The Acting Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) Yerlan Baidaulet visited Indonesia. During the visit, with the assistance of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, negotiations with Dr. Agung Hendriadi, Director General of the Agency for Food Security of the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia, Dr. Alwi Shihab, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to the Middle East and the OIC, Prof. Ir. Sukoso, Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH), Mr. Mukti Sardjono, Executive Director of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) and Indonesian Logistics Bureau (BULOG) were organized.
During the meetings, Y. Baidaulet informed the Indonesian side about the goals and objectives of the IOFS, invited the Indonesian side to join the Organization, and take part in the 2nd session of the IOFS General Assembly, which will take place on August 27-29, 2019 in Jeddah.
The Organization will solve the problems of providing the population of Islamic countries with economically more affordable food, based on their natural and climatic conditions and geographical location, creating the most advantageous transport and logistics routes to minimize the cost of food supplies to the OIC member countries, stabilizing food prices through formation and management of joint food funds. The IOFS will also implement humanitarian programs based on relevant requests from the OIC General Secretariat.
Dr. Hendriadi, Director General of Indonesian Agency for Food Security noted that the issue of ensuring food security is very relevant for Indonesia, which has fourth largest population in the world, and shared Indonesian experience in this sphere. A. Hendriadi welcomed efforts of Kazakhstan to promote the IOFS and informed that the Indonesian side will consider its IOFS membership and participation in the 2nd session of the IOFS General Assembly as an observer.
The initiative to create the IOFS within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was proposed by the First President of Kazakhstan – Elbasy N.Nazarbayev in 2011 at the 38th session of the OIC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.
The IOFS was established on April 28, 2016 at the 7th session of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development and the inauguration session of the IOFS General Assembly. The headquarters of the Organization is located in the capital of Kazakhstan Nur-Sultan city. Currently, it comprises of 33 states of the Islamic world. The official languages of the Organization are Arabic, English and French.
