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COMCEC Agriculture Outlook 2017

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Introduction

As of 2015, world population has reached 7.4 billion people. Almost half of this lives in rural

areas where the main economic activity is agriculture. For many economies, especially those of

developing countries, agriculture plays a distinctive role in economic development.

Therefore, it is seen as an important engine of growth and unique source for poverty reduction

in most of the developing world. Empirical studies demonstrate that agriculture is the most

effective sector in generating income for the poorest segments of the population. According to

World Bank, 1 percent economic growth originating in agriculture increases the expenditures

of the three poorest deciles by at least 2.5 times more than 1 percent economic growth

originating in the rest of the economy in developing countries. Hence, it is accepted as a key

sector for economic growth, reducing poverty and sustainable rural development especially in

developing countries.

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In most of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, agriculture is one

of the leading sectors in terms of its contribution to income, employment, and trade. In 2015,

OIC agricultural gross domestic production (GDP) reached 653 billion US Dollars with a share

of 21 percent in the world’s agricultural production. Furthermore, the number of people

employed in the agricultural sector in the OIC member countries reached 221 million in 2015,

which accounts for 23 percent of world’s agricultural employment. Agricultural commodity

trade of the 57 OIC member countries has increased considerably in the period from 1990 to

2016 and reached 324 billion US Dollars. Thus, agricultural sector is of critical importance for

many OIC member countries for generating income, increasing welfare, eradicating extreme

poverty and hunger.

This report highlights the recent state of agricultural sector by analyzing macro agricultural

indicators, sectoral indicators and state of food security in the OIC member countries.

Agricultural value added, growth, population, employment, trade, resource use, production,

productivity and selected dimensions of food security in the OIC member countries are

presented and analyzed in this outlook. The report also dwells on the cooperation efforts

under the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization

of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC).

OIC member countries are analyzed in three groups: African Group, Arab Group and Asian

Group. Furthermore, for more detailed analysis, agriculture sector trends in the OIC member

countries are compared with the world trends. Lastly, key figures and tables created by

COMCEC staff using most recent data from various international organizations are presented

with the aim of enriching the understanding of the state of agriculture sector in the OIC.

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Ligon and Sadoulet, 2007