Increasing the Resilience of the Food Systems
In Islamic States in Face of Future Food Crises
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consideration for an OIC-wide social safety net. Established upon five authoritative fatwas, the
Fund had disbursed $14.4 million to 6,888 families across Jordan, Yemen , and Lebanon, from
2016 to 2018.589
6.5. Commercialization of Opportunities
Figure 42: Roadmap for Commercializing Food Projects Across the OIC
Source: DinarStandard Analysis
The Islamic Organization for Food Security could play an important role in funding and
driving Research and Development activity in the Food sector across the OIC, mirroring
the USDA’s important role in the U.S.
The IOFS, based in Kazakhstan, was established in 2014 with 12 full members. It holds
substantial promise for promoting food system stability across the OIC and has recently received
$2 million in funding from Saudi Arabia.590 The organization has played an important role in
raising awareness of opportunities and challenges in the OIC, with the potential to play a
substantial role in addressing food security challenges across the OIC.
The UK Technology Strategy Board (UK TSB) is an important example of how the IOFS could
commercialize food system enhancement opportunities. Since 2004,the UK TSB has been tasked
with funding innovation in all sectors across the UK; an important objective is themaximization
of the commercial impact of world-class knowledge and the country's research base. It has
invested £2.2 billion since its inception, in over 11,000 projects and led toover 70,000 jobs being
created. 591
Parallels can be drawn with the U.S. government, which spent $4 billion on agricultural R&D in
2015 and has grown at a cumulative annual rate of 5% since. The private sector has spent a
589 “Refugees: Themost in need of Zakat”. UNHCR and DinarStandard. 201
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591 “Innovate UK releases 2019-2020 DeliveryPlan.” June 10, 2019.