The agriculture ministers of the Eastern Partnership and European Union member states will come together in Chisinau on January 23 to take part in a joint conference centering on the problems encountered in agriculture. The event will involve European Commissioners Dacian Ciolos and Stefan Fule. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova Vasile Bumacov announced that the conference will debate the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development, IPN reports.

“Moldova faces a number of challenges. We work on unstable markets and are to create a Free Trade Area with the EU. This thing mobilizes us to attract funds for increasing the competitiveness of the Moldovan agrifood products,” said the minister.

He also said they will underline the importance of agriculture for Moldova at the conference. “It is a crucial sector. The last data show that an economic growth is possible owing to the good situation in agriculture,” stated Vasile Bumacov.

The conference will also discuss soil protection and the waste of food at a time when 1 billion people worldwide suffer from hunger.

The conference of agriculture ministers will start at 9am on January 23.