Tajikistan accelerates food systems transformation through Joint SDG Fund support and multisectoral action

Tajikistan is advancing its transition toward healthier and more resilient food systems, achieving a series of key milestones under the Joint SDG Fund programme “Transforming Food Systems for Better Nutrition.” These results show how coordinated investments, stronger evidence, and multisectoral governance can accelerate national food systems transformation.

In Tajikistan, this momentum builds on earlier reforms and has strengthened through 2025 under the coordinated leadership of FAO, WFP, UNICEF and WHO, in close collaboration with national institutions. Building on long-standing Government-UN cooperation, the country is advancing a comprehensive food systems transformation agenda that connects improved nutrition with inclusive growth and environmental sustainability. The development of food system-based dietary guidelines (FSBDGs) is central to this work.

Governance and policy reform gains momentum

Tajikistan is taking concrete steps to integrate nutrition more firmly into long-term policy frameworks.

A two-day policy dialogue led by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population, WHO, and partners brought together regional and national stakeholders from multiple sectors – including finance, trade, agriculture, food security and education – to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through food systems action. Participants agreed on next steps to strengthen legislative frameworks, improve nutrition education and bolster laboratory and service capacities. The dialogue also highlighted the value of peer-to-peer learning and regional collaboration, in supporting coherent, evidence-informed policy development.

Government leadership was further reinforced through two strategic workshops to advance the State Programme on Nutrition 2026-2030, delivered with UNICEF and WFP. Around 60 officials from nearly 20 government entities and development partners reviewed draft goals and proposed strategic objectives and targets for the Programme and its Action Plan, which will include clear indicators and costing.

The country is also revising its taxation framework for sugar-sweetened beverages to improve public health outcomes. Once adopted, the State Programme will provide a stronger policy basis to mobilize resources for nutrition, including domestic funding for nutrition-specific interventions and support from development partners. This work is led by UNICEF and WHO, with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population (MOHSP) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

These efforts show how UN partners, working collaboratively, are supporting government leadership through a coordinated and flexible approach. While individual UN organizations lead specific components in line with their mandates, overall strategic direction and alignment are guided by the Joint Steering Committee, which brings together UN partners, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Secretariat, international financial institutions, development partners and embassies.

Grounding national priorities in community realities

At the community level, UNICEF is working closely with local civil society organizations to conduct baseline surveys in schools and communities. These findings will inform the design of a new Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategy and accompanying tools to promote healthier habits among children, teachers and families.

WFP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science, has developed a roadmap to integrate nutrition education modules into the national school curriculum. The roadmap outlines the design of a structured development programme and learning plan, Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions, pilot implementation, and the gradual incorporation of nutrition education into formal teaching frameworks. This integration is expected to strengthen students’ knowledge and practices on healthy eating, contributing to improved nutrition, better health outcomes and enhanced cognitive development, ultimately supporting long-term learning and well-being.

Strengthening local capacity and evidence for better diets

Several new milestones are laying foundations for healthier, more sustainable diets across the country thanks to integrated UN support:

• The JP has initiated efforts to strengthen national nutrition policy frameworks to address malnutrition from an agrifood systems perspective.  FAO’s work on Food System Based Dietary Guidelines (FSBDGs) serves as a central policy tool, supported by the development of a country-specific methodology and workplan for the national food systems and nutrition situation analysis. This analysis forms a core component of the Situation Analysis and Evidence Review (SAER) underpinning FSBDG development.
• FAO’s forthcoming Letter of Agreement with Tajik Agrarian University will reinforce capacity across farming communities by promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) through interactive training and demonstration plots. Delivered jointly with WFP, this work will also strengthen sourcing linkages between smallholder farmers and school feeding programmes.
• Under the guidance of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population, WFP advanced a national agenda on sustainable healthy diets through a workshop that introduced the ENHANCE platform and presented new findings on affordability, diet cost and climate indicators. Environmental and intervention modelling is now underway, with a full report expected in early 2026.
• Complementing these efforts, FAO and WFP are finalizing a Crop Assessment and Validation Report to provide robust evidence on nutrient-dense crop varieties that can inform programming and policy in the years ahead.

Driving investment toward nutrition-sensitive transformation

A major milestone was reached in October 2025 during the Dushanbe International Investment Forum, where the Government – supported by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and implementing UN agencies – hosted a high-level conference on “Improving Nutrition by Leveraging Investments for Nutrition-Sensitive Food System Interventions.” More than 70 representatives from government, academia, civil society and the private sector explored opportunities to scale investment in sustainable agriculture, food security and climate-resilient development. The dialogue highlighted Tajikistan’s agricultural potential and generated practical recommendations to strengthen public–private partnerships aligned with national priorities and the SDGs.

For the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, Tajikistan’s experience illustrates how national food systems pathways can be translated into targeted investment opportunities – an essential element of the Hub’s support. To enhance coherence across initiatives, FAO and WFP have developed a concept note outlining synergies between the development of FSBDGs, school feeding guidelines and food safety efforts in the country.

A Communication and Advocacy Strategy for the “Transforming Food Systems for Better Nutrition in Tajikistan” programme has also been finalized and now serves as a foundation for sustained outreach and engagement. Work with international financial institutions, the private sector and policymakers will continue through key programme events to highlight investment gaps and opportunities across agrifood and nutrition sectors and to foster new partnerships. PUNOs are preparing additional concept notes and engaging development partners to mobilize further investment and budgetary support.

Tajikistan’s progress reflects growing demand for integrated, multisectoral transformation – a central priority of the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub’s global network. As implementation advances, the Hub will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange and country-to-country learning to help translate these efforts into lasting, system-wide change.

This Joint Programme was launched under the first funding round of the Joint SDG Fund Food Systems Window, jointly coordinated by the Fund Secretariat and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and is benefiting 18 countries.