While agriculture plays a major role in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, food insecurity and a strong dependence on food imports increases vulnerability to climate change and geopolitics. In Uzbekistan, the share of small businesses (Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises - MSMEs) in gross agricultural production is 98.1%. In Tajikistan more than 60% of the population lives in the rural areas. A key condition for improving economic growth and investment involves improving the business environment in agri-food processing by introducing more efficient production techniques. In this context, the project promotes Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices in the agri-food production and processing industries along the entire supply chain in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The action will support the process of clusterisation and thus seek to enhance the competitiveness of local businesses.
Our Contribution to SDGs
MSMEs in the agri-food processing industries. Wide range of MSMEs, such as those engaged in fruit or vegetable canning, beverage production, dry fruit processing, confectionary, dairy products as well as those engaged in horticulture, fruit and vegetable producing, are invited to join the project.
The Switch Asia Programme was launched by the European Union in 2007 to promote Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in Asia. SCP aims to improve environmental performance through the life cycle of products by both better production technologies and informed consumer choices. This can reduce the use of resources as well as generation of wastes and emissions of GHG.
More information is available at www.switch-asia.eu
Finally it happened: The first in-person meeting with all partners present since the start of REAP took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 11 to 15 March 2022! Half-way through a project without a single in-person meeting of all partners is a new
