From policy to practice: FAO Regional Conference advances sustainable agrifood systems transformation – Food and Agriculture Organization

©FAO/Aziz Sattori
With the adoption of the joint report by consensus, the Thirty-fifth Session of the Regional Conference for Europe concluded in a positive spirit on 14 May. Hosted by Tajikistan in the capital, Dushanbe, the event was attended by over 230 participants, including representatives of more than 50 Members and of United Nations agencies, civil society, the private sector, research and academia, and rural youth.
The Regional Conference placed sustainability at the centre of the region’s agrifood systems agenda, calling for urgent and coordinated action to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation. Delegates emphasized the need to scale up climate-resilient and biodiversity- and water-friendly practices, strengthen local food systems, reduce food loss and waste and improve soil health. Digital innovation, data-driven decisions and early-warning systems were highlighted as essential tools for transformation.
Delegates also stressed the importance of securing land tenure rights, stronger land governance and integrated policies across climate, biodiversity and land-use agendas. They tasked FAO with supporting Members through policy guidance, technical assistance, regional collaborations and partnerships.
Strengthening efforts for agrifood systems transformation
Members agreed that agrifood systems transformation requires a coherent, systems based and regionally tailored financing approach that simultaneously supports climate action, resilience, food security, nutrition and environmental sustainability. Persistent barriers to finance for smallholders, agricultural enterprises, women and youth – including limited access to credit, fragmented finance mechanisms and insufficient institutional capacity – were underlined.
The Regional Conference highlighted FAO’s comparative advantage in strengthening the evidence base for agrifood systems financing, facilitating policy dialogue and translating policy priorities into bankable programmes. Members called for more strategic use of public finance to mobilize private investment, expand blended finance, repurpose subsidies and align them with sustainability goals. They also urged FAO to continue supporting countries through analytical work, capacity development, investment support and stronger engagement with international financial institutions.
Delegates stressed the importance of advancing gender transformative and inclusive approaches that address structural inequalities and ensure the sustained participation of women, youth and vulnerable groups throughout project durations. Delegates also encouraged continued progress on digital innovation, including the responsible use of digital tools to support youth engagement, national ownership and sustainable investment in agribusiness. In addition, the Conference urged FAO to strengthen the humanitarian–development–peace nexus, linking emergency response with recovery, resilience building and long term agrifood systems transformation amid intensifying crises.
The Regional Conference for Europe is the Organization’s highest decision-making body for the Europe and Central Asia region. The 35th Session included a four days of discussions, enriched with side and special events, as well as a field trip to Tajikistan’s Almosi Valley – an integrated agropastoral system adapted to mountain conditions that was recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) last year.
35th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe
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