SESRIC organised a Workshop on “Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs” on 24-25 October 2024 at its headquarters in Ankara, Republic of Türkiye. The event was held within the framework of the SESRIC Project on “Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs,” funded by COMCEC and in line with SESRIC’s Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB).

The workshop brought together 30 representatives from Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security from 12 OIC countries, as well as OIC Institutions and International Organisations; namely the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), among others.

The workshop commenced with opening remarks from representatives of SESRIC and the COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO). During his speech, Mr. Mazhar HUSSAIN, Director of the Economic and Social Research Department at SESRIC, thanked the COMCEC for its support and acknowledged the contributions of Turkish, OIC, and international institutions in the workshop. He highlighted SESRIC’s role in advancing agriculture and food security through its capacity-building programmes, such as Agri-CaB, Cotton-CaB, and Water-CaB. He also mentioned that SESRIC has successfully organized over 110 capacity-building activities and maintains the OIC Statistics (OICStat) Database, which encompasses data on 1,847 socio-economic indicators categorized under 27 categories. Mr. HUSSAIN concluded by emphasizing SESRIC's dedication to research-driven policy to support for OIC countries, aligning with the OIC-2025 Programme of Action’s objectives for effective agricultural management and development.

The opening session proceeded with remarks from Mr. Mehmet Celalettin AKTAŞ, Director of the COMCEC Programmes and Projects Department, expressed his gratitude to SESRIC for the successful implementation of the project and underscored the critical role of advancing the agriculture sector. During the Workshop, participants discussed the main challenges facing the agriculture sector in the member countries. The discussion aimed to raise awareness about the role of sustainable agricultural practices in enhancing food security. Additionally, the participants emphasized the importance of knowledge exchange and the development of actionable strategies for integrating sustainable agricultural inputs into national food security policies and programmes.

The workshop covered the following key topics:

• Agriculture and Food Security in OIC member countries
• The Impact of Agricultural Input Utilisation on Productivity in Türkiye in the Context of Food Security
• TAGEM’s R&D Studies and Innovation Activities for Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs
• Government Programmes and Policies to Promote Sustainable Use of Agricultural Inputs
• Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Experiences on Promoting Food Security through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs
• Situation Outlook of Agriculture Inputs in Malaysia
• Indonesia’s Experiences on Promoting Food Security through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs

The workshop concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony and the adoption of a list of recommendations that would help the participating OIC countries in their endeavours towards progressing the agriculture sector in their esteemed countries.

The SESRIC Project on “Promoting Food Security in OIC Member Countries through Sustainable Agricultural Inputs” aimed to develop food security in OIC countries by promoting the utilisation of sustainable agricultural inputs, such as improved seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, to help smallholders achieve sustainable growth towards ensuring food security and mitigating rural poverty.

The COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) introduced in 2013 the COMCEC Project Funding (CPF), a funding mechanism that finances projects submitted by the Member Countries and relevant OIC Institutions to realize the strategic objectives and outcomes of the COMCEC Strategy. Funding is provided in the form of a grant through the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye, which is one of the main bodies in the COMCEC Project Funding scheme. Since the initiation of the CPF, SESRIC has implemented numerous projects under various areas of cooperation and in accordance with sectoral themes determined by the CCO. For more details about SESRIC projects funded by the COMCEC, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-activities-projects-funded.php

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