Nasar Hayat: Climate change and soil health are among FAO's priorities in Azerbaijan

The main goal of the projects implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Azerbaijan is to reduce the impacts of climate change, Nasar Hayat, the FAO representative in Azerbaijan, told Report.

According to Nasar Hayat, Azerbaijan is one of the countries suffering from climate change: “At the same time, improving soil health is also a key priority. For this reason, as FAO, we are implementing projects that support adaptation to climate change.”

Nasar Hayat emphasized that Azerbaijan is also a country with rich biodiversity, and FAO has an active role in this area: “We support the protection of biodiversity by cooperating with national parks. We also contribute to improving their policies, increasing their institutional capacity and providing technical support when necessary by establishing close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture.”

He noted that the agricultural sector in Azerbaijan is increasingly becoming the center of attention:

"Azerbaijan has historically been a country focused on the oil and gas sector, and this sector plays a significant role. However, in my opinion, the country's future development path lies in sustainability. In this regard, agriculture is of strategic importance, and the government has set specific goals and objectives for this sector."

The FAO official added that relations between the organization and Azerbaijan are built in the spirit of partnership: "Our office in Azerbaijan is called the Partnership and Liason Office. This is a cooperation model with a special status, unlike the traditional FAO representations in many countries. We implement projects in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, other government agencies, communities, farmers and rural populations."