Promoting Agricultural Value Chains:
In the OIC Member Countries
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14. Linking formal and informal value chains for the benefit of both
Agricultural value chains in many OIC Member Countries are composed of informal and formal
elements. This duality may intensify in the future, as increasing quality and food safety
standards are proliferating in modern agricultural value chains. As more value added can be
captured in formal value chains, increased efforts should be undertaken to ensure that
smallholders can participate in these chains.
15. Facilitate trade
Trade between OIC countries and the rest of the world is often thwarted by complicated export
and import procedures, high tariff barriers and other non-tariff barriers to trade. This requires
a strong focus on activities to facilitate trade across borders include, such as trade policy,
infrastructural development and other trade support measures.
16. Pursue regional integration
The diversity of countries within the OIC – with vast differences in agricultural production,
natural endowments, farming systems, labour availability and climatic conditions – provides
major opportunities for increased intra-OIC trade in agricultural products, to be stimulated by
means of free trade agreements and a general policy shift away from export and import
restrictions.