The IOFS Secretariat took part in the online conference “Food Security in Asia: Prospects for Cooperation within the CICA” organized jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and CICA.
The conference encouraged the participants to discuss and exchange experience in the area of food security, covering such themes as:
1) Current state of food security systems in the member states of the CICA
2) Regional trends in food security governance and cooperation
3) Prospects of cooperation between the CICA member states in food security
4) Development of a cooperation plan between the CICA member states in food security
In the context of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the issue of the stable food supply is of paramount importance in Asia, including in the CICA space. Many governments are reviewing their agriculture and food security policies on the understanding that pandemic mitigation and economic recovery will only succeed if food security is guaranteed. The cooperation between the member states may help to find the necessary solutions and alleviate the post-pandemic struggles.
Dr Ismail Abdelhamid, Director of Program Office of IOFS presented the IOFS strategic initiatives that aim to tackle food security crises such as humanitarian programs, action plans on the development of strategic commodities, food security reserves, and programs that drive science and innovation, address agro-food trade driven by the private sector and promote investments in the agricultural sector.
The representatives of state bodies and research institutions of the member states such as India, China, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and Turkey took part in the event. The conference was moderated by the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and attended by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Trade and Integration, and the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.
