Doha: We, the Ministers responsible for agriculture and food security in the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), meeting at the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development, held in Doha, State of Qatar, on October 1-2, 2023 (16-17 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1445 AH), under the Chair of the Government of the State of Qatar,

  • Having considered the OIC Secretary-General’s Report on Food Security and Agricultural Development;
  • Having taken note of the recommendations, proposals and outcomes of the Conference to achieve food security and agricultural development in the OIC Member States; 
  • Pursuant to the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation which calls for promoting and strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and solidarity, and for exerting efforts to achieve sustainable development and economic well-being for the OIC Member States;
  • Recalling the “OIC 2025: Programme of Action”, adopted at the 13th Islamic Summit Conference, which stresses the need to promote active cooperation among the OIC Member States in the food and agriculture sectors, as part of the OIC’s overarching goal of enhancing intra-OIC cooperation; 

We have agreed to issue the present “Doha Declaration on Food Security and Agricultural Development”.

We appreciate and commend the remarkable achievements made at country level in the fields of agricultural development and food security during the previous period. Also cognizant of the challenges that Member States are facing in achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development. 

We believe in the importance of achieving food security in all Member States, many of which are in situations of vulnerability and unrest that have affected their agriculture and food security sectors, and led some of them to be considered as “hunger hotspots”.  There are also challenges imposed by the current conditions and the rapid changes and developments, which are having repercussions on the agricultural sector in the OIC Member States. These countries are already confronted with various challenges, key among which are water scarcity, climate change, soil degradation, desertification, sand and dust storms, steady population increase, and high production costs. 

Cognizant of the fact that the OIC Member States possess untapped resources, potentials and energies that enable them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to eliminating hunger and promoting sustainable production, we declare that we have agreed on the following:

  1. Strengthen intra-OIC cooperation in the food and agriculture sector in order to build more resilient food systems, and work to achieve sustainable development goals through the sharing of knowledge and best practices, which contributes to enhancing food security, productivity and resilience;
  2. Strive towards establishing the necessary financial structures and legal frameworks to enhance the financial inclusion of farmers, by promoting access to financial products and services, including Islamic finance models that strengthen economic resilience by increasing their production and income;
  3. Promote cooperation and coordination with relevant OIC institutions for the conduct of a study and the development of a business model and a cooperation framework in the field of contract farming, along with an assessment of the needs and potentials of Member States. The study and the business model will be submitted to the next session of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Agricultural Development for consideration and decision;
  4. Work in full consultation with Member States, to implement the relevant OIC resolutions and decisions regarding the establishment of an OIC food security reserve system;
  5. Promote research and innovation in connection with enhancing the resilience and sustainability of agriculture and food systems, mitigating and adapting to climate change effects, and halting and reversing the loss of genetic and biodiversity resources;
  6. Encourage Member States to support capacity development, training, and extension services for local producers and small farmers regarding the sustainability of food systems and the resilience and productivity of the food and agriculture sector;
  7. Seek vision and guidance from Member States regarding activities for developing a strategic plan to achieve food security in the OIC Member States. In this context, we express our appreciation for the continued efforts made by the OIC institutions in this regard.

In the end, we thank the State of Qatar for hosting this meeting, and commend its role in supporting efforts to enhance food security in the OIC Member States. We wish the State of Qatar all success during its chair of the Executive Board of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, as well as chair of the 9th session of the Ministerial Conference of Food Security and Agricultural Development.