9
security, including continuous monitoring of food systems across the value chain, continuous risk
planning, robust social safety nets to support those affected by food crises, and resilience
measures including education, R&D, supporting by cooperation, spanning trade agreements and
cooperation forums.
Questions and Remarks
Question: How can the advanced countries’ systems be applied to the OIC?
Answer: The OIC member countries are not homogenous in terms of the strength of their food
systems, and neither are they equivalent in their access to natural resources and their wealth.
Accordingly, in the analysis and recommendations, the research team has taken great care to
segment the OIC members into distinct groups, and has sought to provide recommendations that
apply to each of the distinct groups.
Question: Food defence seems like a very distinct area. Can you elaborate on what it is exactly,
and why OIC countries should take account of it over and above more pressing crises and issues ?
Answer: Food systems are constantly under threat from international harm, and well-established
ecosystems spend significantly on protection. The U.S. government spends 4% of its GDP on its
food system annually, and a sizeable portion of this in fact is applied to defence, with the FDA
continuously auditing premises in trade partner countries. Food systems are fragile and are a
form of harming others intentionally, very unfortunately. The OIC member countries, while facing
more pressing fundamental priorities, have the intentive to quickly implement best practices,
because robust food systems need to respond to every possible threat, whether unintentional
impact of climante change, or intentional harm.