Workshop on food security in Southeast Asia
Katmandu, 14-16 November 2011
“Regional perspectives on the unique challenges for food security
in Central, South Asia, and Southeast Asia regions”
Challenges for Food Security in the
Central Asia and South Caucasus
(CACAARI)
Alisher Tashmatov
Executive Secretary
CACAARI
1

CACAARI (Central Asia and Caucasus Association
of Agriculture Research Institutions)
― Founded in 2000. Headquarters in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan ICARDA -Tashkent
― CACAARI membership: almost 100 NARS
institutions and universities, 4 CG centers
(ICARDA ,IFPRI,CIMMYT and AVRDC)
― Consortium of universities, Consortium
of farmer organizations and Consortium
of NGOs.
Member of CIARD
Regional platform of agricultural scientists, agricultural officials,
farmers, NGO activists, university lecturers etc.

Central Asia and Caucasus
3

― 5 countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
― 3 countries of the South Caucasus (Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia)
― The area exceeding 4 million sq.km (about 3 % of the
Earth's dry land)
― Population of more than 81 million, up to 40% in rural
area
― 70% of poor reside in rural area
― GDP per capita is highest in Kazakhstan (USD 8,500),
and lowest in Tajikistan (USD 900)
― Great variety of agricultural directions, plant and
animal species, etc.
CAC region
4

Overview of agriculture
― Vast land area:
419 million ha (mha); 11.4 mha irrigated,
rainfed (22.3 mha)
256 mha of rangelands used as pastures
― important agricultural commodities: wheat,
barley, potato, cotton, vegetables and fruits,
livestock
― rich genetic heritage of fruits, vegetables and
nut trees (almond, walnut)
― Importance of mountain agriculture.
5

Food security Typology
Central Asia's Food
Security typology
Low Soil Fertility
Unfavorable Climate
Trade insecure Trade secure Trade insecure Trade
secure
Low food
production
Low food
production
High food
production
High food
production
Tajikistan Lowest food
security
Uzbekistan Middle food
security
Kyrgyzstan Upper Middle
food security
Turkmenistan Upper Middle
food security
Kazakhstan Upper Middle
food security
Armenia Low Food
Security
Azerbaijan Middle Food
Security
Georgia Middle Food
Security
SOURCE: S. Fan, Liengzhi, Y., & B. Yu., 2010, “Toward a typology of food security in developing countries”, IFPRI.
<http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ifpridp00945.pdf> 6

CAC food security issues and challenges
Accordingly AR&D issues are considering as follows:
― Collapse of Soviet union and Self sufficiency policies in 1990s
― Closed borders and feed own people themselves
― Food insecurity, malnutrition and low income are major development
challenges for CAC
― Intensive population growth expected in Central Asia by 2050 (from
70.85 mln. people in 2000 to 81.7 mln. people in 2010
― Experience of increasing land degradation
― Over-exploitation of natural resources, unsustainable land practices
― Climate changes and Post Soviet time water management weaknesses
― Salinization of Aral Sea reduced its area by 50%
― Large reductions in water flow
― Continuous underinvestment in agriculture; reduced agricultural
productivity and growth.
7

Major directions on Food security in CAC
― Greater Investment in Agriculture
― Enhanced Crop Productivity and Crop Diversification with emphasis on:
― Dekhon and Small farmers: Focus on Livestock, Horticulture,
Integration with Markets
― Pastoralists: Rangeland management, Livestock Improvement,
Managing Biodiversity, Integration with market
― Hill and Mountain Farmers: Horticulture including Viticulture,
Livestock, Agroforestry
― Fisherfolk: Fishing, inland fisheries, Linking and Integrating with
Markets, Water bodies management
― Forest Dwellers: Reforestation, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,
Biodiversity, Livestock Management
― Medium and Large Farmers: Mechanization, Market participation,
Crop Diversification
― Special attention to Livestock, Fisheries and Horticulture Production.
8

Time for action
― Transformation and strengthening of
agricultural research and innovation systems
for development REGIONAL STRATEGY for
countries of Central Asian and the Southern
Caucasus
― IFPRIASTI monitoring &evaluation GCARD
2010 Road Map implementation on
investments AR&D
― IFPRI ’s initiative for survey implementation on
Food Policy Capacity Indicators in Central Asian
regions.
9

Regional specifics of CAC regional strategy
Comprehensive producer-focused Agricultural research
and innovation System:
Consumers
Processors
Agricultural
organizations
Resource
suppliers
Crediting
institutes
Other Stakeholders
Agricultural science
Extension
Agricultural
education
Producers/
farmers
10

First of all we
need to address
the needs of
(i) farmers (e.g.
producers and
processors), who
are the engine of
(ii) agricultural
productivity,
which in turn will
provide (iii) food
and nutrition for
population, and
sufficiently for
low income and
vulnerable groups
11

As synthesis of national
reports shows the
average share of
investments in
agricultural research in
agricultural GDP is 0.1%.
This indicator is
expressing how
significantly AR4D can
address existing issues in
agriculture.
CACAARI Road Map
Gradual financing increase of AR4D:
“… Average agricultural
research investments as
a percentage of
agricultural GDP in
developing countries are
0.58%, compared with
2.4% in developed
economies…”
from the GCARD Road
Map
12

Thank you for your attention!
13