Fostering Resilience for Food Security in Uzbekistan

Since the 1990s and 2000s, Uzbekistan has made considerable progress in improving food security through prioritizing self-sufficiency, crop diversification, and, recently, administrative reforms in the agriculture sector to strengthen this strategic sector of the country. However, growing climate risks, rising food prices, and regional supply disruptions continue to expose the country’s food system to new vulnerabilities. This report emphasizes the importance of both household and food system resilience in ensuring sustainable food security, focusing on balanced nutrition and affordable food, and provides practical policy directions and recommendations. 1. Food availability is strong, but access and affordability remain at risk. Although undernourishment levels are low, many households struggle to afford diverse and nutritious diets. Limited access to healthy food options is the case for rural families and poor urban households, even though many rural families have access to small-scale agriculture. Economic shocks and price fluctuations pose ongoing threats to household food access. 2. Resilience is key to protecting food security during crises. Households with better infrastructure, adaptive capacity, diverse income sources, and strong community networks are more likely to maintain diverse food access during droughts, price shocks, or supply disruptions. Resilience reduces the need for harmful coping strategies and supports recovery. Household resilience also ensures that sufficient and nutritious food is available to maintain food system resilience in the long term. 3. Policies should focus on building resilience across multiple areas. Priority actions include investing in rural infrastructure, promoting climate-smart agriculture, expanding social protection systems, and tailoring support to different livelihoods, such as farmers and vulnerable groups. 4. Stronger government and international collaboration are essential. The Government of Uzbekistan could embed resilience into its national food and climate strategies. International partners can support this by aligning funding, improving data systems, promoting innovation, and scaling up inclusive, community-based solutions.