COMCEC Agriculture Outlook 2017
1
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.1
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.
1 Ligon and Sadoulet, 2007