Background of IFPA

The Forum on Development of Agro-Food Industries in the OIC Member States was organized by The Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) in Kampala, Uganda on 11-12 October 2011. The Forum recommended, among other issues, the establishment of an Agro-Industrial Association that would promote agribusiness and a value-chain approach to agricultural development in OIC countries. This initiative was named the Islamic Food Processing Association. The IOFS was established recognizing the need to address the major food security problems facing their Member States, particularly the spate of hunger, malnutrition, famine, widespread poverty, growing population, food shortage, desertification, deforestation, salinity and underutilization of existing potentials. The IOFS also aims to create a collective platform to promote food security, rural and agricultural development in a sustainable manner through the mobilization of all available resources within the member countries, exchange of best practices and experiences, promotion of investment and transfer of appropriate technologies. Following the successful approval of the Resolution on IFPA at the 3rd General Assembly of IOFS in December 2020 in the Republic of Turkey, IFPA was established as a subsidiary of the IOFS and thus, has been created in line with these objectives of the IOFS.

Why International IFPA?

International Islamic Food Processing Association is one of the strategic initiatives proposed by the Islamic Organization for Food Security during the second General Assembly held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August 2019.
International Islamic Food Processing Association aims to develop the direct relationships between agricultural businesses in the IOFS Member States by establishing B2B cooperation between private sectors among OIC countries.
The Association is a platform for strengthening intra-OIC trade relations, enhancing investment activities between OIC countries, developing and implementing large-scale interstate economic projects, concluding trade operations, and intensifying trade and commercial outreach.

JOIN INTERNATIONAL IFPA FOR:

- Growing international connectivity within OIC countries
- Market expansion
- Trade development in the OIC region

Who can become International IFPA member?

The main shareholders are private sector establishments, individual companies, associations of IOFS and the OIC Member States and working in the domain of food processing and agricultural businesses, which are eligible to apply for Corporate or Honorary Membership.

Honorary Members
Non - commercial organizations, associations, unions, public companies working in agri-food and food processing industries, support bodies, research and scientific institutions devoted to the improvement and development of food processing operations.    

Corporate Members
Manufacturers of agricultural inputs and implements, private companies working in and servicing in agri-food and food processing industries.

Benefits
All our members receive access to the whole benefits of International IFPA upon becoming International IFPA member. We provide the following benefits to our members:

ADVOCACY

Within its advocacy proposal, International IFPA supports engaging members and government representatives in dialogue on improving the agri-food business environment in each OIC country and defences rights on behalf of food processors.
International IFPA has unique access to governments around the world and acts as a facilitator in mobilizing private and public resources to build and develop agri-food intra-trade and investments. In this regard, International IFPA:
* The Trade Preferential System aims to promote trade among the Member States of the OIC by means of exchanging preferences. It includes a Most-Favored Nation clause, providing that all states participating in the TPS-OIC receive equal trade advantages as the “most favoured nation” by the country granting such treatment.

EVENTS

International IFPA connects members with each other and with industry and community organizations through a range of engaging networking and development opportunities. We organize to our members conferences, webinars, seminars, networking, and business matchmaking services for sharing best practices on weekly / monthly / quarterly / annually basis.

We also promote and give access to our members on partners organized conferences, webinars, and networking. Finally, we organize to our members professional fora (Conferences, Symposiums, Meetings, Fairs, exhibitions, workshops) on capacity building, development of human capital, system and processes including Halal food development.

INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence is one of our core benefits that helps our members to be up to date with all market trends, legislative and regulatory developments in IOFS / OIC Member States vital to the industry, and new innovations on food tech. We make valuable and inquired by industry research, industry/market/products/trade studies and reports, publish them in monthly, quarterly, and annually basis. Our members have free access to all our agri-food databases and intelligence.

TRAINING

It is vital for industry development to increase knowledge, to exchange information, ideas, and experience, thus International IFPA organizes online and offline knowledge sharing workshops for its members, online courses, and curriculums in partnership with OIC global institutions and helps to establish expert groups in the various fields of agri-food and OIC intra-trade development.

Services

International IFPA has a range of services that are provided through our partners. We have partnership agreements with OIC and non-OIC institutions and have been appointed as agents to provide services to our members on one window basis.
Members will sign an additional tripartite service agreement based on payment for obtaining the following services:

TRADE FINANCE
STREAMLINE THE TRADE FINANCING PROCESS
STRUCTURED TRADE FINANCE (STF)
DIRECT FINANCING
COLLATERAL MANAGEMENT
PROJECT FINANCE SUKUK
LINES OF FINANCING
ASSET MANAGEMENT TO SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE CAPACITIES
SME & PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS
SUKUK ISSUANCE
CREDIT INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
INVESTMENT INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
LEGAL SERVICES
STANDARDIZATION AND CERTIFICATION
FINANCIAL ADVISORY
MARKETING
CONNECTING BUYER AND SELLER
TRADE PROMOTION
TRADE INFORMATION
INTERNATIONAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN OIC LEADING UNIVERSITIES
VOCATIONAL TRAINING
JOB PORTAL AND TALENT RECRUITMENT


H.E. Sheikh Bilal Khan
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer

H.E. Sheikh Bilal Khan is the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the International IFPA under the auspices of the OIC specialized institution of Islamic Organisation for Food Security (“IOFS”). He has been actively involved in many geostrategic projects both in the OIC and major non-OIC markets in multiple subsectors across the entire agri-food industry value chain from producers to suppliers to processors to distributors to retailers including the supporting institutions and related infrastructure providers. H.E. Sheikh Bilal Khan is closely connected with key decision-makers in both public and private sectors and is leading the International IFPA and its engagement in the IOFS/OIC Member States.

H.E. Sheikh Bilal Khan is also globally renowned for establishing and managing financial centres and financial institutions and is a highly respected specialist in corporate finance, corporate governance, financial services, legal services, Islamic finance, fin-tech, agri-business and intra-OIC trade with executive board experience serving in high profile posts as Chairman, CEO, Independent Non-Executive Director, Director General, Secretary-General, Board Member, Special Government Adviser and Business Ambassador as well as an English qualified lawyer, partner of an international law firm, approved adjudicating arbitrator and judge, honorary and visiting faculty at British and international universities, multiple award-winner and public speaker with multiple decades of experience.

H.E. Sheikh Bilal Khan holds Master of Business Administration with a specialism in Legal Services, M.A. in Islamic Banking, Finance & Management and LL.B (Hons) in Law from major British universities as well as M.A. in Islamic Sciences and Arabic with proficiency in multiple languages including English, Arabic and Urdu.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE IFPA WEBSITE: WWW.IFPA-IOFS.ORG