COMCEC Agriculture Outlook 2017
8
In Figure 5, it can be seen that yearly agricultural growths in the OIC have registered sharp ups
and downs compared to the world during the period of 1994-2015. Therefore, the agricultural
sector in the OIC member countries depends more on natural conditions compared to the
other parts of the world. However, this unsteady pattern of growth rates closely complies with
the fluctuations in the world’s agricultural growths. This means that almost same factors have
influenced the growth of agriculture sector in the OIC and in the world.
Table 2. Comparison of Agricultural Growth and Overall Growth in the OIC & the World
Period
OIC World
Agr. Growth Overall Growth Agr. Growth Overall Growth
1994-2004 3.42 4.11 2.51 3.06
2004-2015 3.60 4.38 2.63 2.44
1994-2015 3.51 4.25 2.57 2.74
Source: Annexes 2-6
The average annual agricultural growth in the OIC increased slightly from 3.42 percent in
1994-2004 to 3.60 percent in 2004-2015. Although average yearly agricultural growth in the
OIC was higher than the world in both decades, it lagged behind overall economic growth rates
in the OIC. In the last two decades, OIC’s both agricultural and overall growth rates, realized as
3.51 percent and 4.25 percent respectively, surpassed the world.
Table 3. Comparison of Agricultural and Overall Growth in OIC Sub-Regions
Period
African Group Arab Group Asian Group
Agr.
Growth
Overall
Growth
Agr.
Growth
Overall
Growth
Agr.
Growth
Overall
Growth
1994-2004 6.48 5.30 3.90 4.01 2.26 3.88
2004-2015 5.19 5.44 2.75 3.86 3.22 4.58
1994-2015 5.81 5.37 3.30 3.93 2.71 4.29
Source: Annexes 2-6
Table 3 presents the sub-regional average yearly overall and agricultural growths in 10 year
periods within the last two decades in OIC member countries. African Group’s average yearly
agricultural growth was the highest in the periods of 1994-2004 and 2004-2015, with a 6.48
percent and 5.19 percent respectively. Furthermore, African Group is the only group whose
average yearly agricultural growth exceeds its overall growth in two decades. The lowest
growth in agriculture was observed in the Asian Group with 2.26 percent in 1994-2004, and
3.22 percent in 2004-2015.
For all three of the sub-regions, average yearly agricultural growths stayed behind their
overall economic growths during the 2004-2015 period. Nevertheless, in all three sub-regions,
agricultural growth rate during this period was higher compared to the world.
1.3. Population
Population in the world has reached 7.4 billion people and is projected to climb to over 9
billion by 2050. United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) explains this dramatic growth with
increasing numbers of people surviving to reproductive age which is accompanied by major
changes in fertility rates, increasing urbanization and accelerating migration.