PROJECT TITLE

Transforming Food Systems for Better Nutrition in Tajikistan

Tajikistan's National Pathway calls for “a comprehensive structural transformation towards sustainable agricultural practices, healthy dietary habits, and green livelihoods”, and has informed the development of an implementation plan towards 2030 with a focus on school meals, women's engagement in food systems and strengthened cooperation with development partners on malnourishment prevention. Many of the Pathway’s objectives are integrated into the National Program for Efficient and Sustainable Food Systems, focusing on guaranteeing safe and nutritious food, and well-being for all, sustainable consumption and food environments, sustainable production.

Beyond the Ministry of Agriculture, a number of line ministries are responsible for formulating and implementing food system policies, including trade, economic development, new technologies and land and water management. Several other key actors are also responsible for ensuring food safety along the entire food chain including the Agency Tajikstandart, the Committee for Food Security under the Government of Tajikistan (CFS), the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population (MoHSPP), and the Food Safety Coordination Council. The country established an innovative platform to coordinate international and domestic investments through the Donor Coordinating Council (DCC).

• Better allocating resources to promote healthy dietary habits through evidence-based policy guidelines on nutritious food, promoted social equity and long-term food security for low-income rural communities. 
• Developing enabling policies and regulations to create incentives and momentum in local food value chain innovations.
• Improving public awareness and capacity in dietary health, public behavioural change will reinforce the enabling environment, strengthen food system transformation, and address key human rights such as access to food and education for women and children.
  

Strategic partnerships will be fostered with relevant public institutions and platforms (CFS, SUN), key ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economic Development and Trade as well as International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and development partners, such as WB, ADB, EBRD, EU, IDB, and others, including:

• Committee for Food Security under the Government of Tajikistan
• PUNOs
• Local partners from NGOs and private sector

• Enhanced government capacity to regulate and promote healthy food systems based on data, and development of National Food Systems Based Dietary Guidelines
• Improved availability of locally sourced health food with innovative approaches in the agricultural value chain
• Improved institutional capacity for integrated multi-agency response and leveraging financing for strengthening nutrition-sensitive food systems