Iran’s agriculture minister highlighted the importance of food security and sustainable agriculture, saying the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should join hands to promote food security.

Mohammad Ali Nikbakht made the remark in a message read out at the 9th meeting of SCO’s agriculture ministers in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday.

In his message, the minister expressed gratitude to the Kazakh government for hosting the meeting and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in agriculture to address food security challenges.

Nikbakht began his message by offering condolences on the martyrdom of the late President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, and his high-ranking entourage. He expressed appreciation for the SCO member states' expressions of sympathy and condolence.

He then went on to highlight the challenges to food security, including the impacts of climate change, pandemics, conflicts, and disputes such as the situation of the oppressed people of Gaza in occupied Palestine, global population growth, trade barriers, and low investment in agriculture and natural resources.

The Minister of Agriculture further said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran, with its vast capacities in the agricultural sector, is ready to cooperate extensively with SCO member states in various fields, including seed selection and production, exchange of knowledge and technology, joint investment, and market development."

The 9th Meeting of Agriculture Ministers of SCO member states is being held to explore ways to strengthen international cooperation in agriculture and address food security challenges. The meeting, attended by agriculture ministers from the nine SCO member states, will discuss topics such as cooperation in seed selection and production, exchange of knowledge and technology, joint investment, and market development.