Tehran – Falk Toilov, president of Iran’s United Nations Food, Agriculture and Agriculture Organization (FAO), says it is important that the important achievements of Iranian scientists be provided to other countries that do not have the same level of technological advancement in the agricultural sector.
A Tajikistani citizen, Toirov brings more than 20 years of experience in international development and agricultural programming to his role as the FAO representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times on Monday, August 11, Toirov said that the FAO’s priorities are to ensure that the functioning of the food system will be improved not only for the improvement of the Iranian people, but for the benefit of other countries in the region.
Below is the full interview.
Please introduce the FAO mandate globally and particularly specifically in Iran.
The FAO’s mission is to eradicate poverty and improve food security across the world for the whole population. Here, the challenges facing human civilization are, unfortunately, still quite large.
A considerable number (sometimes nearly a billion) now have some improvements, so around 800 million people around the world are still food insecurity. And that’s when we have the technology to send people into space, but at the same time, unfortunately not everyone has food safe and enough food for daily consumption.
This situation is further exacerbated by the unfortunate effects of climate and climate change. Here, farmland production is reduced and food systems for various major agricultural commodities are being destroyed.
A considerable number of people have worsened their situation, especially in developing countries where the level of economic activity is not sufficient to better integrate with the global economy and source food from international markets.
What are the current priority areas of FAO in cooperation with Iran?
In Iran, we see many areas where FAOs are important to tackle. The level and type of agricultural clinical conditions here is advantageous for a variety of important food products starting with high value crops, but also for food products in grain and staple crops that the population needs in Iran.
Iran produces not only its own population, but also a type of food product that is important for food security in regional countries where Iran has extremely strict interconnectedness in its food system.
Today, in the 21st century, the interaction and interconnectivity of countries in terms of food production, logistics, and delivery and consumption to the population are much more complicated than before. Countries are much more related.
Iran’s geographical location and development level has placed it very well and is uniquely positioned. As Iran’s food systems work with several countries in the region, the type of work that FAO prioritizes in Iran is to ensure that the functions of these food systems are improved for improvements to the people of Iran.
In Iran, the level of research and outcomes in the agricultural sector is also important, so it is clear that it is important for Iranian scientists to deliver these results to several other countries that unfortunately do not have the same level of technological advancement in the agricultural sector.
Can you please tell us more about Iran’s FAO’s climate finance projects, particularly his work with the Green Climate Fund?
This is a very important area that FAO addresses in the Iranian context, which causes climate change to unfortunately affect the country’s agricultural sector. At the same time, the possibilities for agricultural research in Iran are recovering, with national researchers coming up with techniques to address the impacts of climate change in the agricultural sector.
FAO Representative Farrukh Toirov (L) is waving at Tehran Times Editor-in-Chief Mohammad Sarfi
Similarly, FAO is working on the climate change aspects and has expertise as it adapts to the realities of a new era based on changing climate patterns. FAO has the expertise to provide, and from the experts on the part of FAO who have international experience in other countries and are working on the impacts of climate change in Iranian agriculture, Iranian farmers, researchers and experts can learn from FAO’s international expertise.
Climate change is a phenomenon that has a very serious impact on the agricultural sector. For example, changing precipitation patterns have already had a major impact on the agricultural sector. Because when crops are planted, they need a specific rainfall pattern to ensure that they are irrigated on time.
Even if the amount of rainfall per year is sufficient, it does not help the plant’s growth patterns if it does not come at the specific time required. Therefore, changes in rainfall patterns, temperature patterns, or seasonality have a major impact on the agricultural sector, and this sector must adapt to these new realities.
From the FAO’s side, we need to implement projects at the Green Climate Fund to identify what needs to be done in a country like Iran, what strategic priorities, and what kind of adjustments we need to make.
Iran is one of the world’s water-stressed countries. What practical steps can FAO take to deal with water shortages? Is FAO focused on specific projects replacing water-focused crops with domestic drought-bearing crops?
that’s right. This question is very suitable for what we just discussed. Certainly, due to climate change, precipitation patterns are changing, so it’s raining, rainy, during the spring, fall, or winter, or during winter, or during winter. This change in pattern has created challenges for the agricultural sector.
Science and technology are solutions to such changes in reality. So, unfortunately, practices that farmers had from previous generations are no longer effective. Therefore, scientific research is important for developing more drought-resistant seed varieties with shorter maturation periods and a variety of water and irrigation requirements, as some plant varieties have a higher water requirement.
From the FAO side, our experts work in this field and identify the preferred seed and crop varieties in a variety of agricultural clinical conditions, including here in Iran. We work closely with Iranian scientists and researchers who are already progressing steadily in this field, bringing international expertise and knowledge from other countries where FAO works.
As has been occurring this year, current water shortages are a major issue. Therefore, the need for such FAO projects is increasing even further. This year has already shown that there are longer years of changes in rainfall patterns, and there may be less rain or snow. At the time, the types of farmers applied and the practice of protecting the water applied by farmers was essential.
The FAO project will bring such knowledge to the country and help farmers and governments develop strategies to use advanced irrigation techniques that will conserve water and ensure that a drop of water produces the largest agricultural yield.
How can the private sector be more involved in Iran’s sustainable agriculture and safety?
This is a very interesting question and there is a lot of discussion in this area. In my opinion, the private sector plays a very important role.
There are not many players in this equation. There are governments that create policies and strategies – what to do, how the country should plan strategic priorities, and what to plan crops to grow in which areas. There are international organizations like FAO, which can provide best practices from other countries and knowledge-based solutions. There are farmers who actually practice farming in their daily lives and are completely dependent on their livelihood.
And there is the private sector that plays a very important role in connecting all these dots. Farmers produce agricultural commodities, but they are also part of the private sector network. This is because food from the field must be collected, sorted, scored, packed, transported, stored, labeled and collected for final consumer factory or retail processing.
This whole chain is in the hands of the private sector, from the first point of production to consumption. Even before that, if farmers need to purchase agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, machinery, etc., they will buy them from the private sector. It is the private sector job to supply these materials to farmers at affordable prices.
Therefore, in this whole equation, the role of the private sector is very large and cannot be underestimated. With all of our programs, FAO engages in the private sector alongside governments and research institutions, sits together and come up with solutions that benefit everyone.
In Iran, the private sector is already doing a good job. Its role is particularly important in projects related to exporting valuable agricultural products such as pistachios and saffron. From the FAO’s side, we will create the environment that is as much as possible, helping the government do the same, making it easier for private companies to run. Those growths are directly contributing to the growth of the agricultural sector and the country’s economy.