FAO calls for food system transformation at a regional agribusiness conference in Serbia
2 June, 2023, Kopaonik, Republic of Serbia – Agriculture is the most important economic branch and a pillar for sustainable development in the region – this was the key message at the largest regional agribusiness conference “Grow Up!”, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.
The two-day event brought together more than 400 participants from different ministries, academia, UN, international organizations, and private sector, fostering a collaborative platform to exchange experience and insights on critical areas for enhancing agricultural resilience. Main areas of discussion included investments in digitalization, supply chain transformation, regional cooperation, and effective mitigation of climate change impacts.
"The world and our planet cannot afford another decade without technology at the heart of agriculture. Digitalization is a way to solve all the challenges that lie ahead, not through some preconceived plan, but through the acceptance of all its principles,” said FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia Nabil Gangi.
Speaking about Serbia, Gangi said that the Serbian agricultural sector has shown relative stability.
“To achieve [the global] goals by 2030, we must transform our food production systems. Progress in that sector is necessary. FAO provides great support to the Western Balkans,” continued Gangi.
“We work very closely with the government, the Minister of Agriculture, and other partners. The focus of FAO's work in the Western Balkans is technology and technological progress. It enables us to have a holistic view of the system and how it operates,” he added.
The participants from private and public sectors and international organizations agreed that work must be done to modernize, reduce production costs, and increase the sector’s competitiveness.
“We realized that we need to act urgently and quickly to complete the transformation and digitalization of agriculture in Serbia. The Ministry of Agriculture has accepted the challenge and is working tirelessly on it,” said the Minster of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Serbia, Jelena Tanaskovic.
“No other topic is positioned quite like this one. What we're missing is bringing all of you together, scientists, institutes, startups, young people to see how to change the system’s framework. We need support from the government and the ministry. We cannot make something new with the framework that was made for the old system,” said the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Marko Cadez.
The panel discussions shed light on the vital aspects of agriculture, encompassing production, processing, and market expansion within the country and beyond. Numerous issues were discussed, and potential solutions were proposed to tackle the challenges faced by both small-scale and large-scale agricultural enterprises at the regional level.
The recording of the introductory panel is available online at GROW UP Digitalizacija poljoprivrede: potreba i šansa - YouTube
