FAO will continue to work on innovation and digitalization of the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan

Recently, the final seminar of the project «Preparing the foundations for the digital transformation of agriculture in Uzbekistan» was held, which brought together national and international experts in Tashkent to demonstrate the lessons learned and provide recommendations for further implementation of innovations and digital technologies in agriculture, writes Nuz.uz .

The project was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan to solve problems hindering the digitalization of the agro-food sector. This initiative has contributed to the development of cooperation and knowledge exchange between farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, research and agricultural advisory services of the Ferghana Valley at both the national and decentralized levels.

Within the framework of the project, a National Digital Agriculture Program was developed. The draft document, developed with the participation of various stakeholders, was presented at the workshop. During the constructive dialogue, the participants presented their feedback and recommendations. Daniela Di Gianantonio, Head of the FAO Group on Digital Agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, noted: «Uzbekistan has taken important steps towards digitalizing e-government systems in agriculture, and this program will serve as a strategic guide for transforming the country's agri-food system into a modern, competitive and sustainable sector».

With regard to innovation, the result is the introduction of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS), a network of participants involved in the implementation of innovations, as well as the formation of the AKIS regional coordination group, innovation policy laboratories on key topics to identify and implement solutions at the strategic and organizational level in the Ferghana region, and the so–called «living laboratories» – for joint creativity in the field with farmers and experts. The Innovation Policy Laboratory is a collaborative creative innovation approach that brings together different stakeholders to identify the causes, develop actions and implement them to solve the problem that hinders innovation in a specific context.

«During the implementation of the project in Ferghana, these laboratories became a key mechanism for the work of the established regional AKIS working group for the Ferghana Valley, which operates at the general coordination level and focuses on empowering women to participate in AKIS, as well as on studying the relationship between digitalization of agriculture and AKIS in the Ferghana Valley», said Nevena Alexandrova-Stefanova, FAO Agricultural Extension Specialist and Head of Policy and Capacity for Innovation. The experience of innovation policy laboratories and live laboratories has proved successful, and next year, FAO, as part of a multi-donor funded project, will expand their scope in Uzbekistan and other countries.

The implementation of the project contributed to the creation and dissemination of innovations that have an impact on agri-food systems. This has contributed to the development of new services, tools and approaches to empower rural households and stimulate entrepreneurship. Most importantly, the project involved not only relevant institutions in this process, but also rural communities, youth, women and the elderly, leaving no one behind. Special attention was paid to the coverage and involvement of rural women, who make up a significant proportion (up to 44%) of the agricultural labor force, but whose contribution often remains invisible and unrecognized. In order to facilitate their access to knowledge and information exchange, special live laboratories were organized for them.

FAO Public Relations Specialist for Development and project coordinator Sophie Treinen noted that «Communication is the key to development… Therefore, we have organized online seminars on creating joint videos, on the one hand, for future coaches, and on the other – for practitioners. The participants of the live labs and the AKIS regional group co-produced the videos that were presented at today's workshop. In order to have a long-term impact not only at the regional but also at the national level, we have prepared in Uzbek a special video creation guide and a self-learning platform with recordings and presentations in Uzbek».

She also stressed the importance of synergies between different projects at the regional level, which allows them to complement and enhance their impact. Sophie Treinen highlighted the experience gained on the ground as a result of the implementation of other FAO projects in the Ferghana Valley. Among them is the FAO project «Smart Agriculture for the next Generation», which supports the introduction of small farmers to modern and optimized agricultural production systems (efficient irrigation systems, optimized greenhouses, the use of pollinators) combining the introduction of technologies with constant qualified technical assistance. It is worth emphasizing that the availability of technical knowledge is a vital catalyst for making innovative decisions.

Technical cooperation projects lay the foundation for the development and implementation of future projects based on lessons learned. As noted, FAO will continue to work in the field of innovation and digitalization and will strive for further cooperation and synergy with other projects supporting the work of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan.

 

Source of information: https://east-fruit.com/novosti/fao-prodolzhit-rabotu-po-vnedreniyu-innovatsiy-i-tsifrovizatsii-agrosektora-uzbekistana/