SESRIC conducted its Sixth Technical Review Meeting at its headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye. The meeting, held on 15 June 2023, aimed to present and discuss the findings of SESRIC's latest research report on "Agricultural Production and Trade: Complementarities among OIC Member Countries."

Mr. Fadi FARASIN, Assistant Director General of SESRIC, participated in the meeting along with directors and experts from SESRIC's Research, Statistics, Training, and Publication Departments. Dr. Fahman FATHURRAHMAN, a researcher at the Economic and Social Research Department, delivered a detailed presentation during the meeting, sharing the key findings of the report.

Dr. FATHURRAHMAN shed light on significant trends shaping agricultural production and trade within OIC countries, emphasizing areas that require focused attention. One of the concerns highlighted was the slowdown in agricultural production growth across OIC countries. The impact of urbanization on productivity was also emphasized, along with the comparatively low agricultural productivity growth within OIC countries. However, Dr. Fahman also underscored the tremendous potential for development within the agro-food industry, noting its faster growth compared to the global average. Furthermore, Dr. Fahman stressed the importance of reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, improving market intelligence, and enhancing customs procedures to fully leverage the benefits of complementarity and promote agricultural trade among member countries. These measures, he argued, would contribute to strengthening food security and agricultural development within the OIC member countries.

The Technical Review Meeting fostered an interactive environment that encouraged participants to provide valuable comments and suggestions during the presentation. Overall, the participants recommended aligning the narrative with OIC-level initiatives while enhancing the visual presentation of data and graphs to facilitate better understanding and dissemination of the findings.

The report will be published and submitted to the upcoming 9^th OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development (MCFSAD) scheduled to take place in October 2023 in Doha, Qatar. The report's insights and recommendations are expected to play a vital role in shaping policies and initiatives to address food security challenges and enhance agricultural development among OIC member countries.