ANTALYA – The world produces enough food, but gaps in distribution, infrastructure and crisis response prevent it from reaching those most in need, said Berik Aryn, director-general of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), addressing a panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17.
Berik Aryn. Photo credit: Assel Satubaldina/ The Astana Times The Antalya Diplomacy Forum convened on April 17 and brought together leaders, diplomats, policymakers and media from nearly 150 countries. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed a high-level panel, calling for greater responsibility and pragmatism among global leaders and renewed efforts to reform the United Nations.
“What we are witnessing in fragile and conflict-affected settings is a stark reminder that today, food security is not only about production. The system fails when it comes to the distribution, the access and the protection in times of crisis,” Aryn said. From L to R: moderator Nafisa Latic, Berik Aryn, and Gerardine Mukeshimana, IFAD Vice President.
Photo credit: Assel Satubaldina/ The Astana Times Founded in 2018 with its headquarters in Astana, the IOFS seeks to strengthen cooperation among member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to ensure food security. Continuing his remarks, Aryn pointed to the growing concentration of global food supply chains, which rely on a limited number of traders and suppliers.
While efficient under stable conditions, he said, the system becomes highly fragile when disrupted by conflict or geopolitical tensions. He stressed that access to food is increasingly shaped by non-market factors, including security conditions, political constraints and infrastructure gaps.
“So this means that even when food is enough globally, it doesn’t reach the people in need,” he added. “There is a disconnect between humanitarian response and long-term development planning. Too often, we respond to crises with humanitarian aid, but we don’t do sufficient investment in building local resilience.
As a result, the same regions remain vulnerable cycle after cycle,” said Aryn. Aryn mentioned the organization’s initiatives, such as strategic food security reserves, speed breeding technologies, and climate-smart agriculture. He also noted the critical importance of aligning food security strategies with climate priorities.
At the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit in Astana next week, Aryn said IOFS and Türkiye, which will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November, will organize a side event focusing on integrated climate action, land restoration and biodiversity.
Andrea Meza Murillo, deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), agreed with Aryn on the importance of building resilience of global food supply chains.