To protect public health and prevent nutrition-related diseases through food fortification, in 2019 the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan adopted the Law of the Republic of Tajikistan "On Providing the Population with Fortified Food Products." As part of this law implementation, the "National Program for the Prevention of Micronutrient Deficiency and Diseases Associated with it in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2022-2027" was approved by the Government Resolution No. 415 of September 30, 2021.
To implement this law, a workshop on "Quality and Monitoring Assurance for Food Fortification in Tajikistan" was held in the National Library of Tajikistan on December 11 and 12 this year. Representatives from relevant ministries and agencies, a number of food industry executives and the manager of GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) participated in the workshop.
The purpose of this event was to increase capacity for procurement and quality control of micronutrient premixes for the National Revolving Fund for Premixes (NRPF), to share the results of the regulatory readiness assessment for monitoring food fortification in Tajikistan, and to coordinate next steps for monitoring fortified food products following the launch of the National Revolving Fund for Premixes.
At the opening of the event, Boymurod Kurbonzoda, Deputy Director of the State Institution “Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development”, stated that improving the food situation is essential for strengthening public health.
It should be noted that public nutrition issues are one of the key strategic focus for the Government, and the adoption of two laws, two strategies, four programs and one national plan in recent years indicates the importance of this issue.
The State Institution "Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development" is responsible for the "Strengthening Resilience of the Agriculture Sector" project implementation, as instructed and directed by the Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, esteemed Emomali Rahmon, and contributes to strengthening the foundations of sustainable food security and public health.
The "Strengthening Resilience of the Agriculture Sector" project, in close collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, the Agency for Standardization, Metrology, Certification and Trade Supervision under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, and the World Bank Group, promotes agricultural production, increased crop yields, healthy nutrition, and, through this, contributes to food security for the country population.
Afterwards, Leo Schulte-Wennbur, Project Manager of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Gulshan Ashurbekova, GAIN local lawyer, presented on the basics of food fortification, the technical basis of premixes, micronutrients and quality control. The presentations focused on the approval process for micronutrient suppliers, using the GAIN premix revolving fund as an example. Besides, the presentations included a brief overview of the global premix industry, the value chain and the impact on prices.
The workshop also addressed a range of issues, including a food fortification monitoring system, recommendations for enhancing monitoring capacity in Tajikistan, a group discussion on food fortification monitoring in the country, and coordination of further monitoring steps following the launch of the National Food Fortification Program.
During the workshop, a number of participants shared their ideas and opinions on various aspects of the sector, the implementation and improvement of food fortification.
