BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. The Agriculture Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Majnun Mammadov spoke at a regional event on "Improvement of food standards in Europe and Central Asia and expansion of participation in Codex activities", Trend reports.
"In the period of global threats and risks in the world (water shortage, drought, warming, desertification, industrialization, international conflicts, pandemics, and epidemics), food and food safety are a priority for mankind," he said.
The Minister noted that there are several organizations in the world dealing with food and food safety management and the adoption of international standards and guidelines. One of them is the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
"The Republic of Azerbaijan has been a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization within the framework of the "Joint Food Standards Program" since 2011," he noted.
International food standards, guidelines, and implementing rules of the Codex Alimentarius Commission contribute to the safety, quality, and fairness of international food trade, contributing to the provision of high-quality and safe food for all mankind at all times.
Majnun Mammadov said that, as always, Azerbaijan has established a food safety system meeting international standards in accordance with modern challenges, and the Association of Professional Accountants and Auditors, as the national coordinating body of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Azerbaijan, has developed and implemented a number of international and local standards in this field.
"It is well known that food security is directly related to the development of agricultural land. For this reason, food security is one of the basic conditions for the security of the state. However, in our modern world, with the deficits in food and nutrition mentioned in the reports of international organizations, these areas require a more attentive and sensitive approach. Thus, according to the estimates of the United Nations, in 2022, 735 million people around the world will suffer from hunger," the Minister emphasized.
He noted that 148 million children under the age of 5 have stunted growth due to malnutrition.
About 18,000 children died every day globally in 2018 from hunger and malnutrition.
"The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 30 percent of the world's population (two billion people) suffer from "hidden hunger." This is a condition in which the amount of vitamins and minerals is not at the proper level despite people consuming a certain number of calories," Mammadov said.
He added that more than 1 billion tons of food are wasted, and up to 17 percent of the food produced worldwide becomes unfit for consumption before it reaches the table.
Also, according to World Bank reports, food thrown into landfills in developed countries is 15 times the percentage of people who die of hunger worldwide.
"People around the world would not have problems with hunger if it were not for such unequal distributions," the minister said.
"Considering that every grain of cereal, every kilogram of bread, and every food item is valuable and worth the labor and capital investment, we see that the entrepreneur who produces hazardous food ultimately harms each and every one of us. Such food that is thrown away and destroyed means a loss of resources for the state. Thus, strict adherence to the Codex and legislative acts adopted by countries in the field of food safety also plays an important role in ensuring world food security," he added.
Majnun Mammadov also noted that the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, while continuing to contribute to food security, together with the relevant authorities, is directly involved in the work to deliver fully safe food "from field to table", applying the principle of "value chain".
"I would like to note that reconstruction works have started in our lands liberated by the Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, as a result of the 44-day war," the minister said.
He emphasized that in this direction, production of high-quality, safe agricultural products with control over agricultural lands and the creation of ecologically clean and epizootologically healthy zones have been started, and this sphere is one of the priorities of the ministry.
"In addition, plant and animal health are constantly at the center of the ministry's attention."Preventive works are regularly carried out, as are works to eliminate pests that pose a particular threat to plants and animals. Taking into account the international experience in the field of food security, reforms are carried out and state support is provided to entrepreneurs and farmers. Ensuring employment of the working population, affordability of food prices, and the eradication of poverty are always at the center of our state's attention," M. Mammadov added.