During the 33^rd Session of the Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for Europe, held in Lodz (the Republic of Poland) from 10 to 13 May 2022, the representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine together with European countries and Central Asia discussed the possibilities of ensuring national and global food security, as well as the transformation of agrifood systems amid the war in Ukraine.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu urged FAO Members to seize the Regional Conference as an opportunity to discuss "potential approaches to prevent even greater crisis in the future".

The Europe and Central Asia region includes 53 high and middle-income countries that are home to more than 900 million people. The Director-General of FAO acknowledged that the Region is in a “good position” as one of the world's food baskets and is the global leading producer in both the quantity and quality of agrifood production, even today.

"The region plays a key role in ensuring global food security. It is an important source of new ideas and inspiration for the whole world", - noted the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland Henrik Kowalczyk, addressing to the participants of the Regional Conference.

FAO members, who represent this Region, focused on the situation in Ukraine and discussed the negative effects of the war on agriculture, including rising prices for world food and fertilizers due to difficult access to certain goods and resources.

At the same time, Qu Dongyu noted that FAO is closely monitoring the negative effects of the war and will continue to prepare short-, medium- and long-term analytical materials and strategic recommendations for its members.

Taking into account the transformation of agrifood systems and disrupted agri-food supply chains, during the Regional Conference participants tried to find ways and develop future steps in order to ensure quality food both in the region and beyond.

More details can be found at the following links:

https://www.fao.org/europe/news/detail,

https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/amid-the-war-in-ukraine.

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FAO regional conferences are held once every two years and provide an opportunity to discuss urgent agriculture issues, problems and regional priorities for the coming years. These conferences facilitate the coordination of FAO members at the regional level.

The FAO Regional Conference for Europe was open to representatives of Member States, United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, observers from intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations, research institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations. This year, more than 300 delegates, representing almost all countries in Europe and Central Asia, were registered to participate in the Regional Conference for Europe, making it the most attended regional conference in this part of the world.