Astana, 21 November 2025 — Upon the instructions of H.E. Ambassador Berik Aryn, the Director General of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), a Delegation composed by Mr. Abdula Manafi Mutualo , Chief Multilateral Relations Officer, Dr. Shahlo Atabayeva, Programme Manager, and Ms. Anar Karpbayeva, Project Manager, represented the Organization in the FAO Technical Workshop on the Status and Prospects for Strengthening National Food Security and Nutrition, held in Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan.
The workshop gathered senior representatives from the Government of Kazakhstan, FAO, the UN Country Team, academia, private sector stakeholders, and development partners to discuss current progress, gaps, and opportunities in national food security, agrifood systems transformation, and healthy nutrition. Opening remarks were delivered by Aizhan Bizhanova, First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration; Sarangoo Radnaaragchaa, UN Resident Coordinator; Yernar Zharkeshov, Deputy Governor of Akmola Region (TBC); and Zhanyl Bozaeva, FAO Program Coordinator.
Participants reviewed findings of two FAO Technical Support Programme projects: (1) Developing the Concept of Food Security and Sustainable Food Systems and (2) Scaling Up Healthy Nutrition. Presentations also covered food security concepts, draft strategic documents on agrifood markets, school feeding systems, food supply chains, healthy food production, and the National Food Atlas of Kazakhstan.
The IOFS Delegation underscored the relevance of these discussions to IOFS’s mandate to strengthen food security governance, promote sustainable and climate-resilient agrifood systems, and enhance nutrition-focused policies across OIC Member States.
IOFS expressed its appreciation to FAO Kazakhstan for facilitating multi-sectoral dialogue and reaffirmed its readiness to deepen cooperation in support of coherent, evidence-based food security and nutrition policies.
