The 44th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference has commenced in the Italian capital, Rome.
The session is attended by ministers and deputy ministers of agriculture and ecology from more than 90 countries, along with other senior officials working in the fields of environment and food security, as well as representatives of international organizations.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture, Majnun Mammadov, is also participating in the event, which will run until July 4.
In his opening remarks, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu emphasized the need to move beyond rhetoric and called for collective will, dedication, and passion from all members, partners, and stakeholders to tackle interconnected global challenges and transform them into opportunities. He noted that achieving sustainable development and increasing agricultural productivity requires the integration of climate-smart and digital agriculture practices.
Delivering a speech at the plenary session on “Fostering Innovation for Food Security,” held as part of the 44th session, Azerbaijani Minister Majnun Mammadov highlighted the measures taken by the Azerbaijani government to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to agriculture. He described Azerbaijan as one of the first countries to align its state programs and strategies—covering socio-economic and environmental spheres – with the SDGs. He underscored that the implementation of new measures has led to substantial progress in creating a stable and sustainable agricultural and food system in the country.
Stating that global climate change is affecting agricultural production processes worldwide, Minister Mammadov emphasized that mitigating the effects of climate change and developing climate-friendly agriculture are among Azerbaijan’s top priorities.
He also noted the importance of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), to be held in Baku this November, saying that Azerbaijan will successfully host the global event and has already adopted several important international initiatives, including the COP29 Declaration for Climate Action.
Majnun Mammadov emphasized the critical role of digitalized, innovation-based agriculture in adapting to and mitigating climate change, highlighting the government’s significant investments in building climate-resilient agro-food systems.
The Minister stated that global cooperation is essential to building sustainable agro-food systems through transformation, and that Azerbaijan supports international efforts in this area and is ready for active collaboration via relevant multilateral platforms.
Other speakers at the session shared perspectives on the current state of the agricultural sector, strategies for increasing productivity, efficient land and water resource management, digitalization, production of quality products, and ensuring food security.