site.btaDeputy Agriculture Minister Iotzev Addresses 32nd Economic Forum in Poland

Addressing the 32nd Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland, Bulgarian Deputy Agriculture Minister Alexander Iotzev Thursday said the large disparities between small and big farms, as well as the different extent of digitization of the Member States pose a major challenge to digital transformation in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the accelerated and widespread uptake of innovation and digital technologies in agricultural practice offers the best chance of achieving the much-needed balance between producing a sufficient quantity and quality of food for consumers and meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Agriculture Ministry said.

In his statement on "Innovative Agri-food Sector for Food Security and Climate Protection," Iotzev said Bulgaria believes that increasing the share of areas under organic production and transitioning to it is an appropriate instrument for the green transition in agriculture at national level.

The common challenges bring to the fore the need for even closer cooperation and understanding between the peoples of Europe. In today's context of globalization and a growing world population, the role of agricultural production as an important economic, social and political factor in food security is enormous and continues to grow, Iotzev said.

He met with Polish Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Robert Telus and Moldovan Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vladimir Bolea to discuss cooperation in agriculture and food.