ANTALYA – The world generates enough food to feed its population, yet systemic failures in distribution networks, logistics infrastructure, and emergency response mechanisms consistently prevent adequate supplies from reaching those who need them most, according to Berik Aryn, director-general of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS).
Aryn delivered these observations on April 17 during a panel discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which convened leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and media representatives from nearly 150 countries. Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also addressed a high-level forum session, urging global leaders to adopt greater responsibility and pragmatism while advocating for 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 stated. He pointed specifically to the increasing concentration of global food supply chains, which now depend on a relatively narrow pool of traders and suppliers. While this concentration enhances efficiency under stable conditions, the same structure becomes highly vulnerable when disrupted by armed conflict, geopolitical tensions, or sudden market shocks.
The IOFS director-general emphasized that access to food is increasingly determined by non-market forces, including security conditions on the ground, political constraints imposed by rival factions or hostile governments, and critical gaps in transportation, storage, and Cold Chain infrastructure. "So this means that even when food is enough globally, it doesn't reach the people in need," Aryn explained. "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."
Founded in 2018 with its headquarters in Astana, the IOFS operates as a specialized body seeking to strengthen food security cooperation among member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Aryn outlined several of the organization's priority initiatives, including the development of strategic food security reserves designed to buffer member states against supply disruptions, the deployment of speed breeding technologies to accelerate crop improvement cycles, and the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices aimed at maintaining productivity under increasingly erratic weather patterns.
Aryn underscored the critical need to synchronize food security strategies with broader climate priorities. Looking ahead, he announced that the IOFS, together with Türkiye—which is scheduled to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November—will co-organize a side event at the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit in Astana. That side event will focus on integrated climate action, land restoration programs, and biodiversity conservation as interconnected elements of sustainable food systems.
Andrea Meza Murillo, deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), participated in the same panel and affirmed Aryn's assessment, calling for concerted international efforts to strengthen the resilience of global food supply chains against future shocks.