The 35th Summit of Ministers of Standing
Committee for Economic Cooperation (COMCEC) focusing on promoting
sustainable agricultural and food systems

The Director General of the Office of Economic Affairs of
the Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture and the Representative of the Iranian
Agriculture Sector attended the thirty-fifth meeting of the Ministers of
Standing Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation at the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, held in the Turkish city of Istanbul, in which President Rajab
Tayyeb Erdogan was present too. According to the information centre of the
Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture, Dr. Mohamamd Khaledi, the Director General of
the office of economic affairs of the Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture, stated: At
the meeting, the most important actions of the Ministry of Jihad-Agriculture in
the direction of sustainable development, development of greenhouse
cultivation, increase of water use efficiency, production and distribution of
seeds and transplantation, development of mechanization in the agricultural
sector, development of capacities for conversion and complementary industries
and change of agricultural development strategy to agribusiness were described.

He also told that: One of COMCEC's actions is to support the
implementation of joint projects between Islamic countries, in which the
initial proposal submitted by Iran on the subject of "Contract farming to
link farmers to markets in Islamic countries" has been accepted.

Also at the meeting, some expert panels were held on
sustainable food systems issues in the Islamic world; current dynamics and
constraints; adaptation strategies to minimize the effects of climate change on
sustainable food systems in Islamic countries; strengthening food security
governance in the Islamic world; Food and Agriculture in crisis times:
Emergency response of NGOs; and Innovative investment opportunities and
financing sustainable food systems.