FAO assistant director-general and Europe and Central Asia regional
representative Gu Chu said in Dushanbe that more than 100 million people in
Europe and Central Asia have experienced moderate or severe food shortages in
recent years. Around 90 million hectares in the region are degraded, weakening
agricultural capacity and threatening long-term sustainability. FAO says roughly
$21.4 billion has been invested in the region’s food and agricultural systems
since 2015 but remains insufficient; the organization estimates an additional
$650 billion a year globally is needed to transform food and agriculture
systems.
