Strategic Objectives:

Program Title: Food Security Governance

Strategic Objectives:

1. Facilitate effective food security governance mechanisms and policies across OIC member states (MS).
2. Foster cooperation and partnerships between relevant institutions, governments, and stakeholders to strengthen food security initiatives.
3. Facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity-building activities to improve food security governance practices.
4. Promote sustainable and resilient food systems through effective governance and policy implementation.

Program Description:

The Food Security Governance program aligns with the Governance Enablement pillar of the Islamic Organization for Food Security strategy, focusing on driving effective and efficient government food security/system policy-making and governance mechanisms. Effective governance is at the core of addressing food security challenges and fostering resilience within food systems. The Food Security Governance program recognizes the necessity of robust governance structures and policies.

Background:

- The program gained unanimous support during the 3rd IOFS General Assembly on December 2-3, 2020.

- Conclusions from the COMCEC 2020 study emphasized the significance of IOFS considering food security governance and building resilient food systems in its activities.

Goals:

The primary goal of Food Security Governance is to address food security challenges, including hunger and malnutrition, by:

- Developing and implementing national and subnational legal and regulatory frameworks for food and nutrition security.

- Improving and harmonizing food security policies and regulations across OIC MS.

- Strengthening the capacity of governmental agencies responsible for food security governance.

- Promoting effective relationships between the state and other stakeholders to ensure activities aimed at food and nutrition security, as well as sustainable agricultural development.

- Organizing workshops, seminars, and conferences to share best practices and lessons learned in food security governance.

Implementation:

- Organize workshops and training sessions on food security governance.

- Build platforms and establish networks for exchanging and accumulating OIC experience in food security governance.

- Facilitate the sharing of best OIC and international practices with Member States.

- Assist Member States in developing coherent policy frameworks and resilient inter-sectoral government systems to ensure sustainable food systems in the OIC region.

- Collaborate with international organizations and institutions to leverage expertise and resources.

Outcomes:

By implementing this program, IOFS aims to:

- Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among OIC member states.

- Share best practices from both OIC and international contexts.

- Assist member states in developing robust policy frameworks for sustainable food systems.

Highlights of implemented activities:

1. The online International Workshop on the “OIC Country Experience in Food Security Governance for Strengthening South-South Cooperation” was organized on 22 December 2021 by the IOFS Secretariat with the participation of 70 representatives of government agencies of OIC member states.

https://www.iofs.org.kz/post/623

2. The regional training workshop on strategic planning and policy development in food security organized by the IOFS Secretariat in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority continuing for two-days concluded on 25 May 2022.

https://www.iofs.org.kz/post/783

3. 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.

https://www.iofs.org.kz/post/927

4. The two-day regional training workshop on strategic planning and policy development in food security organized by the IOFS Secretariat in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Federal Republic of Nigeria with support of Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) concluded on 22 December 2022.

https://www.iofs.org.kz/post/1030

5. IOFS, financially co-supported by the Islamic Development Bank and in close coordination with with the Food Banking Regional Network, organized a three-day capacity-building training titled “Food Banking Regional Network Model: Establishment, Operations, Pillars to Focus” concluded on 19 December in Cairo, Egypt..

https://www.iofs.org.kz/news/iofs-organized-training-on-food-banking-concludes-in-cairo

Highlights of planned activities:

1. A regional workshop on "Navigating Global Food Security Frameworks: Adaptation and Implementation in Central Asia"
2. A workshop on "Strengthening Food Security Governance: Integrating Advanced Technologies - GIS, Remote Sensing, and AI - for Sustainable Policy Development in OIC Member States"
3. A regional workshop on "NENA Agri-Water Policy Framework: Integrating Agricultural and Water Policies for Food Security"
4. A workshop on "Strengthening Food Security Governance in OIC: Building Data-Driven Policies and Early Warning Systems for Policy Makers"

Success story:

• A network of policy makers from OIC MSs was established based on the conducted trainings in 2022.
• OIC food security policies were shared among the participants of the IOFS capacity-building trainings.