The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change Jusipbek Kazbekov, UN Permanent Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabine Mahl, representatives of state and international organizations, leading industry experts, and relevant departments.

The purpose of the event is to focus on the priorities of the FOLUR program in transforming the agro–food sector of Uzbekistan by solving key environmental and climate problems.

"The project is supported at the government level and is included in the Action Plan approved by the decree of the head of our state dated June 10, 2022, "'On Measures to Create an Effective System to Combat Land Degradation", and covers the Kashkadarya and Khorezm regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The aim is to introduce best practices and innovations to create sustainable and inclusive production landscapes and wheat-based value chains. The program is also aimed at protecting ecosystems and biodiversity in our country", said Jusipbek Kazbekov.

The FOLUR program aims to promote the widespread introduction of effective land-use technologies and environmental approaches and the creation of environmentally friendly value chains to realize the transition from ecosystem degradation to sustainable management with numerous benefits.

"This project marks the beginning of our joint efforts to support Uzbekistan's initiatives to combat land degradation. I am confident that thanks to the successful implementation of FOLUR, we will be able to solve the problems of soil and agricultural degradation together, lay the foundation for sustainable agriculture, and improve the quality of life of people. I encourage everyone to actively participate in the development of the work plan, as the contribution of each of you will be an important factor in ensuring the success of this initiative", said Sabine Mahl. 

The project's launch represents a significant step for the state toward sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Increasing agricultural demands, coupled with low productivity in the agri-food sector, are responsible for 80 percent of global deforestation, 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawal, a major driver of landscape degradation and biodiversity loss, and nearly 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. These challenges pose a threat to food security, nutrition, poverty reduction, and broader socioeconomic progress. Given Uzbekistan’s extreme continental climate, with its hot summers, dry conditions, and variable temperatures, the country faces unique agricultural hurdles. Desert soils, characterized by low organic matter and poor structural properties, limit agricultural productivity. 

“The project aims to boost wheat production productivity while minimizing negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity and expanding the production and distribution chain. Six districts across three regions of the Republic will carry out this project. Within the framework of the project, in cooperation with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), by equipping reserves with modern equipment, the negative impact exerted on them by residents of surrounding villages will be reduced. Additionally, one of the project’s goals is to identify the sources of increased dust storms in recent years and to develop strategies to prevent them”, said Aziz Nurbekov, national coordinator of the FOLUR project.

As part of the FOLUR project, it is planned to carry out ecological restoration of territories with a total area of 50 thousand hectares, another 50 thousand hectares will switch to improved methods of biodiversity management, and the lands occupied by wheat with a total area of 300 thousand hectares will be transferred to improved methods of land management.