Ï New edition of the Law «On food security» reflects Turkmenistan’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals
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New edition of the Law «On food security» reflects Turkmenistan’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals

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Recently, Turkmen parliamentarians adopted the new edition of the Law of Turkmenistan “On food security”. Food security is the state of economy, when population is consistently supplied with food in the quantity, satisfying scientifically based parameters, on the one hand, and the conditions are created to sustain consumption according to medical standards - on the other hand. The chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection, Environmental Management and Agro-Industrial Complex of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Redjepgeldi Meredov told about innovations of the regulatory act and main directions of the state policy in this area:

“Food security is an integral part of the economic prosperity and strategic vector of national security protection. This concept covers a wide range of economic, social, demographic and environmental factors. It is pleasant to note that Turkmenistan has recently been awarded with a special prize of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the achievements in the food security provision. Moreover, Turkmenistan has already declared itself as an exporter of bread grain and other agricultural products to the world market.

For the first time the Law “On food security” was adopted in 2000 and it included 10 articles, which characterized the approaches taken by independent Turkmenistan to ensure food security as an important part of the strategy aimed at strengthening the sovereignty.

Today, in the context of the global geo-economic processes, the food security issues have become more important that is vividly proved by the adoption of sustainable development goals. In this regard, the countries have to identify the main directions of the state policy in this sphere.

Adoption of the Law “On food security” is dictated by the need to broaden the constitutional rights of the citizens of Turkmenistan in accordance with the new edition of the Basic Law, adopted in September this year. The full-scale social security system, creation of favourable conditions for people, preservation of health are the crucial aspects of the state activity. Therefore, providing population with vital food products necessary for the active and healthy life at affordable prices ranks among the tasks set by the Basic Law.

The new edition of the Law “On food security”, which includes 4 chapters and 19 articles, stands as a complex legal framework to ensure food independence and security of Turkmenistan.

According to the Law, the food security envisages: first, food availability for population, regardless of the social status and place of residence; secondly, affordable prices for food; thirdly, involvement of various legal and economic mechanisms to encourage vital foodstuffs production and food raw materials for industrial processing.

The Law also recognizes the leading role of the state administration by competent authorities. It is important to note that for the first time the Law enshrined the democratic standard on the role of non-governmental organisations in the development and implementation of state programs related to food security.

When necessary, the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan has the right to set fixed prices at the food market in the case of unmotivated price increase.