Healthy food is not available to more than 10 million people in Central Asia

Central Asia is already facing rising obesity and essential micronutrient deficiencies, reflecting a global trend towards unbalanced diets and excess food consumption. This was stated by Anna-Maria Chkonia, coordinator of the EDB Technical Assistance Fund, at the Seventh Multilateral Forum of North and Central Asia on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She said that the cost of a healthy, balanced diet is growing every year in the region and is economically unaffordable for an entire segment of the population. At the same time, in countries with a lower standard of living, its cost is higher. Currently, healthy food is not available to more than 10 million people in Central Asia, said Anna-Maria Chkonia.

The FCS Coordinator emphasized the importance of infrastructure and road networks for uniform distribution of food products. Increasing road density and improving road quality can significantly reduce losses during the transportation of perishable goods, playing an important role in ensuring food security.

According to the EDB, the implementation of two megaprojects will help improve transport and logistics infrastructure and food security in Central Asia. The first is the Eurasian transport framework, the second is the Eurasian commodity distribution network.

“The EDB plans to invest $1.2 billion or more in the implementation of CIMP with the expectation of a long-term positive impact on the entire region. These innovative approaches and megaprojects are designed to improve the lives of Central Asians and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 to end hunger and provide food in the region,” said Anna-Maria.