Challenges

Agriculture plays an important role in the economies of many OIC Member Countries, serving as a key source of employment, supporting livelihoods, ensuring food security and contributing to national development. While these countries are rich in natural resources and arable land, they face challenges in fully unlocking their agricultural potential. Some have implemented modern farming methods, but many still depend on traditional practices, low-efficiency methods, with limited access to training, modern equipment, resources, and infrastructure. Additionally, weak institutions and a lack of technical expertise make it difficult to achieve sustainable growth. As a result, many rural communities continue to experience low productivity, food insecurity, and poverty. Climate change, market fluctuations, and poor resource management add to these difficulties. Overcoming these challenges requires strengthening local capacities, improving knowledge sharing, and encouraging regional cooperation to ensure a more sustainable and food-secure future for all.

Toward a Solution

Against this backdrop, SESRIC initiated the Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme (Agri-CaB) in 2011 in order to contribute to the efforts of the OIC Member States in achieving sustainable agricultural development and food security. By focusing on capacity building and promoting cross-country collaboration, the programme aims to strengthen agricultural sectors and empower local communities to address food insecurity, poverty, and low productivity. The programme specifically targets the SDGs of No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17), with a focus on creating sustainable, resilient agricultural systems across OIC Member Countries.

The Agri-CaB programme was designed to strengthen the human resource capacities of relevant national institutions in OIC Member Countries by enhancing technical expertise and fostering mutual learning through experience exchange. It features diverse modalities, including training courses, workshops, webinars, and study visits delivered in the three official languages of the OIC (Arabic, English, and French), aligned with beneficiaries’ needs. SESRIC further supports the programme by initiating and implementing various projects, ensuring broad accessibility. By promoting capacity building and knowledge sharing in areas such as digitalisation in agriculture and food security, food waste reduction, water-saving techniques, and safe food handling, Agri-CaB supports participating countries to adopt practices that increase productivity while promoting environmental sustainability. The transfer of practical knowledge is central to the programme’s success, empowering countries to adapt best practices to their specific contexts.

One of the strengths of Agri-CaB programme lies in its collaborative approach. SESRIC invites relevant institutions and government agencies from OIC Member Countries to actively participate in shaping the programme’s activities. It also invites agricultural professionals from the member countries to become part of its Roster of Experts Capacity Building Programmes (the Roster of Experts for SESRIC Capacity Building Programmes). By bringing together specialists with experience in different aspects of agriculture, the programme fosters a rich environment for long-term cooperation and innovation, where experts can share their knowledge, learn from one another, and contribute to capacity building.

The Agri-CaB Programme also promotes South-South cooperation by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and good practices between countries facing similar agricultural challenges. This collaborative, cross-country approach helps overcome transnational development challenges, such as climate change and food security, which are often too complex for any single country to handle alone. For instance, countries that have successfully implemented water-saving technologies or resilient crop varieties can share their experiences with others, helping them adapt similar solutions to their own contexts.

The outcomes of the Agri-CaB Programme are measurable in terms of both the knowledge gained by participants and the potential improvements in agricultural practices in participating countries. The adoption of innovative techniques, such as efficient water use and sustainable crop management, climate-smart agriculture, digital farming solutions, post-harvest loss reduction and safe food handling, may contribute to meeting SDG targets related to zero hunger, poverty reduction, responsible consumption and production, and climate action.

The programme’s approach is also innovative, as it blends traditional agricultural practices with modern technologies, creating solutions that are both effective and context-sensitive.  In terms of sustainability, the Agri-CaB Programme has established a framework for continuous cooperation and capacity building through its network of experts and institutions. The knowledge-sharing platform ensures that the benefits of the programme can continue beyond its initial phase, with participating member countries able to support each other in the long term.

The programme’s replicability is another key factor in its success. By adapting best practices and solutions to the specific needs of each country, Agri-CaB can be extended to other regions with similar agricultural challenges. However, for successful replication, countries must have the political will, infrastructure, and commitment to collaborate. Additionally, ensuring that local communities and stakeholders are actively involved is essential for the long-term success of any replication effort.

In summary, the Agri-CaB Programme represents a successful example of a regional initiative that addresses key agricultural challenges through capacity building, knowledge-sharing, and South-South cooperation. By focusing on practical solutions and fostering collaboration, the programme has contributed to the achievement of multiple SDGs, improving food security, increasing agricultural productivity, and enhancing regional cooperation.