Water scarcity and costly imports threaten food security in landlocked countries
Almost 57 per cent of people living in the world's 32 landlocked developing countries cannot afford a healthy diet, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Around one in six faces...
Almost 57 per cent of people living in the world's 32 landlocked developing countries cannot afford a healthy diet, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Around one in six faces hunger.
Home to nearly 600 million people, these countries face additional obstacles in securing food supplies and reaching international markets. Their dependence on transport routes through neighbouring states can increase costs for farmers, businesses and consumers.
A 2025 UN study quantified that disadvantage. Logistics costs per tonne of imported goods are 75 per cent higher in landlocked developing countries than in transit developing countries – the coastal nations through which exports flow. For exports, the difference is 63 per cent.
The findings provided context for discussions at the Global Technical Forum on Food Security, organised at the beginning of October by the FAO and Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture in Tashkent.
Transport costs affect food security
The impact of geography extends beyond the cost of shipping agricultural products. Food imports, fertiliser and fuel can become more expensive when goods must cross additional borders or travel longer distances.
"The countries that will always be the most affected are the poorest countries, because those are the ones that import food, and their food import costs will increase," Máximo Torero, the FAO's chief economist, told Euronews.
For agricultural exporters, delays also create risks. Fresh fruit and vegetables can lose quality or spoil before reaching buyers, reducing farmers' earnings and increasing losses along supply chains.
Torero also identified climate change and population growth as long-term pressures on food production. He cited disruptions affecting the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, alongside drought-related restrictions on shipping through the Panama Canal, as examples of risks to international agricultural trade.
Uzbekistan: High production, but continued reliance on imports
Uzbekistan is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, alongside Liechtenstein. Neither country has direct access to the sea, and all their neighbours are also landlocked.
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries accounted for approximately 19 per cent of Uzbekistan's GDP in 2024, according to the FAO.
Despite its geographical constraints, Uzbekistan has significantly reduced hunger. The FAO estimates that the prevalence of undernourishment has remained below 3 per cent over the past decade, compared with approximately 20 per cent in 2000.
The FAO's July 2026 assessment forecast an above-average cereal harvest of approximately 9 million tonnes, including 7.3 million tonnes of wheat.
Despite that production, Uzbekistan's wheat and wheat flour import requirements are forecast at 4.2 million tonnes for the 2026-2027 marketing year. Demand for high-quality wheat, particularly from neighbouring Kazakhstan, remains significant.
The figures illustrate why domestic agricultural output alone does not eliminate the need for reliable cross-border trade.
"We are telling the world that we have moved from being 'landlocked' to 'land-linked'," Uzbekistan's Agriculture Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov told Euronews. "But this connectivity does not happen on its own. First and foremost, we need to work together to address our common challenges."
Water management and agricultural innovation
Transport connectivity is only one part of the challenge. Agriculture across Central Asia depends heavily on irrigation, while several countries share limited water resources.
"Our common challenges are particularly visible in Central Asia. First and foremost, there is the issue of water," Abdurakhmonov said.
Uzbekistan is proposing a regional initiative bringing together natural resource management, agricultural research and new technology. The minister also outlined plans to strengthen knowledge-sharing and support the adoption of new farming methods.
The FAO has identified water scarcity, land degradation and climate change among the main challenges facing Uzbek agriculture. Its cooperation programme with Uzbekistan includes initiatives covering digital agriculture, biodiversity and natural resource management.
However, increasing production does not automatically guarantee access to nutritious food.
The FAO's global food security research highlights how processing, transport and distribution costs influence the prices consumers pay. But access to nutritious food also depends on household incomes and the support available when prices rise.
"On food security, I think it's not a standalone goal but it's really part of a larger picture," Sabine Machl, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan, told Euronews.
She highlighted education, healthcare, social protection and equal opportunities as essential parts of that wider picture. Social protection, in particular, can help vulnerable households maintain access to food when rising prices put pressure on their incomes.
