Secretary-General at 6th IOFS General Assembly: Small Farmers Constitute 76% of Total Farmers in OIC Countries and Need Support
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has emphasised the importance of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) in aiding small farmers within OIC countries where they constitute 76% of total farmers. Their support can boost local food production, meet regional demand, develop markets, and curb food waste.
This was highlighted during the OIC Secretary-General H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha’s address at the 6th session of the General Assembly of the IOFS, in Doha, under the Chair of the State of Qatar.
The Secretary-General, in a statement delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Kawesa Sengendo called for discussing ways in which the IOFS can support small farmers in OIC countries, in order to increase local food production, satisfy local and regional demand for food, build markets, and reduce food wastage.
He pointed out that small farmers, who constitute 76 percent of the total farmers in the OIC countries, often use traditional labor-intensive methods, which leads to low productivity.
The Secretary-General noted that the challenges posed by food insecurity in the OIC countries require concrete action and effective programs and projects at national, regional, and international levels. He highlighted the importance of the IOFS, being in charge of implementing the OIC projects and programs related to agriculture, rural development, and food security, to focus on agricultural projects in a tangible way in order to promote agricultural growth.
The Secretary-General stressed the need to boost cooperation and synergy between OIC Member States, especially in terms of capacity-building, cooperative research programs, and effective resource management, in order to increase agricultural productivity. He also underlined the importance of encouraging technological innovation and providing policies designed to promote capacity development and support investment.
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