The importance of food security and food sovereignty has grown considerably as a result of pandemic, and Hungary is on the right track in these areas, Minister of Agriculture István Nagy said at the Planet Budapest 2021 sustainability expo and world conference on Tuesday.
The pandemic has strengthened certain trends globally and in Hungary, such as digitalisation, e-commerce, and the importance of locally produced food and short supply chains, he said.
The agriculture ministry and the Hungarian government have made significant efforts in the past ten years to meet sustainability targets, he said.
“The pandemic has encouraged everyone to speed up these efforts, and given it is a common problem, common solutions must be worked out together,” he added.
The ministry has launched a dialogue with other ministries, involving players in the food chain, research institutes, universities and civil organisation, too, on preparing a national schedule aimed at achieving sustainability in food systems, he said.
Hungary is dedicated to its sustainability targets, he said, noting that it hosted a regional meeting on sustainable foods at the V4 plus 4 conference of agriculture ministers in October.
featured image via Zoltán Balogh/MTI