Islamic Organization for Food Security presented in Jakarta

During thevisit, negotiations were organized with the assistance of the Embassy ofKazakhstan with Dr. Agung Hendriadi, Director General of the Agency for FoodSecurity of the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia, Dr. Alwi Shihab, SpecialEnvoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia to the Middle East and theOIC, Prof. Ir. Sukoso, Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency(BPJPH), Mr. Mukti Sardjono, Executive Director of the Indonesian Palm OilAssociation (GAPKI) and Indonesian Logistics Bureau (BULOG).

During themeetings, Baidaulet told the Indonesian side about the goals and objectives ofthe IOFS, which was created on the initiative of First President of Kazakhstan– Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev, invited the Indonesian side tojoin the Organization, as well as to take part in the 2nd session of the IOFSGeneral Assembly, which will take place on August 27-29, 2019 in Jeddah.

Baydauletnoted that the activities of the Organization are aimed at providing memberstates with expertise and technical know-how on sustainable agriculture, ruraldevelopment, food security and biotechnology, assessment and monitoring of foodsecurity in the IOFS member states, and the development and implementation of thecommon agricultural policy.

TheOrganization will solve the problems of providing the population of Islamiccountries with economically more affordable food, based on their natural andclimatic conditions and geographical location, creating the most advantageoustransport and logistics routes to minimize the cost of food supplies to the OICmember countries, stabilizing food prices through formation and management ofjoint food funds. The IOFS will also implement humanitarian programs based onrelevant requests from the OIC General Secretariat.

Dr.Hendriadi, Director General of Indonesian Agency for Food Security, noted thatfor Indonesia, which has the 4th largest population in the world, the issue ofensuring food security is very relevant and shared Indonesian experience in thissphere. Hendriadi welcomed the efforts of Kazakhstan to promote the IOFS andinformed that the Indonesian side will consider the issue of joining theOrganization, as well as participation in the 2nd session of the IOFS GeneralAssembly as an observer.

Theinitiative to create the IOFS within the framework of the Organization ofIslamic Cooperation was proposed by First President of Kazakhstan – Leader ofthe Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2011 at the 38th session of the OIC Councilof Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The IOFSwas established on April 28, 2016 at the 7th session of the OIC MinisterialConference on Food Security and Agricultural Development and the inaugurationsession of the IOFS General Assembly. The headquarters of the Organization islocated in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan city. Currently, it comprisesof 33 states of the Islamic world. The official languages of the Organizationare Arabic, English and French.