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The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many problems, including the food security and nutrition crisis. Forced quarantine of COVID-19 threat exposed the main risks in global food systems and brought them closer to a critical point. The reason was that health systems and food security were underestimated and not well protected.

But there are also positive points. For example, the crisis provided insights into new and more sustainable food systems, as communities came together to fill the gaps in food systems and government authorities took extraordinary steps to ensure food production and supply. For all of us, lessons must be learned, and preventive measures taken to transform the food system, which creates sustainability at all levels.

We need transformations that can bring benefits not only to people, but also to the environment, and prevent the spread of dangerous diseases. Now it is important to take into account the possibilities to reduce supply interruptions and trade disruptions, reduce the impact of panic purchases and provide the population with healthy and affordable food. And also provide guarantees of fair wages and safe conditions for workers in the food industry and agriculture, thereby reducing their vulnerability to economic shocks, the risk of infection and the spread of disease.

1. What problems did the situation reveal regarding COVID-19 for food systems?

The COVID-19 crisis has shed light on the vulnerability of food systems in four ways:

• Firstly, the likelihood of outbreaks of animal diseases that have a strong impact is increased by keeping a large number of animals in small rooms, narrowing genetic diversity, rapid turnover of animals and fragmentation of the habitat due to the expansion of animal husbandry.
• Secondly, restrictions on the movement of people and goods create serious difficulties for the local population for all countries, without exception, and negatively affect the entire supply chain. Work on the cultivation and collection of agricultural products and beekeeping should be carried out systematically. Farmers are also very vulnerable to economic disruptions. In rural areas, according to estimates by the International Labor Organization, “most jobs do not provide enough income for workers to provide themselves and their families with adequate food.”
• Thirdly, hundreds of millions of people are constantly living on the brink of hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty and are therefore very vulnerable to the effects of the global recession. Before COVID-19, 820 million people were already malnourished, and 2 billion people were already food insecure. In developing countries, the dangers posed by the pandemic have exacerbated gender issues. All over the world, women and girls are more vulnerable to economic shocks, especially in poor families.
• Fourth, food workers around the world face insecurity and low wages, and as a result are among those most at risk due to economic disruptions in food supply chains. People working in the restaurant or retail business are facing huge losses due to social distance policies and partly due to the overall economic downturn.

2. How do food system actors respond to COVID-19? The contours of the new system and the stranglehold of the old.

Food security is an integral part of national security. Improving the provision of food to the population is an important socio-economic task, the solution of which is of great importance both for the development of the state and each specific region.

The vulnerability of food systems to climate and disease-related disabilities was evident long before the COVID-19 crisis. In fact, food systems have repeatedly been destabilized as a result of shocks, from the oil crisis of the 1970s to the spike in commodity prices in 2007-2008, as well as outbreaks of atypical pneumonia and Ebola.

The crisis has given an idea of ​​what new and more sustainable food systems might look like. Governments at various levels quickly took steps to protect workers and the right to food - often working in concert with civil society. Many countries have taken steps towards healthy and sustainable food systems.

In other words, industrial food systems must be re-developed, now taking into account climate change and ecosystem conservation, as well as the creation of food systems that are resistant to pandemics and other possible shocks.

3. What awaits us in the future: innovation or routine?

Understanding the vulnerability of our food systems should not go unnoticed. The pace of new zoonotic epidemics and pandemics is accelerating. Therefore, the following steps are critical to creating sustainability at all levels:

Recommendation No. 1. Taking urgent measures to protect the most vulnerable sectors of society.

Measures must be taken to maintain access to food and ensure security in the midst of a public health crisis. Governments must urgently establish or strengthen social protection mechanisms and emergency food assistance programs that protect the most vulnerable, including infants and children, the elderly, people with disabilities and those living in poverty - many of whom already rely on food assistance. All measures should also be compatible with a wide range of cultural, socio-economic or geographical conditions that may affect public health responses. Countries should be able to take these steps without fear of harming their public finances and, without diverting resources, from other pressing problems.

Recommendation No. 2. Creation of sustainable agroecological food systems.

A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems is more relevant than ever. Agroecology creates sustainability by combining the natural synergies of various species of plants and animals and their biological characteristics of protection and adaptability, based on safe means for soil regeneration and pest control.

Territorial markets and short supply chains are often a key component of agro-ecological systems and can increase access to fresh food, provide greater value to farmers and reduce vulnerability to disruptions in international markets. In the long run, agrarian reform will also be needed to reduce inequalities in access to land, especially for millions of smallholder farmers.

Recommendation No. 3. Rebalancing economic power for the public good: a new treaty between the state and society.

Serious gaps in governance have emerged, primarily due to inadequate investments in public health and food security. Although some government agencies have taken extraordinary steps to provide food, as a result of the crisis, many people have remained completely dependent on the charity and solidarity of their neighbors - from which they cannot be expected to meet their basic needs. However, COVID-19 has shown that governments can act in the name of well-being and act most effectively when they deliver core centralized functions while providing resources and coordinating actions at the regional and local levels.

Moreover, to prevent all possible monopolistic practices. As supply chain uncertainty and an unpredictable future, many small and medium-sized agri-food companies may be on the verge of bankruptcy or under significant pressure from shareholders. Therefore, all possible activities on the “mergers and acquisitions" of production should be subjected to a particularly careful analysis at the time of the crisis and after emerging from it.

Recommendation No. 4. Reforming the management of international food systems.

The crisis also provides an excellent opportunity to rethink the 2021 Food Systems Summit and reorient it towards sustainability and agroecology, building on a democratic debate. UN conventions on climate change and biodiversity are approaching crucial conferences at the end of 2020, which focus on agriculture.

International expert group on sustainable food systems.

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Not only human life is closely connected with the forest. Forests are vital for biodiversity. Forests shelter 80% of all living organisms on earth. However, millions of hectares of forests disappear annually, and biodiversity is in serious danger. Scientists have concluded that over the past 40 years, the population of all forest species has halved on average! Forests die from fires, illegal logging, natural disasters, pests and other causes.

More than a billion people directly depend on forests as a source of food, shelter, energy resources and income. Sustainable forest management and restoration as needed is vital to people, biodiversity and climate.

In Uzbekistan, the total land area of ​​the State Forest Fund is 9.6 million hectares, that is 21.7% of the total area of ​​the republic. Moreover, the country's forest cover, that is, the ratio of the forested area to the total territory, is 6.7%. According to the orographic and soil-climatic conditions, forests in Uzbekistan are divided into mountain, valley-floodplain and desert. In the mountains, 11% of the total forest area of ​​Uzbekistan is occupied by coniferous species, and more than 3% under walnut trees.

Forests are a source of non-wood products - nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds, etc.), fruits (apple, pear, cherry plum, apricot, hawthorn, barberry, etc.), mushrooms, berries, medical plants, tannins and dyes.

Relict walnut and other wild fruit forests grow in low mountains and mid mountains, i.e. the most favorable areas for living and therefore experience increased anthropogenic stress. The tangible damage to the forest fund is also inflicted by unreasonable and unregulated grazing, and, accordingly, the destruction of undergrowth and reproduction of the forest fund.

The problem of preserving the forest and its wealth today is among the most important environmental problems for all countries of the world. In recent years, trends related to deforestation of the Earth have been alarming not only for ecologists, but also for the entire international community.

Within the framework of the ELSOFP Central Asia project (Expansion of Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek local smallholder organic agriculture and forest-based food products to EU Markets), it is planned to involve forest users and small farmers in the process of sustainable management of natural resources, using organic production methods and assisting in the development of ecosystem services that will at the same time reduce the negative impact on the forest fund.

In Central Asia, it is important to establish a certification system for organic agriculture and responsible forest management that reflects the preferences of traders and end users in the EU target markets.

The use of non-wood, food and medicinal resources of the forest every year becomes more and more relevant and popular. Gradually, realization that the harvesting and use of non-timber forest resources can bring a steady income from the territory for an unlimited amount of time, in contrast to large-scale industrial continuous logging, is increasing. Due to the trend in the use of healthy, environmentally friendly food, the demand for natural products from processing forest food resources is not decreasing, but, on the contrary, growing all the time.

Local smallholder farmers and forest users will benefit from promoting innovative farming and forest management practices (e.g., organic farming, sustainable forest management), providing market information, certification, business skills and similar measures, ultimately contributing to increased farmers' incomes and increased motivation to maintain and forest protection.

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“The future of wildlife in the hands of everyone” is the motto of World Wildlife Day, which is celebrated annually on the 3^rdMarch

The activities of the ELSOFP Central Asia project (Expansion of Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek local smallholder organic agriculture and forest-based food products to EU Markets) are interconnected with agriculture and forestry, with local communities which are close to wildlife and interact with it on daily basis. Any natural territories that surround a person are home to representatives of the animal and plant world. Together with many natural components, such as water, vegetation, landscapes, climatic conditions and much more, it defines the habitual natural habitat of many living organisms.

Agriculture has a significant impact on the natural environment than any other sector of the national economy. Every day human activity expands to new territories that are taken from the wild. Soils and water resources are subject to agrochemical pollution, which also changes the environment and negatively affects the flora and fauna. The loss of habitat and the intensity of farming are some of the real and tangible problems of the wild. Flora and fauna are endangered and require our attention to this problem.

It is important to note that biodiversity for food and agriculture is a key element of its security, sustainable development and the provision of many vital ecosystem services.

 “On this World Wildlife Day, let us remind ourselves of our responsibility to preserve and sustainably use the vast diversity of life on the planet. Let's seek a more caring, thoughtful and sustainable relationship with nature. A world of prosperous biodiversity provides the foundation we need to achieve our sustainable development goals - a world of dignity and opportunity for all people on a healthy planet,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The ELSOFP Central Asia project promotes the sustainable management of natural resources, in particular agricultural, forest and pasture lands, using organic production methods that reduce negative impact on natural biodiversity inclusively, as opposed to intensive agricultural practices. In turn, the economic mechanisms proposed to the parties involved in the project increase the motivation of farmers and forest users, which is also a guarantee of conservation of wildlife.

A responsible farmer and a forest user get double benefit in the form of stability of ecosystem services provided and increase of income, new employment opportunities for his members. The future of nature is truly in the hands of everyone!

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Bishkek, February 14, 2020 - The delegation of the European Union in the Kyrgyz Republic proposed a dialogue to discuss the new EU-UN Initiative aimed at eliminating violence against women and girls. At the EU-KR Gender Workshop 2020, the National Action Plan on Gender Issues for 2018–2020 in Kyrgyzstan was presented.

The reports of leading participants noted that gender equality is a fundamental element in ensuring sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the international community include the goal of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as gender goals within other SDGs.

Despite growing urbanization, a significant proportion of the population in the region lives in rural areas. Many women and men living in rural areas may experience more pronounced gender inequality due to:

• Limited access to basic services and employment opportunities in rural areas;
• A higher degree of dependence on agricultural production and a large number of women working as unpaid family workers;
• Higher fertility rates and, consequently, pressure on the provision of basic services, such as education and health;
• Increased temporary burden on women, who usually care for family members.

The ELSOFP project team took an active part in this seminar. As a result, it was noted that the meeting became a plausible platform for discussing many pressing issues on the topic of gender balance, including in the agribusiness system. The changing structure of agricultural production with a growing share of fruits, vegetables, oilseeds, the introduction of new agricultural technologies, the formation of new modern sales chains and value chains also suggests a change in the structure of the agri-food sector.

In particular, the workshop participants noted that employment in organic and forestry in the countries of Central Asia is currently formed on the basis of gender roles. Some types of jobs are still stereotyped as “male” jobs and others as “female” ones. Men are usually associated with capital-intensive activities, as well as activities involving greater involvement in decision-making. Women are usually associated with labor-intensive work, which requires less mobility, less use of technology and less voice in community decision-making. Women usually combine this work with household chores and reproduction and are generally disadvantaged in terms of access and control of agricultural machinery, livestock, fertilizers, and irrigation water. It is a significant problem for women and for rural development in the region, since proportionally more men migrate to urban areas in search of work, while women are often left alone and take over the management of households.

- “In almost all reports, problems of infringement of the rights and interests of women were mentioned. Here we heard for the first time that in the countryside 40 bans are used for girls, “as a traditional upbringing” method. Questions were raised about the ban on a number of hard works, where women should not be involved. To successfully address gender issues in meetings, a balance must be struck between men and women decision makers. Otherwise there will be discussions and no progress”, the ELSOFP project team shared their impressions.

Guaranteeing equal economic opportunities for women and men in rural areas could potentailly stop or slow down migration and contribute to rural development. Creation of the “Association of Women” in rural and forestry sectors was discussed during the forum. ELSOFP is active in promotion of gender rights in agri-food sector. After all, women employed in local agri-food and forestry management systems will receive the opportunity for stable employment and steady income. This is a new quality of women's representation in the labor market, a new status for women, new opportunities for self-development and self-realization.