It is our shared responsibility to protect our land and water resources

(Photo: AM/István Fekete)

In his welcoming speech, the head of the ministry emphasized that water is not at our disposal without limits, the population and natural wildlife of many countries on Earth are already struggling with water shortages, therefore it is in our interest and common responsibility to protect and use our water resources sustainably. Thanks to Hungary’s fortunate circumstances, it is rich in high-quality water resources, despite this, Hungarian agriculture also suffered last summer due to the drought, so the current most important task of water management is to keep the water in the landscape, in the backwaters of the rivers. The harmful effects of climate change can be reduced by properly storing, channeling, and distributing surface water, as well as using it for agricultural irrigation purposes, which is why our country prefers irrigation from surface water, István Nagy said.

In his speech, the minister emphasized that the basis of adequate, healthy and high-quality food production is farmland

However, healthy soil serves not only food security, but also environmental and climate protection, as it also has outstanding carbon sequestration and purification capabilities, which also affects the quality of life. In our country, farmland and soil are an extremely important environmental resource and also an economic factor, which is why domestic agricultural policy prioritizes the issue of soil improvement and sustainable tillage. István Nagy also underlined the importance of the role of research and development, innovation, education and global cooperation in achieving sustainable farming.

Hungary September 27-28, 2023 hosts the meeting of the European Committee for Agriculture of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Almost 40 European and Central Asian countries are participating in it, and this year’s theme is “Sustainable use of land and water resources in Europe and Central Asia”. During the two-day event, the participants will examine the challenges affecting the region in depth during thematic sessions, in addition to the solutions for the sustainable use of land and water resources, they will also take into account the comprehensive aspects of the relationship between land and water, with particular regard to climate change, biodiversity, gender equality and for food security. On September 28, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, participants can visit farms that demonstrate good practices and apply modern agricultural technology with the cooperation of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Keve Zrt.

AM