An Event Dedicated to World Food Day was Held at the Heydar Aliyev Center

On October 27, an event dedicated to World Food Day was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, organized jointly by IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The event was attended by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Union, and FAO Goodwill Ambassador, Leyla Aliyeva.

In her speech, Leyla Aliyeva noted that this event is a great opportunity to draw the world's attention to challenges such as hunger and food security. Referring to this year's World Food Day theme, Leyla Aliyeva emphasized that as an FAO Goodwill Ambassador, a tireless environmental activist, and above all, a resident of the world, she is very sensitive to this issue. "With the new reality of a changing climate, we must radically change the way we produce and consume food," said Leyla Aliyeva, highlighting the importance of the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"If we want to ensure food security for the gradually growing world population, we must achieve sustainability, productivity, and sustainable development in agriculture," said the head of IDEA, noting that climate change affects ecosystems and rural populations more than any other factor. In this regard, she noted the importance of implementing FAO's climate-smart agriculture approach worldwide to change and redirect agricultural systems. Leyla Aliyeva spoke about the activities of IDEA over the past five years and shared information about a new project that is of particular importance for food security and environmental protection.

The Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation said: "Thanks to our efforts to support the marine environment and help rural communities that depend on it, IDEA has recently proposed a project for the comprehensive cleanup of the Kura River delta. Why is this project so important? First of all, I would like to note that the Kura River, starting from our western borders and stretching to the Caspian Sea, spans nearly a thousand kilometers and is of great importance to the people living on its shores. In addition, the Kura River is the primary spawning ground for the Caspian sturgeon, one of the oldest and rarest fish in the world."

The Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation stated that the new project aims to improve fish stocks, water quality, and the overall environment, which will benefit both the environment and the local population. She stressed that a large number of people suffer from food shortages, and this issue causes more deaths than diseases like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

In conclusion, Leyla Aliyeva said: "With our work, hope, faith, courtesy, and love, we can solve all problems and build a brighter future."

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Huseyngulu Baghirov, highlighting the importance of the event, emphasized that climate change, food security, and supply issues are of concern to everyone. The minister noted that agriculture suffers the most from climate change, and thanks to investments in recent years, the country's water resources have increased. He spoke about the measures being taken to prevent environmental pollution and emphasized that, thanks to the use of alternative energy and tree planting campaigns, the area of forest land in Azerbaijan has increased significantly. The minister stated that the amount of harmful gases emitted into the atmosphere in the country has significantly decreased. Four wind and four solar power stations have been installed. Our goal is to produce 25% of our energy from alternative sources in the future. Huseyngulu Baghirov noted that over the past 15 years, more than 100 million trees have been planted in an area of 144,000 hectares in our country.

The head of FAO's Partnership and Coordination Office in Azerbaijan, Melek Cakmak, spoke about the history and mission of the organization she represents. She emphasized that without addressing climate change, it is impossible to defeat poverty and hunger. It is important to unite efforts in this area. She noted that according to forecasts, the world's population will reach 9.6 billion by 2050. In this regard, FAO believes that agricultural production must increase by 60% by 2050. One of the main challenges in this regard could be climate change. Therefore, the theme of this year's World Food Day is "Climate is changing: food and agriculture must too." To date, 177 states have signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and 2016 has been declared the year of climate action. Simultaneously, 2030 has been set as the target year for achieving the complete eradication of hunger worldwide.

Then a video message from FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva on World Food Day was shown.

The event continued with panel discussions on "Climate Change, Food Security, and Small Family Farms."

The panel discussion, chaired by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Seyfaddin Talibov, was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture, ADA University, and FAO. The discussions touched on issues such as the impact of climate change on food security and small family farms in the country, identifying challenges faced by the government, civil society, and other stakeholders in combating the negative effects of climate change on agriculture, and identifying opportunities and topics for expanding cooperation with FAO and other key stakeholders.