstan initiated the establishment of the Islamic Organization for Food Security which now includes 36 countries with a total population of over 1.4bn people. Within the Organization, Kazakhstan offers pro bono humanitarian assistance as deliveries of wheat and flour to the countries in need, including Afghanistan, on a systematic basis. The Kazakh Head of State pointed out the importance of strengthening agro-technological, scientific, and innovational interaction between all countries as well as advance on financial, investment, transport, and logistics issues. «The UN Food and Agriculture Organization needs to play a more active role in ensuring global food security and creating sustainable ecosystems to support it. I hope that the Summit will enable us to move closer to achieving the second key sustainable development goal – famine elimination, ensuring food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture,» concluded the Kazakh President.