Programme launched to transform food systems in Tajikistan for improved nutrition, inclusive growth and sustainability

A new two-year joint programme focused on transforming food systems for better nutrition, launched today, is expected to directly benefit more than 17 000 people and indirectly reach more than 2 million people across Tajikistan. Its core objective is to strengthen institutional capacities and create an enabling policy environment while simultaneously introducing innovative, locally driven solutions that transform the way food is produced, processed and consumed.

The programme was launched during a joint steering committee meeting convened in Dushanbe by Parvathy Ramaswami, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, and Shirinjonzoda Mahmud, the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Food Security under the Government of Tajikistan.

The programme is financed by the Joint SDG Fund, a United Nations mechanism designed to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main implementing United Nations agencies are the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme.

“Transforming food systems is one of the critical accelerators for advancing the SDGs,” Ramaswami said during her opening remarks. “Since 2021, the United Nations has been partnering with the Government of Tajikistan to advancing food systems priorities. I am delighted that our collaboration will be continued within this joint programme, supporting the government’s cross-sectoral approach and introducing innovative solutions for food systems transformation and improved nutrition.”

At the meeting, the programme’s partners agreed on a unified food systems approach to guide programme implementation. They reviewed and endorsed a comprehensive draft work plan detailing key outputs and priority interventions and formulated recommendations to accelerate implementation and drive tangible progress towards improved nutrition outcomes.

“By transforming our food systems through innovation, inclusivity and sustainability, we will build a healthier and more resilient Tajikistan for future generations,” Mahmud said. “This initiative marks a turning point in our national effort to ensure that every citizen, especially those in our most vulnerable communities, has access to nutritious, locally produced food that is rooted in our values and guided by a shared vision.”

The joint programme will leverage existing national strategies and international best practices and make use of coordination mechanisms under the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, one of the programme’s partners.

Other partners include the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management, international finance institutions, development partners and embassies.