Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Nutrition of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI) Member States

Friday 21 March 2025, Antananarivo is hosting the Ministerial Conference on Food Security and Nutrition of the COI Member States. This high-level event brings together ministers responsible for agriculture, food security, and nutrition from COI member countries, as well as representatives of technical and financial partners, to discuss common challenges and coordinated strategies to ensure food security in the Indian Ocean.

The COI has called upon the technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to prepare and organize the event, the steering committee meeting of its Regional Food Security and Nutrition Framework Program (PRESAN), and a partner meeting in advance. Financial support from the European Union, FAO, and the French Development Agency (AFD) has also enabled the two-day meetings and the conference to be held at the Carlton Anosy Hotel, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

A Regional Mobilization in Response to Food Challenges

The Indian Ocean region is facing growing food security challenges, exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which negatively impact agricultural productivity, global economic disruptions, and the degradation of natural resources. In response to these issues, COI member states have reaffirmed their commitment to adopting common strategies to strengthen the resilience of agricultural and food systems.

The current food and nutrition situation in the Indian Ocean Commission (COI) region reflects increasing food security and sustainability challenges. While the goal in 2015 was to eradicate hunger by 2030, the reality in 2023 is starkly different: 150 million more people are affected by hunger compared to 2015, and little has changed by 2025.

Simultaneously, environmental limits are increasingly breached, with six of the nine planetary boundaries exceeded, compared to four in 2015. These environmental pressures directly impact food production and the resilience of agricultural systems in the COI region. Additionally, productivity losses related to agrifood systems represent a massive cost of $12 trillion per year, approximately 10 percent of global GDP.

FAO’s Commitment to Supporting COI and Member States’ Initiatives

During this conference, discussions highlighted strategies to improve local agricultural production, strengthen agricultural and food value chains, and integrate sustainable food systems into national policies. The importance of regional cooperation was reaffirmed as a key lever to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of crises on food security.

In this context, the opportunity to develop regional agroparks was emphasized, providing a structured approach to stimulate agricultural production, processing, and marketing. This initiative could benefit from the FAO's Hand-in-Hand (HiH) initiative and the Rome Global Investment Forum platform, facilitating access to financing and strategic partnerships.

Further opportunities also emerge from specific solutions for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly leveraging institutional structures' expertise. The experience of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), with the Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP) and the SADC Food Security Early Warning System (STOSAR), serves as an inspiring model to strengthen regional resilience and coordination.

PRESAN: A Strategic Framework for Food Sovereignty and Regional Integration

The conference provided an opportunity to assess the implementation of the Regional Food Security and Nutrition Framework Program (PRESAN), which serves as an essential framework for coordinating food security efforts at the regional level. PRESAN aims to strengthen food sovereignty by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and consolidating agrifood value chains.

"PRESAN is not a time-bound project, but a strategic framework and mechanism to which all food security and nutrition initiatives in the region must align," stated Edgard Razafindravahy, Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission.

Mbuli Charles Boliko, FAO Representative in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles, emphasized: "It is essential for each COI member state to adopt a positive and proactive vision and see PRESAN as a collective opportunity to strengthen regional integration. Its effective implementation offers a unique opportunity to transform the region's agrifood systems."

Anthony Ngororano, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Madagascar, remarked that "COI member states still largely rely on imports to meet their food needs. This dependence makes them vulnerable to global market fluctuations and crises. In this context, the Regional Food Security and Nutrition Framework Program (PRESAN), supported technically by FAO and financially by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was developed to strengthen food autonomy and promote resilient agricultural systems."

Volatiana Rakotondrazafy, UNIDO Resident Representative in Madagascar, expressed that "UNIDO, fully aligned with the objectives of the PRESAN program, can leverage its expertise and integrated solutions to support sustainable development, agro-industrial transformation, and strengthening food value chains in Africa."

"IFAD has provided financial support to PRESAN while maintaining its mandate to seek financing, act as a fund assembler, and facilitate resource mobilization in financial markets. Each entity analyzes the situation and evaluates the benefits it can derive," said Joseph Rostand Olinga Biwole, IFAD Representative and Country Director for Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

Speaking as a researcher, Jean-Marc Bouvet, Regional Director of CIRAD, highlighted that "The CIRAD Regional Agronomic Research Platform for Development (PRERAD), established since 2014, now brings together around twenty regional partners. The regional research structure is in place, and it is time to seize this opportunity to align it with PRESAN to increase production while addressing climate change challenges and enhancing knowledge exchange."

Jérôme Poutot, Managing Director of Eclosia Madagascar, affirmed: "Eclosia is committed to working on food value chain challenges to enhance their efficiency. It is crucial to consider value chains holistically to make them more resilient while strengthening the ecosystem through taxation, infrastructure, and skill development."

Josielle Rafidy, Director General of the Economic Development Board of Madagascar, supported this perspective, emphasizing that "Projects should be translated into secure business ventures while emphasizing the importance of a structured regional dialogue."

Ministers reiterated their commitment to implementing concrete actions to strengthen local capacities, modernize agricultural practices, and develop resilient food systems, in line with PRESAN priorities.

Promising Prospects for Regional Food Security

This ministerial conference marks a crucial step ahead of the COI Heads of State and Government Summit, scheduled for April 2025, where recommendations from this meeting will form the basis for adopting a political declaration on food security and nutrition in the Indian Ocean region.

Through this regional initiative, COI member states reaffirm their collective commitment to making food security a priority, addressing the needs of populations, and placing resilience at the core of agricultural and nutrition policies.