“Leave No One Behind” - The celebration of World Food Day in the Kyrgyz Republic

The agriculture fair and exhibition was organized for all women, men, girls and boys of the country and will be attended by high level officials, including the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, to reiterate the commitment of the Government to ensure safe and nutritious food for all. Everyone is welcomed to join, and, during the fair, there will be the opportunity to see and buy organic products of local farmers and celebrate the 95th anniversary since the establishment of Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic.

“This year, the World Food Day coincides with the 95th anniversary of the Ministry of Agriculture. During the fair, we will celebrate this important date by demonstrating our achievements and goals for the future, as well as provide the opportunity for the public to see over 200 Kyrgyz companies producing organic products with modern technologies, agricultural machinery, thoroughbred livestock and dozens of varieties of potatoes, apples, pears and various dairy products,” said Askarbek Janybekov, the Minister of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic.

In 2022, the main theme of the World Food Day is “Leave No One Behind”, a reminder to pay particular attention to those cohorts of the population that are most vulnerable in order for them to equally benefit from development, innovation and economic growth. Currently, millions of people around the world cannot afford a healthy diet, putting them at high risk of food insecurity and malnutrition which perpetuates poverty.

“Over 80 percent of the extreme poor live in rural areas around the world. They mainly rely on the agriculture sector to survive. Despite the world producing sufficient food to feed us all, access to and consumption of nutritious food is increasingly impeded by multiple challenges, including the Global Food Crisis, climate change and international tensions,” said Dinara Rakhmanova, Assistant FAO Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The World Food Day draws the attention of the public on the issues of food security and nutrition. UN agencies, together with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, have joined forces to organize this fair to raise awareness on the efforts required for agri-food systems to be sustainable and inclusive. This means not only supporting farmers expanding the horizons of agricultural production, but also working along the food chains to improve the accessibility and consumption of a healthy and nutritious diet.

“The world, including the Kyrgyz Republic is facing unprecedented challenges in the post-Covid recovery period and to face these challenges we need to listen to smallholder farmers, producers and rural communities to establish a sustainable food system. WFP continues to work in strengthening the food systems and support healthy diets for all, especially the most vulnerable communities through its projects in the country”, said Hilke David, the WFP Deputy Country Director and Officer-in-Charge in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16, was proclaimed in 1979 as a necessary measure to inform the population of the world's food problems that require immediate solutions. The countries around world had recognized the need to eradicate hunger from the planet and create conditions for the development of sustainable agriculture.

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For more information please contact:

Evgeniy Pechurin, Outreach Project Assistant, evgeniy.pechurin@fao.org, 0550838089

Almaz Tchoroev, Head of Communications and Donor relations Unit, almaz.tchoroev@wfp.org, 0550577597