Representatives of the region’s parliaments agree on the need to improve agrifood systems

Representing 22 national parliaments from across Europe and Central Asia, including both those from the European Union (EU) and non-EU countries, participants at a regional meeting of parliamentarians on agrifood systems have raised their voices for the transformation of rural agrifood systems to be more inclusive and more resilient. After two days of intense and constructive discussions, the regional meeting, hosted by the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania in Tirana, and facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), concluded yesterday.

FAO defines agrifood systems as the entire range of actors and related activities that add value in agricultural production and related off-farm activities, including also post-harvest handling, food storage, transportation, processing, distribution, marketing, and consumption. 

 In her opening speech of the event, the Speaker of the Parliament, Elisa Spiropali mentioned that the Parliament of Albania adopted many laws and legal amendments in the recent years, as well as supported and rectified international agreements between the government and its partners on mechanisms and resources to spur agricultural and rural development. 

“While governments are critical for implementation, it is you – the parliamentarians – who are uniquely positioned to ensure that sustainable agrifood system transformation is a priority in national agendas,” underlined Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative in his video message. “You have an important role to play in supporting policy adoption, establishing legislative and regulatory frameworks, allocating needed resources and fostering policy coordination across sectors and agencies. This first parliamentarian summit in Albania underscores the critical role of parliamentarians in the work we all are trying to accomplish.”

As Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union emphasized in a video statement, “It is our shared responsibility to ensure that policies are grounded in evidence and equity because one of the great injustices of our time is that a healthy diet remains a luxury for too many.”

The events of recent years have taken a toll on the food and agriculture sectors globally – and countries of Europe and Central Asia are not an exception. The meeting thus put a strong emphasis on improving resilience and supporting the vulnerable populations in rural areas.

Two days of collaboration and mutual learning

The meeting featured plenary sessions and panel discussions on pressing issues of agrifood system transformation to allow participants from various countries to share their insights and diverse approaches on the status of agrifood systems and the role of legislative bodies, and more specifically on the role of the agrarian committees in addressing and responding to crises and challenges affecting food system transformation, and in the introduction of innovative approaches for enhanced sustainability.

©FAO/Gent Onuzi

As the first event of its kind, the regional meeting allowed parliamentarians and other legislators to engage into discussions with their peers and share information and good practices regarding, among other points, parliamentary action and legislative measures to support agrifood systems transformation. They discussed the best ways to collaborate with other relevant actors such as the civil society, private sector, and the international community for greater impact and inclusiveness, as well as to create an enabling legal environment for responsible investment in agrifood systems. 

On the second day of the meeting, a visit to an agrotourism business – as an example of an innovative linkage between agriculture and tourism, which are key sectors in Albania – highlighted the potential benefits of collaboration with private entities in the agrifood sector and provided participants with first-hand experience on this Albanian business-to-business initiative.