SESRIC participated in the Panel Discussion on “Strengthening OIC Food Systems through the Leadership of Rural Women and Youth”, organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) on 11 December 2025 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in commemoration of the Second OIC Food Security Day.

The event provided a platform to highlight the importance of inclusive and resilient food systems and to underscore the critical role of rural women and youth in addressing food security challenges across OIC countries. It also aimed to foster dialogue and cooperation among OIC institutions, Member States, and international partners in support of collective action on food security.

During the panel, Mr. Mazhar HUSSAIN, Director of the Economic and Social Research Department at SESRIC, delivered a presentation emphasizing that food insecurity remains disproportionately high in OIC countries. He noted that around one-third of the world’s undernourished population lives in OIC countries, with the prevalence of undernourishment exceeding the global average, despite agriculture accounting for a significant share of employment and livelihoods in the region.

Mr. HUSSAIN highlighted the significant contribution of women to agricultural production, emphasizing their indispensable role in strengthening resilient and inclusive food systems across OIC countries. He also underscored the untapped potential of youth, who represent around 30% of the global youth population, to drive productivity, innovation, and value addition in agri-food systems when supported by appropriate policies and enabling conditions. He further pointed out that persistent productivity gaps are reflected in the region’s agricultural trade deficit, which reached about USD 93 billion in 2023.

In conclusion, Mr. HUSSAIN emphasised the need for greater efforts to formalize the agricultural sector and to expand access for women and youth to land, finance, skills development, and modern farming inputs. He reaffirmed SESRIC’s efforts to supporting OIC countries in strengthening food security through data-driven research, statistical capacity building, and targeted training and technical cooperation programmes, in close collaboration with relevant OIC institutions and partners.

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