ANTALYA, Türkiye, April 18. Azerbaijan holds strong potential as a strategic partner for the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), given its growing agricultural sector, investment in infrastructure, and geographic position as a regional connectivity hub, IOFS Director General Ambassafor Berik Aryn said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
“This potential was reaffirmed during my recent working visit to Baku on 4–5 March 2026, where the Republic of Azerbaijan expressed its readiness to sign the IOFS Statute at the earliest opportunity, paving the way for its accession to the Organisation. In meetings with Majnun Mammadov, Minister of Agriculture of Azerbaijan, we discussed expanding cooperation in sustainable agriculture, agricultural research, food safety systems, and regional food security initiatives,” said Aryn.
IOFS director general noted that the sides also explored practical areas of collaboration, including strengthening agri-food trade, developing agricultural supply chains, and enhancing knowledge exchange.
“Azerbaijan’s experience in these areas, as well as its active engagement in international food security efforts – including its humanitarian contributions – positions it as an important partner for IOFS.
At the same time, our dialogue builds on existing cooperation, including high-level exchanges with Azerbaijani leadership and institutions, where both sides have consistently emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration to address shared food security challenges.
IOFS remains ready to deepen this partnership through joint projects, capacity-building initiatives, and integration into our programmes, with the aim of delivering tangible and regionally impactful outcomes,” he added.
Speaking about the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Aryn pointed out that at this year’s event, IOFS is focusing on advancing integrated approaches to food security in the context of climate change, market volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty.
“Our priority is to highlight the importance of strengthening resilient food systems through sustainable agriculture, improved water management, and enhanced intra-OIC cooperation. IOFS is also emphasizing the need to move beyond production-focused approaches toward more equitable, resilient, and accessible food systems. In line with the panel discussion theme “Overproduced, Underfed,” IOFS highlights the global paradox where sufficient food is produced, yet millions remain food insecure due to distribution inefficiencies, conflict, economic disparities, and supply chain disruptions,” said the director general.
He noted that the message of IOFS to member states and partners is clear: food security must be treated not only as a humanitarian concern, but also as a strategic pillar of economic stability and regional resilience.
“This requires moving from dialogue to implementation, scaling up practical initiatives, mobilizing investment, and strengthening partnerships across sectors. In a nutshell, food security is not only about food. It is about stability, dignity, and the future trajectory of our societies. A world that remains underfed will inevitably remain unstable,” he said.
Aryn also spoke about the upcoming 7th General Assembly, noting that it represents an important milestone for IOFS as the organization continues to advance the implementation of its Strategic Vision 2031.
“The Assembly will be convened under the chairmanship of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Host Country of IOFS, underscoring its sustained leadership and strong commitment to the Organization’s mandate and priorities.
The meeting will focus on reviewing progress, aligning priorities, and advancing key programmes that deliver tangible impact on the ground. We expect to further strengthen Member State engagement around flagship initiatives, including climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable water management, and strategic commodity systems,” he said.
At the same time, as the director general pointed out, the Assembly will serve as a platform to enhance coordination and reinforce IOFS’s role as a mechanism for practical cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint implementation.
“Ultimately, it is an opportunity to reaffirm collective commitment and ensure that our efforts translate into measurable improvements in food security across the OIC geography.
The current global context underscores the need for more resilient, diversified, and self-sustaining food systems. IOFS promotes a set of practical mechanisms to address these challenges.
First, strengthening regional value chains and intra-OIC trade is essential to reduce dependency on external markets. Second, we are advancing initiatives related to strategic food reserves and coordinated response mechanisms to enhance preparedness during crises. Third, investment in climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable resource management remains a priority, particularly in water-scarce regions.
In addition, IOFS supports capacity-building, technology transfer, and the use of data-driven tools to improve decision-making and early warning systems. These combined efforts are aimed at enhancing both short-term responsiveness and long-term resilience.
Importantly, IOFS underscores that these challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. It is, therefore, strengthening multilateral cooperation and public-private partnerships, ensuring that coordinated, scalable, and sustainable solutions are implemented across member states. The overall approach is to move from reactive responses to proactive, system-wide resilience building in food security,” he concluded.