Environmentally sustainable agriculture in the Republic of Uzbekistan: Measures to reduce the negative impact on the environment

Introduction

Agriculture has a key role in the economic development of Uzbekistan, ensuring food security and contributing to the development of the regional economy, including employment of the rural population. However, at the same time, it also has a significant negative impact on the environment. Pollution of soil and water resources by chemical fertilisers and pesticides, degradation of soil fertility, and threats to biodiversity are just some of the challenges facing agriculture in modern Uzbekistan.

In this context, issues of environmental sustainability are becoming increasingly relevant. Uzbekistan is taking decisive steps to reduce the negative impact of agriculture on the environment, recognising the need to preserve biodiversity, human health and ecological balance. In this article we will review the main steps and strategies taken in the Republic of Uzbekistan to promote sustainable agriculture and reduce its negative impact on the environment.

The importance of agriculture for the economy and ecology of Uzbekistan

Agriculture plays a key role in ensuring the country's food security, providing jobs and generating income for many rural residents. Uzbekistan's agriculture is also one of the main sources of export earnings, making a significant contribution to the country's foreign economic activity. 

In addition, agriculture has a significant impact on the environmental situation in the country. Uzbekistan, being one of the most arid regions of the world, faces special challenges in the field of natural resource management. The sustainability of agriculture is directly related to the conservation of biodiversity, soil and water quality, and the reduction of negative impacts on the environment.

Negative impact of agriculture on the environment

Agriculture, despite its importance for food security and economic development, has a significant negative impact on the environment. In the Republic of Uzbekistan, these problems are particularly acute, due to the climatic and geographical peculiarities of the region, as well as modern agricultural production methods.

● Contamination of soil and water resources by chemical fertilisers and pesticides - The use of large quantities of chemical fertilisers and pesticides leads to the accumulation of toxic substances in soil and water systems, threatening human health and ecosystems.

Excessive use of chemical fertilisers contributes to soil erosion and leaching of nutrients into groundwater and rivers. This leads to deterioration of soil quality and contamination of water resources, and can cause adverse effects on fish and other living organisms. Also, contact with pesticides and consumption of contaminated water and food can lead to serious health problems, including poisoning, allergies, cancers and other diseases.

● Degradation of soil fertility - Intensive use of soil without appropriate restoration and protection methods leads to its degradation, reduction of fertility and loss of fertile layer.

Soil fertility degradation is a serious threat to agriculture and the environment in general. The causes of soil degradation can be diverse, including improper land use, extensive agriculture, improper use of agrochemicals and fertilisers, soil erosion, and climate change. As a result of soil degradation, soil fertility decreases, leading to lower crop yields and quality, as well as increased costs for soil restoration.

● Threats to biodiversity and ecosystems - Monocultures, application of monoculture cultivation methods and abundant use of pesticides destroy natural biodiversity and disturb the ecological balance.

Farming can have both positive and negative impacts on biodiversity. On the one hand, farmers can maintain biodiversity by adopting sustainable farming practices. On the other hand, if farmers do not apply them, the environment and organisms on or near the farm may suffer.

● Climate change - Agricultural wastes, such as methane emissions from livestock and the burning of crop residues, contribute to global climate change.

Keeping soils and forests healthy helps to combat climate change, as both act as carbon sinks. Finally, other important actions in agriculture are reducing food loss, waste and promoting better food consumption patterns. Rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, rising sea levels and increased frequency of extreme weather events are primarily affecting our agricultural and food systems.

Advantages and perspectives

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan DP-№71 dated 13.02.2024, 70% of the initially envisaged subsidy for 2024 is allocated for the implementation of measures to improve soil fertility and increase yields on plots allocated for cotton crops. The remaining 30% of the subsidy will be allocated in 2025 according to the conclusion of the Cotton Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, aimed at increasing the average yield by 10% compared to the previous season.

It is also stated that in order to increase the humus content in the soil in accordance with the requests of the Ministry of Agriculture for agro-technical measures, if necessary, to allow, starting from September 2024, the allocation of soft loans from the Fund for State Support of Agriculture under the Ministry of Economy and Finance for the cotton harvest of 2025. It is planned to identify areas of land with low humus content in the soil, map them and carry out systematic monitoring. In addition, it is planned to develop scientifically based recommendations to prevent land degradation processes.

The old-fashioned way of working also leads to aggravated soil salinisation and reduced crop productivity, which not only puts large areas of land out of production, but also contributes to desertification and increased frequency of toxic dust storms in the Aral Sea basin.

What does a green agriculture pathway offer in response to these challenges, to combine environmental conservation and improvement with increased productivity, employment and profitability? Here are the main six principles of green agriculture:

- To reverse land degradation. To achieve this, it is necessary to apply agricultural technologies that minimise tillage, preserving soil moisture and organic matter. This, in turn, leads to the prevention of soil erosion and degradation. Examples include zero-tillage technology and diversified crop rotation.

- Stop overgrazing on pastures, make it controlled, for which it is necessary to introduce effective technologies of animal husbandry. This will make it possible to restore pastures, i.e. to preserve them, which is extremely important not just for livestock breeding, but for the preservation of the ecosystem as a whole.

- Efficiently use water resources. Thus, already well-known technologies in agriculture are drip irrigation, sprinkling, discrete irrigation, and the use of greenhouses. Not just pilot application of these technologies, but their widespread introduction and use on a mandatory basis will have a huge effect both on water conservation, which is so important for Uzbekistan, and on the development of agriculture itself.

- Use of environmentally friendly agrochemicals and fuels to prevent pollution of soil, water, air, which must be protected for ourselves and future generations.

- Maximise the recycling of agricultural waste. This, in particular, can be done by reusing residual waste in production facilities, e.g., compost, bio-gas, etc.

- Introduce crops, e.g., drought and salt-tolerant crops, that help to biologically cleanse the environment. In particular, perennial crops, tree crops, which are also resistant to soil salinity, can capture carbon dioxide. The increased use of such crops also provides a wide range of opportunities for adaptation to climate change.

Further agricultural reforms are needed to incentivise farmers to actively implement these measures and to learn how to use them effectively. This includes reducing the area under cotton and wheat while increasing their productivity. At the same time, farmers should be free to choose green technologies and their suppliers, and the interference of local authorities in this process should be reduced.

In particular, the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS), which the government has recently decided to set up together with the United Nations Agricultural Organisation (FAO), can help to raise farmers' awareness and skills.

On 12 December 2023, the final workshop of the project "Preparing the Foundations for Digital Transformation of Agriculture" took place, bringing together national and international experts in Tashkent to showcase lessons learned and provide recommendations for further innovation and digitalisation in agriculture. The project was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan to address challenges to the digitalisation of the agri-food sector. The initiative promoted cooperation and knowledge sharing among farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, research and agricultural advisory services in the Ferghana Valley at both national and decentralised levels. The project contributed to the implementation of the Decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan DP №6079 dated 06.10.2020 "On approval of the strategy "Digital Uzbekistan - 2030" and measures for its effective implementation" and DP №6159 dated 03.02.2021 "On further improvement of the system of knowledge and innovation, as well as the provision of modern services in agriculture".

The project has developed a National Programme for Digital Agriculture. The draft document, developed with the participation of various stakeholders, was presented at the workshop. In a constructive dialogue, participants provided feedback and recommendations. Daniela Di Gianantonio, FAO Team Leader for Digital Agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, noted: "Uzbekistan has taken important steps towards digitalisation of e-government systems in agriculture and this programme will serve as a strategic guide to transform the country's agri-food system into a modern, competitive and sustainable sector".

In terms of innovation, the result is the operationalisation of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) - a network of actors involved in innovation, as well as the formation of an AKIS regional coordination group, innovation policy laboratories on key topics to identify and implement solutions at strategic and organisational level in Ferghana region, and so-called "living labs" - for co-creation in the field with farmers and experts. An innovation policy laboratory is a collaborative and creative innovation approach that brings together different stakeholders to identify causes, develop actions and implement them to address a problem hindering innovation in a specific context.

Project implementation contributed to the creation and dissemination of innovations that have an impact on agrifood systems. It contributed to the development of new services, tools and approaches to empower rural households and stimulate entrepreneurship. Most importantly, the project involved not only the relevant institutions but also rural communities, youth, women and the elderly, leaving no one behind. Particular attention was paid to reaching and engaging rural women, who constitute a significant proportion (up to 44%) of the agricultural labour force, but whose contributions often go unseen and unrecognised. To facilitate their access to knowledge and information sharing, special living labs were organised for them.

20 February 2024, Tashkent - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) presented the National Action Programme on Digitalisation of Agriculture in Uzbekistan, which was developed as part of a year-long technical cooperation project. The event dedicated to the launch of the National Programme brought together national and international experts to exchange views on the document's content, objectives and priorities.

"The programme serves as a strategic guide to transform the country's agri-food system into a modern, competitive and sustainable sector," said Daniela DiGianantonio, Digital Agriculture Team Leader, FAO Regional Representation for Europe and Central Asia. The event was supported by various stakeholders, which contributed to joint efforts to promote the digital transformation of agriculture in Uzbekistan. The event was also a good opportunity to discuss progress made and obstacles encountered in the further adoption of digital technologies in the agri-food sector, as well as to celebrate recent achievements under FAO's Digital Villages Initiative. The event promoted a common vision of digital transformation of agriculture in Uzbekistan and fostered cooperation between different stakeholders.

The National Action Programme was developed under the FAO technical cooperation project entitled "Preparing the Foundations for Digital Transformation of Agriculture" at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan to further innovation in agriculture and digitalisation of the agri-food sector. As part of the project, FAO assessed the status of digital agriculture in Uzbekistan and developed a National Strategy together with partners. 

An introductory workshop on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project "Supporting the Development of a Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanisation" was held in Tashkent on 26 February 2024. The event was attended by national stakeholders and international experts who presented the goals and objectives of the project. The project is implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and aims to support the Government of Uzbekistan in developing national mechanisation capacity in the country through the development of a national strategy for sustainable agricultural mechanisation and training of stakeholders.

Implementation of the project will support Uzbekistan's efforts in agricultural mechanisation and will contribute to further development of the agricultural machinery industry and full establishment of the agricultural machinery production process in order to provide the agricultural sector with modern and affordable agricultural machinery appropriate to the natural, climatic and soil conditions of the region. The project will bring together FAO experts, agricultural researchers, civil society representatives, ministries and agencies, agricultural machinery manufacturers and farmers to ensure sustainable development of agricultural mechanisation.

As noted during the introductory workshop, significant progress has recently been made globally in sustainable agricultural mechanisation and the development of this sector should include appropriate tools, equipment and machinery adapted for sustainable crop production and crop protection, as well as land management with a focus on precision agriculture. Such advances need to be scaled up according to local conditions in order to ensure sustainable agricultural production and transform agrifood systems, protect the environment, manage natural resources, mitigate and adapt to climate change, while creating decent jobs, achieving social justice and food security, and improving nutrition. 

Conclusion

Environmentally sustainable agriculture is an integral component of the development of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the context of continuous population growth and increasing food needs, the conservation of natural resources becomes a critical task determining the long-term sustainability of the country.

The importance of further efforts to reduce the negative impact on the environment through innovative approaches in agriculture cannot be underestimated. The introduction of modern technologies, the development of new resource management techniques and the training of agricultural workers in the principles of sustainable use of land and water resources are becoming key components of a strategy aimed at balanced agricultural development. Innovations in agricultural techniques, the use of biological methods of pest control and increased production efficiency will not only reduce the environmental burden, but also increase the level of productivity and economic efficiency of agriculture.

Thus, the integration of environmental sustainability principles into Uzbekistan's agriculture not only contributes to the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, but also creates the basis for sustainable economic growth and ensuring food security of the country in the long term.

These and other measures of green development will allow Uzbekistan's agriculture to become increasingly resilient to the processes caused by climate change, to ensure domestic consumption of the country, to develop organic farming and enter export markets, to minimise risks to the environment, on the condition of which, as we all understand today, depends not only to be or to be agriculture, but in principle human development as a whole.