ASTANA – Kazakhstan officially assumed the chairmanship of the seventh General Assembly of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) during a session held in Astana on May 14, where member states discussed strengthening cooperation, innovation and long-term food resilience across the Islamic world.
Addressing the session, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov said food security has become a strategic issue amid geopolitical instability. Photo credit: Ministry of Agriculture. The assembly brought together representatives of nearly 40 IOFS member states and international organizations in a hybrid format, reported the Ministry of Agriculture.
Addressing the session, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov said food security has become a strategic issue amid geopolitical instability, climate change and disruptions to global logistics chains. “Today, food security is no longer only an agricultural issue.
It is a matter of state resilience, social stability and strategic security,” Saparov said. “We believe the IOFS should strengthen not only as a platform for dialogue, but also as an effective mechanism for cooperation and implementation of joint initiatives,” he added.
Kazakhstan highlights agricultural export potential During the assembly, Kazakhstan highlighted its role as one of the world’s major agricultural exporters. According to Saparov, the country now ranks among the world’s top 10 grain exporters, holds second place globally in flour exports and ranks eighth in sunflower oil exports.
With around 24 million hectares of cultivated land, Kazakhstan has harvested nearly 27 million tons of crops annually for two consecutive years. Agricultural exports total 15.3 million tons and reach more than 50 countries, including China, Afghanistan and Central Asian states.
Saparov also noted that Kazakhstan is modernizing its livestock sector under a comprehensive 2026–2030 development plan aimed at increasing competitiveness and expanding halal food exports. New food security knowledge center proposed One of Kazakhstan’s key proposals at the assembly was the creation of a Food Security and Innovation Knowledge Center under the IOFS framework.