Tajikistan, United Nations advance food systems transformation for better nutrition

The Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations today convened the Second Joint Steering Committee meeting of the Joint SDG Fund Programme Transforming Food Systems for Better Nutrition in Tajikistan. Senior government officials, representatives of United Nations agencies and development partners met to review implementation progress, validate key achievements and provide strategic guidance for the programme’s next phase.

Co-chaired by the Committee for Food Security under the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the meeting reaffirmed the partners’ shared commitment to transforming food systems in Tajikistan to improve nutrition, strengthen food security and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Joint Programme is supporting Tajikistan in strengthening institutional capacities, improving policy coherence and promoting innovative, evidence-based solutions that place nutrition at the centre of food systems development. By fostering collaboration across sectors, including health, agriculture, education, finance and economic development, the programme is advancing a whole-of-government approach to food systems transformation.

Since its launch, the programme has supported the establishment of a multisectoral Technical Taskforce Team under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan, providing a platform for coordinated policy dialogue and technical collaboration. It is also supporting the development of the country’s national food systems-based dietary guidelines and advancing a pilot initiative on locally sourced school meals through joint assessments conducted in the Dusti and Balkhi districts.

The programme has also contributed to integrating nutrition priorities into national policy processes, including the draft State Programme on Improving Nutrition of the Population for 2026–2030. In addition, ongoing analytical work on sugar-sweetened beverage taxation and the ENHANCE study on the affordability of healthy diets will generate evidence to inform nutrition-sensitive fiscal policies and public investment decisions.

Parvathy Ramaswami, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, commended the Government of Tajikistan for advancing food systems in partnership with the United Nations and other development partners. Ramaswami added: “Food systems transformation is about people. We need to invest in community-based nutrition education, engage girls, boys, women and men to influence food habits, enlist community elders and leaders as champions of healthy diets, integrate nutrition into school curricula, and use digital and social media to advocate for healthy and sustainable living."

The Joint Steering Committee provides strategic oversight of the programme, endorses key results and promotes collaboration among government institutions, United Nations agencies, technical partners and development partners to advance sustainable food systems transformation.

“Building sustainable food systems is not the responsibility of one institution alone,” said Shirinjonzoda Mahmud, the First Deputy of the Committee for Food Security under the Government of Tajikistan. “It requires all sectors to work towards a common goal and make decisions based on sound evidence. The Joint Programme is helping us establish this collaborative approach, creating a stronger foundation for policies that improve nutrition, strengthen food security and support the country’s long-term development.”

The Joint Programme reflects the shared commitment of the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations to building healthier, more resilient and sustainable food systems that improve the lives of present and future generations.

It is funded by the United Nations Joint SDG Fund, a catalytic financing mechanism that supports integrated actions to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In Tajikistan, the programme is jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in close partnership with the Government of Tajikistan.