IOFS CONCLUDES FOOD SECURITY GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP IN CAIRO

The regional training workshop on strategic planning and policy development in food security organized by the IOFS Secretariat in financial support of COMCEC and IsDB continuing for two-days concluded on 21 September 2022.

The workshop attended by the more than 75 participants, including 45 government officials from OIC member countries and representatives of academia, private sector, non-profit antities, international organizations, as well as other stakeholders present in Egypt. The first day of the event was addressed by the welcoming speeches of IOFS Director-General H.E. Mr. Yerlan A. Baidaulat and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt H.E. Mohamed El-Quseir.

The second day of the event was enriched by the sessions of experience of UAE Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) applying the ADAFSA’s Strategic Map and integrated food security and agriculture data platform and National Food and Nutrition Security Policy of Bangladesh, and policy reforms to agricultural development in Turkiye.

Islamic Development Bank familiarized participants with its launched Food Security Response Program (FSRP) and its role to address the global food security crisis in OIC member countries. The expert of American University of Beirut has shared the concepts of formulation of food security strategies by partnering with various stakeholders and food security under trade-based relations in MENA region.

The expert of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Regional Coordination Centre for Food Security also gave an overview of current programs to improving food security and nutrition policies in ECO member countries that are all OIC member states. Non-government stakeholders also presented their work on poverty alleviation and ensuring food security by Egyptian Food Bank and running the organic farming in Egypt by RAMSCO.

The IOFS Secretariat also conducted the survey among participants to evaluate the content of the event and receive the feedback of beneficiaries for further consideration in future IOFS activities. Also, the IOFS ensured to provide the Workshop report which will consist the training presentations, discussions and outcomes of the event.

At the end of the event, the IOFS Director of Programmes and Projects Office Dr. Ismail Abdelhamid have made concluding remarks of the event by outlining the necessity of joint close collaboration among member states in the domain of food security governance and ensured providing the inter-governmental umbrella in this aim by the IOFS.

The IOFS reiterates the appreciation to COMCEC and IsDB, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation for the great support extending to this IOFS activity and expressed confidence in further facilitation of mutual cooperation. The closing session was followed by the awarding certificates to participants for the active participation in the event and certainty of close communication with national authorities of member states.

The workshop content will be continued to the OIC member states in West Africa in November this year.