UN Food and Agriculture Organization launches new project on adaptation to climate changes in Moldova

Chisinau, 24 March /MOLDPRES/ - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Moldova today launched a new project due to facilitate the integration of the adaptation of the agricultural sector to the climate changes in the national process of planning policies. This will contribute to reducing the vulnerabilities locally and centrally.   

The project will be carried out in partnership with the Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Ministry (MADRM), financially backed by Green Climate Fund (FVC) and will back the country’s effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitments within the Paris Agreement.    

“Moldova’s agriculture will be more resistant to the vulnerabilities triggered by the climate changes due to the new project, worth 0.685 million dollars. The agricultural sector is the principal pillar of the country’s economy and most residents live in villages and depend on agriculture, to get their food and incomes. Given that about 90 per cent of the production of agricultural crops depends on precipitation, the farmers’ survival depends, to a great extent, on their resistance to bad weather,’’ a FAO press release reads.   

Also, since the women represent more than a half of the labour force employed in agriculture, within the project, emphasis will be put on their inclusion in the decision-making process with the help of an analysis based on the impact of the gender equality in this field, providing specific data, which will subsequently lead to sustainable governance.      

„Moldova’s agriculture, being one of the biggest sectors of the country’s economy, needs additional support for a better adaptation to the impact of the climate changes. Or, an action plan on the adaptation to the climate changes in this sector will prioritize and speed up these initiatives,’’ the FAO representative in Moldova Raimund Jehle, said.   

The FAO project is carried out for a three-year period and will integrate the solutions to the adaptation to the climate changes in the processes of planning the agricultural sector, through facilitating local actions in six districts, selected from the southern, central and northern Moldova; this will lead to a better planning and financing of the measures of adaptation to the climate changes.  

„The competent ministry is quite interested in working closely with FAO to implement the project. And this in order to find innovating solutions of adaptation and create new possibilities for the young farmers and women entrepreneurs in the use of the intelligent agriculture for climate,’’ Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment Minister Ion Perju said.     

In the last years, FAO has provided Moldova with support through the implementation of more projects nationally and regionally, focused on the safety of food products, health of animals and plants, protection against drought.   

photo: FAO