BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 8. The UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working to expand the use of
artificial intelligence and digital agricultural tools in
Azerbaijan, especially among smallholder farmers, Head of the FAO
Partnership and Coordination Office in Azerbaijan, Nasar Hayat,
told Trend in an
interview on the sidelines of the Baku Climate Action Week 2026
(BCAW 2026).


According to him, artificial intelligence and digital tools are
of great importance in terms of agricultural development and
adaptation to climate change.


"We are working with the Ministry of Agriculture in Azerbaijan
on the Farm Sustainability Measurement System, which the minister
also mentioned in his speech during the roundtable today. At the
same time, we are working on the implementation of artificial
intelligence at the farm level, in cooperation with the relevant
department of the Ministry of Agriculture," Hayat said.


The FAO official noted that currently, there are mobile
applications and a number of other digital tools for farmers, but
these services are mostly used by large farms.


"We are working with Azercosmos and the Ministry of Agriculture
to make these services accessible to small farmers. We hope that in
the very near future all farmers in Azerbaijan will be able to use
these digital tools," he stressed.


According to Hayat, it is not just about digital services, but
also about providing farmers with market, climate, weather
conditions, and other important information.


"We are working in this direction and hope that in the near
future, small farmers in Azerbaijan will also have access to these
tools," he added.


FAO: Agricultural development in Azerbaijan is
impossible without climate change adaptation


The FAO official also noted that climate change adaptation is of
particular importance in the development of agriculture in
Azerbaijan.


"Climate change is an unavoidable reality that is not up for
discussion. If we look at the development of agriculture in
Azerbaijan, we will see that the Azerbaijani government has made a
huge commitment to invest $1.2 billion over the next five years.
This goal cannot be achieved without climate change adaptation,"
Hayat noted.


According to him, the main issues in this direction are
protecting soil health, eliminating water scarcity, and preventing
land degradation.


"The main directions for us are soil health, water scarcity, as
well as land degradation, which we need to prevent and start
improving the condition of the land," the FAO official said.







Hayat also touched upon the projects implemented in various
regions of Azerbaijan to adapt to climate change and protect the
environment.


"We are currently implementing a project on land degradation
neutrality. This project is mainly focused on the Absheron
district," he said.


The FAO official also stressed the importance of protecting
national parks and biodiversity.


"We are also working on protecting national parks, which are
home to biodiversity. It is necessary to protect Azerbaijan's
biodiversity as a global heritage. At the same time, we are working
to improve soil health and improve farming practices in these areas
so that further damage is not caused," Hayat added.


FAO: BCAW 2026 brings together various
parties


Speaking about the importance of the Baku Climate Action Week,
Hayat said that the event is an important platform for dialogue
between the public and private sectors, international
organizations, and civil society.


"This is a very important event that brings together all
stakeholders - the public and private sectors, international
organizations, as well as civil society. The goal is for them to
discuss together and establish a two-way dialogue," he
explained.


According to him, one of the main advantages of the event is
that different parties not only present their proposals, but also
listen to each other.


"This doesn't mean that the government or international
organizations simply give people advice. They listen to people and
develop solutions that are acceptable to everyone and at the same
time work in practice," Hayat emphasized.


The FAO official noted that the fact that BCAW has been held in
Azerbaijan for the third year now increases the importance of the
event.


"The outcome of this event is that we all come together, define
our commitments, share the solutions that already exist, and the
vision we want to realize in the future," he concluded.