First CAREC Food Security Working Group Meeting

In support of ADB’s $40 billion by 2030 investment program for food systems transformation, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) working group convened in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic from 21 to 23 May to discuss regional programming prioritizing agriculture and food security. Kyrgyz Republic’s Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry Mirbek Duisheev and KYRM CD Zheng Wu opened the event, attended by representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and development partners including the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, and the World Bank.

The consultations prioritized measures to promote agriculture modernization, food trade, food tracking and traceability systems for livestock exports, food processing, climate-smart agriculture, food security information sharing, and the establishment of potential regional food reserves. ADB shared its plans to develop suitable investment options with a regional food security impact.