IOFS HIGH-LEVEL FORUM ON FOOD SECURITY

CONTEXT

The core objective of the IOFS is to ensure the food security and promote agricultural and rural development in OIC member countries. Moreover, the IOFS puts the topic Food Security Education as a priority at the IOFS Agenda. Within the 4th General Assembly on 8-9 September 2021 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, OIC member states adopted the IOFS Strategic Vision 2031 that included the implementation of 16 programs in the long-term perspective, one of which “OIC Food System Talent Development”.

Therefore, the IOFS pays the significant attention to the development of human capital for sustainable food security, supporting smallholder farmers through extension, strengthening the role of universities, raising awareness on food and nutrition security from the early ages in OIC region. Considering the above-mentioned, the IOFS in cooperation with the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU), as well as OIC Institutions, international organizations and leading agricultural universities/institutions, research entities in OIC member countries, conducts the “IOFS High-Level Forum on Food Security”, on 8-9 June, 2022, in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The Forum will be highlighted with the High-Level Panel Session with welcoming speeches of Senior Officials of OIC member states, as well as cover the participation from OIC countries in Asia and Arab countries in the Middle East. Further in autumn 2022, the Forum’s core Agenda will be extended to OIC member states in Africa with the financial support of donor organizations.

The Forum will be also enriched with the active involvement of world scientific community considering the 70th Anniversary of Academician H.E. Tlektes Yespolov, Rector of KazNARU. Prof. Tlektes Yespolov is the Vice President and Academic at the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, Head of Council of Rectors of Leading Agricultural Universities of the CIS Member States. His scientific work has been recognized throughout the world with honorary professorships at no less than 14 leading agricultural universities in South Korea, China, Hungary, Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and others. He is a Laureate of the State Prize of Kazakhstan in the field of science and technology and was awarded with international and national awards.

FORUM OBJECTIVES:

To discuss current challenges of food systems in OIC countries and explore ways of solutions;
To present international, regional and national projects on sustainable agriculture, use of agricultural technologies and innovations, new farming practices to address food insecurity;
To elaborate on challenges and perspectives in the cross-sector of education and food security, as well as identify the role of universities in the domain of agriculture and food security;
To strengthen the cooperation among agricultural universities of OIC member states and share their experience and practices on developing and implementing higher educational programs on food security and agricultural development;
To explore the opportunities of extension by agricultural universities and its impact in empowering the small-scale farmers;
To promote the role of women and youth, as well as their engagement in food security, agriculture and sustainable food systems.
To review the importance children’s education on food security and possibilities of its introduction to the secondary schools.

FORMAT: In-person with extending to online participation.

TIME: 8-9 June 2022

VENUE: Almaty, Kazakhstan

LANGUAGE: English (interpretation into Arabic and Russian)

ONLINE PARTICIPATION

For online participation, please follow the link to register in advance:

https://bit.ly/IOFS_Almaty-Forum_registration

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErd-uqqjopHtAqw0gHBmFpNosba81bnmJU

ZOOM LINK:

To join the Forum, please follow the link:

https://bit.ly/IOFS-Almaty-Forum

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85602241344?pwd=bGE5UWc2bWoyYVZOejZqdjk1bk8rdz09