Ankara – A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Bahçeşehir University (BAU) to collaborate in addressing the needs of future generations for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.

Among its most important activities is the establishment of the new FAO & BAU Learning, Research and Application Platform for innovation, smart agriculture and sustainable food systems, which will provide capacity development and knowledge exchange opportunities for stakeholders with a focus on digitalization and rural women’s empowerment for food systems transformation. The platform will contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing global issues related to hunger and malnutrition, and food systems transformation in alignment with the UN Decade of Action.

The FAO & BAU Platform will help stakeholders, particularly youth and women, increase their knowledge of food security and food systems transformation in line with FAO’s “Four Betters”. The Platform will involve youth in identifying and supporting startups that are working to create innovations to help achieve the SDGs – especially SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). The project overall aims to empower youth and women through the implementation of innovative solutions for food systems transformation.

To further achieve its objectives the MoU covers several other areas of cooperation including:

• Technical collaboration on digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in food systems;
• Technical collaboration on gender equality and rural women's empowerment; and 
• Advocacy and communication for raising awareness about and ownership of good policies, practices related to the SDGs and global events of mutual interest.

The MoU was signed by Şirin Karadeniz, Rector of BAU, and FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Central Asia and Turkey Representative, Viorel Gutu, both of whom emphasized the importance of this cooperation.

As Şirin Karadeniz explained, “Within the scope of our cooperation with FAO, we aim to reach every region of Turkey and contribute to sustainable development by developing innovative solutions in the field of agriculture and food, and raising awareness through education.”

Viorel Gutu expressed his agreement with this sentiment, “I am very confident that the FAO-BAU partnership will prove a success through its contribution to the extension of good agricultural practices and the capacity development of beneficiaries. I further hope that the FAO-BAU cooperation continues to provide all stakeholders, including countries across the region, with well-calibrated and effective methods and tools to develop innovative solutions and leverage sustainable food systems. Such cooperation is a vital component to transforming agri-food systems in line with the needs of the population and the planet.”

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