1. Ambassador Hameed A. Opeloyeru
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISLAMIC ORGANISATION FOR FOOD SECURITY
Presentation by
Ambassador Hameed A. Opeloyeru
Deputy Director General, IOFS at the Press Conference in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
on 09 September 2019

2. Introduction
Food Security: OIC initiatives dated from establishment of OIC in 1969.
Subsequent efforts intensified during the global food crisis in 2008.
1st Kazakh President Nazarbayev’s call in 2011 triggered the formation of IOFS in 2016.
Food security is access by all people at all times to enough food for active and healthy life. Availability (Supply), Accessibility (Distribution), Utilisation (Other Uses), etc
IOFS can mobilise increased partnerships at national, regional and international levels
Address constraints to funding, appropriate technology and inclusiveness.

3. Food Security in OIC Countries- Complementarities
Material Resource Endowments (18 FEC, 19 MIDC, 20 LIDC)
771 Million rural population with 20% world arable land vs Arid population mostly urban dwellers (land rich and land poor)
Land and Water Resources
Cultural affinities necessary for food acceptability- Halal standards

4. GDP and GDP per Capita in OIC regions
in US Dollars (millions, 2007)
GDP per Capita
in US Dollars (2007)
Sub-Saharan Africa countries
594,367
1,651
Middle East and North Africa countries
3,718,663
10,189
Asian countries
1,751,719
3,184
Countries in transition
320,413
5,136
Source: IDB Statistical Monograph No.29

5. Food Security: Major Challenges
Food Availability/Accessibility Problems
- Low agric. Production, dearth of farm inputs, dwindling public spending
- Dearth of farm inputs
- Inadequate infrastructure, poor rural transportation, technological gap
- poor policy climate, not community-driven, poor financial governance

6. Total water withdrawal and use in agriculture in OIC countries
Total Renewable Water Resources (TRWR)
(km3/year)
Total Water Withdrawal
% of TRWR
Agriculture Water Withdrawal
OIC countries
10.64
9.47
Developing countries
6.54
5.12
World
7.02
4.88
Source: OIC Outlook, SESRIC May 2009

8. National Responses: Issues
Country-driven processes. Political will and availability of public funding.
Land tenure policy. Not inclusive. “Land grabbing”.
Community-driven Capacity Building, Collaborative execution of policies.

9. National Responses ctn’d
Private Sector Mainstreaming, Commercial farms/FDI, Joint Venture, Good corporate governance, Support for Smallholder farmers. Key to recovery.
Trade Policy. Stable fiscal climate. Grain and food reserves
Water Management. Irrigation. Balanced use of groundwater. Irrigation vs. climate change

10. Regional Actions
Trade Liberalization. Specialization, Tech. transfer, Common Agriculture Policy, RTAs
Investment Promotion. ODA, Joint Venture
Cross Border Issues. Water Management, Pest Control,
Humanitarian Assistance. Disaster Management. Migration issues

11. OIC and International Responses
Four Food Security Conferences ‘81-’95. Joint Action Framework-.
Poverty Alleviation Programmes (ISFD, SPDA, ISF, WWF)
IDB Partnership with FAO and IFAD. OIC-IDB-COMCEC Framework. FAO-SESRIC NENA Water Management. FAO’s NPFS and RPFS, 28 OIC MS, UEMOA, ECO
ICHAD, ISF, IDB Humanitarian interventions

12. Recommendations
OIC and IOFS to support the following multi-level processes:
National: Mobilise political will and increased public funding (10%), Public-Private investment, Smallholder farmers’ capacity-building/micro credit, include national stakeholders, farmers, R&D centres, women, youth for appropriate technology and nutrition security.
Regional: Encourage RECs on open regional markets, disaster and water management, and joint venture.

13. Recommendations cont’d
-International: Identify with food security programmes of international organisations, FAO, IFAD, WFP, UNICEF, etc.
Establish an OIC Food Security Programme. 3 components (direct investment; farm inputs; agro-processing) via: prime movers countries, close liaison with MS; and multi-stakeholder partnership.

14. Thank you for attention Wassalamu Alaykum wa-Rahmatullah wa-Barakatuh