Story 30 Apr, 2026

Uzbekistan set to strengthen national biosafety with new GEF-funded project

With a rich tapestry of habitats, ranging from deserts and steppes to mountains and wetlands, Uzbekistan boasts a wide variety of genetic resources. To prevent the potential adverse effects of living modified organisms (LMOs) on its biological diversity, the country will benefit from a new project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This marks the first coordinated initiative for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in Uzbekistan.

Photo: FAO/Lazizkhon Tashbekov

Led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as GEF Implementing Agency, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as GEF Executing Agency, the project ‘Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework in Uzbekistan in accordance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety’ will receive USD 2 million in GEF funding alongside USD 7 million in co-financing.

Taking a cross-sectoral approach, the initiative will be implemented in close cooperation with Uzbekistan’s National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change; Ministry of Agriculture; Centre of Genomics and Bioinformatics; Council of Farmers, among other entities and government agencies.

“IUCN is proud to support this new initiative, which will help conserve Uzbekistan’s unique plant varieties and iconic wildlife by managing risks associated with LMOs. The project launch follows the opening of IUCN’s Central Asia office in Tashkent in 2025 and deepens our growing commitment to the region. It also marks a valuable next step in our ongoing collaboration with FAO in Uzbekistan, reflecting our continued joint commitment to supporting countries in addressing complex biodiversity challenges,” said Oliver Avramoski, IUCN Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“FAO is pleased to support Uzbekistan in strengthening its national biosafety framework in line with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Strengthening biosafety in Uzbekistan is essential to ensure the safe handling and use of LMOs, protect Uzbekistan’s biodiversity — including valuable wild relatives of crops — and support the country’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. This project is a valuable addition to FAO’s long-standing GEF portfolio in Uzbekistan, and our collaboration with IUCN will further strengthen biodiversity for food and agriculture and help protect Uzbekistan’s unique agricultural heritage”, said Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia.

Addressing gaps in biosafety

The Central Asian country joined the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2019, in a bid to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of LMOs resulting from modern biotechnology. These organisms, which include genetically modified seeds and crops, are capable of transferring genetic material to other life forms, thus requiring rigorous oversight.

Without proper safeguards, LMOs risk compromising biodiversity by contaminating or displacing indigenous crop varieties. In Uzbekistan, this threat is particularly acute for the wild relatives of cultivated plants like apples, walnuts and almonds, which are vital to the region's ecological heritage. Beyond crop displacement, LMOs may also affect animal species that feed on transgenic crops, impact ecosystems through their potential to become weedy species, and diminish nature’s overall resilience to pests, diseases and drought by reducing biological diversity.

Despite legislative efforts in recent years, the lack of a comprehensive national policy framework and technical capacity for LMO detection in Uzbekistan has hindered the protocol’s translation into practice – gaps that the new GEF-funded project aims to fill.

A key component of the initiative is to establish a robust National Policy on Biosafety through a cross-sectoral process. This involves aligning food safety laws and enacting national biosafety regulations for the handling and monitoring of LMOs, including socio-economic considerations and labelling.

Additionally, it will focus on establishing a centralised system to manage LMO applications, including laboratories for LMO detection. Human resource capacities within national technical and decision-making bodies will be built to facilitate effective biosafety decisions, and a National Biosafety Clearing House will be established to collect, generate and share current national biosafety information.

Risks at the crossroads of trade

Situated at the crossroads of Central Asia, Uzbekistan has experienced rapid growth in transport infrastructure, including major freight routes linking East Asia to Europe. The accidental spillage of genetically modified grains from trains and trucks poses a significant risk to wild crop relatives and protected areas. Furthermore, while LMO-derived food is imported for local consumption, risk assessments have remained limited to date.

The GEF project will develop procedures, mechanisms and technical guidelines for risk monitoring, management and emergency response. It will also train customs authorities and implement public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on these critical issues. Progress will be shared with relevant stakeholders, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, including through national reporting under the Cartagena Protocol.

The National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, IUCN and FAO will sign a Statement of Intent to formalise their collaboration on June 2nd, on the sidelines of the GEF Assembly in Samarkand.

To learn more about the project, visit the project page on the GEF website here.

IUCN in Eastern Europe and Central Asia www.iucn.org/ecaro