TEHRAN — The collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture Jahad (MAJ) on productive pistachio supply chain reached a pivotal moment with the inception workshop held on 10 January 2024.

The primary objective of the project is to enhance pistachio food safety and productivity across the entire supply chain management system. By concentrating on safety procedures and improving overall output, export, and quality of pistachio products, the initiative aims to bring about positive changes throughout the  supply chain, benefitting farmers, processors, distributors, and consumers alike, through a comprehensive farm-to-fork approach.

Sridhar Dharmapuri, FAO's Senior Food Safety and Nutrition officer, played a pivotal role as the project’s Lead Technical Officer, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to strengthen food safety standards across the pistachio supply chain.

The workshop inaugurated by senior management of the Ministry of Agriculture Jahad Mohammad Mehdi Boroumandi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Jahad for Horticulture and the Project’s National Director, and Hooman Fathi, the Director General of the Bureau of International Affairs and Specialized Organizations. The key stakeholders from government authorities, private sector representatives, research institutes, and producer associations attended the workshop, addressing safety procedures and improving the overall output, export, and quality of pistachio products.

“Pistachio is Iran's flagship high value product, and this FAO project aims to elevate the country's capacity to meet high food safety standards and increase its trade, within and outside the region especially with the European Union. The institutions in the country have tremendous technical knowledge on pistachio, from farm to fork and FAO will work with them to strengthen food safety across the chain,” Dharmapuri said during the event.

Discussions during the workshop covered advanced production technologies, efficient growing techniques, mechanized harvesting, and processing methods. The project's anticipated impact on elevating Iran's position in the global commercial production and export markets for pistachios was examined at the event.