Lawmakers approve the Food Security Act

The law establishes key directions of state policy in food security. These include forming reserve stocks of food products and raw materials in line with minimum consumption standards, and expanding the population's access to sufficient quantities of essential food products on a continuous basis.

The state will also promote the production of food products that comply with sanitary, veterinary, veterinary-sanitary, and phytosanitary regulations, as outlined in legislative documents.

Activating foreign economic activity and maintaining an optimal balance between the export and import of essential food products are also defined as priorities of state policy.

The Ministry of Agriculture has been designated as the authorized state body for food security. Its responsibilities include coordinating efforts among national and local executive authorities, supporting activities related to food production, analyzing factors negatively affecting food security, and developing short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to improve and expand food production processes.

The law also outlines measures to prevent food shortages, defines procedures for forming food balances, and specifies the rights and obligations of consumers and businesses in the field of food security.

Senators noted that this law unifies and systematizes regulations governing food security into a single document, ensuring a comprehensive legal framework for the sector.

In a 2024 parliamentary session, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that food security is one of the most pressing challenges in the context of a growing population. During a videoconference on measures to ensure food security and stabilize prices in domestic markets, the president stressed the need for reserves of all food products, declaring this a priority of state policy.