Page 55 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.75, # 2, 2018, pp. 47-63

population was 2.5% [World Bank, 2017]. Based on the “Global Competitiveness
th
Report 2017/2018” [World Economic Forum, 2018], Azerbaijan was on the 13 place,
among 137 countries, for agricultural policy costs. Azerbaijan is fully or almost self-
sufficient in beef, poultry, eggs, lamb, diary, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural
products. However, just like in all countries, climate change might challenge food
security in Azerbaijan as well. In this context, promoting food security has been
identified as one of the FAO priorities in Azerbaijan [FAO, 2018].

Based on the relevant Presidential Decree, amendments have been made to the Statute
of the Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the amended
Statute, the above-mentioned Agency is the central executive authority in Azerbaijan
implementing, at all levels of food chain, state control and regulation of food products
safety, as well as export-import operations of foodstuff and foods that are under public
veterinary and phytosanitary supervision. The Agency issues, as of 01.07.2018,
phytosanitary certificates to plant products and goods of plant origin exported from
Azerbaijan. Samples of phytosanitary and re-export phytosanitary certificates,
meeting the requirements of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC),
have been prepared by the Agency and for the ease of reference uploaded to
www.afsa.gov.az/en/importexport.

Moreover, according to the amended Statute, the above-mentioned Agency is the
central executive authority in Azerbaijan implementing, at all levels of food chain,
state control and regulation of food products safety, as well as export-import
operations of foodstuff and goods that are under public veterinary and phytosanitary
supervision. The Agency issues, as of 01.07.2018, veterinary certificates to animal
products and goods of animal origin exported from Azerbaijan. Veterinary
requirements, elaborated based on the standards of World Organization of Animal
Health (OIE), for animal products and goods of animal origin to be imported to
Azerbaijan have been prepared by the Agency and, for the ease of reference, uploaded
to www.afsa.gov.az/en/info/rule.

In conclusion, food and nutrition strategy (Figure 3) might serve as a driving force to
and engine in the further advancement of food security and safety in Azerbaijan.

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