Algiers, Algeria - 19 May 2025 – His Excellency Ambassador Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS), is currently undertaking a high-level visit to Algeria from 18 to 20 May 2025, in conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Annual Meetings hosted by the Government of Algeria.
Advancing Collaboration with SIPSA-FILAHA
As part of his official program, H.E. Ambassador Aryn held a productive meeting with Dr. Amine Bensemmane, President of SIPSA-FILAHA, to explore avenues for collaboration in support of agricultural development and food security across Africa.
Ambassador Aryn presented key elements of the IOFS African Food Security Initiative (AFSI), including flagship programs focused on cassava baseline assessments and the development of wheat and livestock value chains in several African member states.
Dr. Bensemmane, in turn, emphasized the significant role SIPSA-FILAHA plays in Algeria’s agricultural ecosystem and its efforts to spearhead the Pan-African Food Debates, aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation on shared food security challenges among African nations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Bensemmane officially invited IOFS to serve as a main partner for the 2nd edition of the Pan-African Food Debates, to be held in the first quarter of 2026—an opportunity that will allow IOFS to further amplify its Africa-focused agenda and engage with key regional stakeholders.
Strategic MoU Signed with UN Women
A key milestone of the mission was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IOFS and UN Women, represented respectively by Ambassador Aryn and Dr. Maxime Houinato, UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
The agreement establishes a strategic framework to:
- Promote women’s empowerment in agri-food systems,
- Mobilize resources for gender-inclusive food security programs, and
- Launch joint advocacy and capacity-building initiatives across OIC member states in West and Central Africa.
This partnership represents a pivotal step in IOFS’s commitment to integrating gender perspectives into its programming, promoting resilience, equity, and climate-smart agriculture through inclusive collaboration with regional governments.
