TEHRAN –The Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing food security, sustainable agricultural production, and natural resource management, particularly in the face of increasing climate-related and environmental challenges, through exchanging advanced agricultural knowledge and practices between countries.

Minister of Agriculture, Gholam-Reza Nouri, and FAO Representative to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Farrukh Toirov, met on June 2. The meeting marked the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between FAO and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the FAO website announced in a press release on June 3.

FAO can serve as a central platform for sharing agricultural knowledge between countries, Nouri said, expressing readiness to share knowledge and experiences with other countries. “One of the highly active areas in Iran is the use of technology in the agricultural sector. Significant efforts have been initiated in reducing food losses and waste, optimizing the use of agricultural residues and fertilizers, and improving storage.”

For his part, Toirov, highlighted the value of Iran’s role and scientific contributions to sustainable agriculture. “Iran is a country with outstanding achievements in agriculture and food security. FAO is committed to building stronger partnerships to share these achievements with other countries that are still in need of knowledge and technical support,” he said.

“I am truly pleased to be able to speak my mother tongue, Persian, in an international assignment,” said Toirov. “I will apply all the knowledge and experience I have gained over more than 25 years of professional work with high efficiency at the FAO office in Tehran.”

During the meeting, Nouri asked the FAO Representative to convey his official invitation for the FAO Director-General to visit Tehran.

With extensive experience in international development, Toirov brings over two decades of expertise to his new role. His assignment in Iran is expected to boost ongoing efforts in the areas of agricultural production and productivity, fisheries, food safety, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, climate change mitigation, and reduction. 

MT/MG