- Uzbekistan is betting on epigenetics to boost yields and food security.
- The country wants agriculture to shift from “hardware” to “software” innovation.
- A fast-growing population is driving a rethink of agricultural policy.
Agriculture minister Ibrahim Abdurahmanov made the remarks at the launch of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 report in Rome on July 21, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Abdurahmanov made the remarks at the launch of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 report in Rome on July 21, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Uzbekistan produced a record 10 million tonnes of wheat this year, the beginning of what Abdurahmanov described as a “new era” for its agricultural sector.
A key component of its new vision is a greater focus on “software” of agriculture, said Abdurahmanov.
“We see genetics as software. All the seeds and new varieties are hardware. We funded a lot for the creation of hardware, but we never worked on software.”
‘Genetics plus epigenetics’
Abdurahmanov, who trained as a geneticist before entering government, said Uzbekistan saw epigenetics as a very promising opportunity to increase yields at a lower cost.
“For us, software is epigenetics. Genetics plus epigenetics will be the future of Uzbekistan and Central Asian agriculture.”
As an example, he credited Uzbekistan’s record wheat harvest to the practice of chilling seeds before planting.
“What we also did was put all the seed under refrigeration for two months before planting. This is seed dormancy breeding technology. With the same fertiliser, the same land and the same inputs, you will get at least one tonne of additional yield. Nothing else changed. Very simple. Zero cost,” he said.
‘We’ve made many errors before’
Abdurahmanov believes agriculture now requires greater emphasis on “software” such as genetics, epigenetics and knowledge-based innovation.
“Agriculture needs a new era. We have to move from hardware to software funding and make better use of software to maximise the hardware we already have.”
The minister similarly called for reforms to funding innovation.
Reflecting on his previous experience as innovation minister, he argued that funding programmes focused on proof of concept often slow the adoption of useful technologies.
“As innovation minister, I funded proof-of-concept projects. I think that was wrong. We have to change from proof-of-concept funding to proof-of-use funding in agriculture. We have to fund use directly, because all the innovations are sitting on the shelves. First, we prove them, and then we lose a lot of time. We do not have time.”
Abdurahmanov said countries in Central Asia are reassessing previous agricultural approaches with support from FAO and IFAD.
He said that the region had made errors in the past and now needs to move away from its “era of errors” to revise policies more carefully and strategically.
“This should be very important for the Central Asian ecosystem… With technical support and rural development funding, we came to understand that we made many errors before. Now we have to revise them wisely.”
Uzebekistan’s ‘Plus Era’
Abdurahmanov’s remarks come at a crucial time for Uzbekistan, which recently completed a national census and now has a population exceeding 39 million people, a number which was higher than expected.
He noted that Uzbekistan adds approximately one million newborn children each year, creating significant pressure on the government and agricultural sector to ensure long-term food security.
He described agricultural policymaking as particularly complex because decisions directly affect people’s lives, and argued that rapid population growth makes the task even more challenging.
While Uzbekistan’s agricultural strategy has traditionally been market-oriented, Abdurahmanov said that the existing model is no longer sufficient to address future food security challenges.
“We have a market-driven agriculture programme for 2030, but it is not enough. In the process, we still see undernourishment. Now we are revising it and making it ‘One Plus’. This is the Plus Era for us: market-oriented plus human-centred.”
Under this approach, agriculture is expected to preserve natural resources while pursuing profit.
“It means you have to produce, you have to get a profit, but you have to save natural resources for future generations,” said Abdurahmanov.
