Agriculture has experienced a number of severe shocks in recent years with record high oil prices, commodity price spikes, food security fears and resultant trade restrictions, not to mention the most serious global economic recession since the 1930s. The greatest impact has been on the poor, especially in developing countries, with the world’s hungry now estimated at over 1 billion people. Agriculture has shown remarkable resilience with strong supply response to high prices and with continuing, albeit dampened, demands growth during the crisis. In 2010, a degree of normalcy has returned to many markets with production closer to historical levels and demand recovering. Still, many governments remain concerned about the potential for a repetition of significant shocks to such key factors as energy prices, exchange rates, and/or the macroeconomic performance of key countries and regions, and about the consequences that such shocks have on market volatility.

Developing countries will provide the main source of growth for world agricultural production, consumption and trade. Demand from developing countries is driven by rising per capita incomes and urbanization, reinforced by population growth. As incomes rise, diets are expected to slowly diversify away from staple foods towards increased meats and processed foods that will favor livestock and dairy products. Also, with increasing affluence and an expanding middle class, food consumption in these countries should become less responsive to price and income changes. This implies that larger changes in price and incomes will be required for consumption to adjust to any unforeseen shocks.

In addressing the current situation of soaring food and agricultural input prices, D-8 Ministers of Agriculture Meeting on Food Security was held on 25-27 February 2009 in Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia. During the fruitful meeting, all the delegations adopted Kuala Lumpur Initiative to Address Food Security in D-8 Countries to face the challenges of global food crisis. The KL initiative identified three priority projects to be implemented among D-8 countries.

Subsequently, as follow up of KL Initiative, Indonesia hosted “Consultative Meeting of D-8 Working Group on Marine and Fisheries Cooperation” on May 13, 2009 in Manado; Turkey organized “1st D-8 Working Committee Meeting on the Establishment of the Seed Bank” on July 21-24 2009 in Izmir and Indonesia, in cooperation with Malaysia, convened “1st D-8 Workshop on Animal Feed” on October 7-8 2009 in Surabaya.

Another progress that D-8 have been developing in the food security cooperation is the institutional development of these working groups, which a prime mover as a coordinator, with a permanent secretariat to follow-up, evaluate and implement the program and the activities. Also, in every meeting, these working groups will also inviting the participation of private sectors. Considering the interest of Member Countries to issues related to this area, agriculture is one the most promising areas of cooperation in D-8.

D-8 and OIC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 7 October 2010 in order to facilitate joint cooperation and bilateral exchanges. The MoU seeks to encourage the development of joint programs and projects in all sectors through utilization of the human and material resources of both organizations. They are also poised to exchange experiences and expertise to ensure the speedy implementation of their various economic development programs, such as agriculture for food security program.

Within this line, the government of Iran has offered member countries to host the 2nd Agricultural Ministerial Meeting on Food Security, which is scheduled to be held in Tehran, Iran, on 16-18 May, 2011. The Venue of the Meeting will be in “Esteghlal Hotel” in Tehran at Chamran Highway.

The date of the Ministerial Meeting and the related meetings are:

•    Working Group on Seed Bank, 16 May 2011

•    Working Group on Animal Feed, 16 May 2011

•    Working Group on Fertilizer, 16 May 2011

•    Working Group on Standards & Trade Issues, 16 May 2011

•    Working Group on Marine & Fisheries, 16 May 2011

•    Senior Officials Meeting , 17 May 2011

•    Second D-8 Agricultural Ministerial Meeting on Food Security , 18 May 2011