Increasing the Resilience of the Food Systems

In Islamic States in Face of Future Food Crises

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Adaptation Activities

Governments typically adapt to existing vulnerabilities in their country’s food systems by

providing funds and vouchers to the most vulnerable in society. This was observed across all

case studies included in this study.

Among countries selected for case study, the most acute need for such safety nets is in Niger,

due to the higher vulnerability of the country’s population to food crises. To combat this, the

country has a dedicated office to coordinate aid and a fund—supplemented by pre-existing

stocks of essential grains—to ensure accessibility in a crisis, with substantial support from the

World Bank.

Adaptation is an important element of food security policy across all OIC countries, with various

shades of involvement by multilateral development organizations. Applying findings from the

case studies, it is imperative all OIC countries evaluate the adequacy of their social safety nets,

and that funds be made available to the most vulnerable households.

At the OIC level, the Islamic Development Bank could play an important role in establishing a

cross-OIC fund that supports low-income households, mirroring what is accomplished at a

national level in the U.S. and Ireland. However, new collaborations are also possible, such as by

pooling Zakat Funds collected by OIC governments, and through collaborations with

international organizations—such as the UNHCR, which has established its own Zakat Fund to

support refugees.

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Table 67: Government Entities Responsible for Food Security