Improving food security in Arab countries
Arab countries are more exposed than other countries to severe swings in agricultural commodity prices due to the high level of food imports, especially cereals, and continued population growth and urbanisation. Countries need to act urgently to improve food security. This joint working paper lays out a rationale and strategic framework for improving food security and managing food price shocks in Arab countries. However, it does not provide country specific policy and project specific recommendations.
It looks at some of the following areas:
- factors underlying the 2007-2008 shocks in agricultural commodity prices and implications for the future, for example the impact of climate change
- impact of the recent price shock on Arab economies: macro economic implications and the increase in poverty levels
- food security in the future: import dependency project to increase
- improving food security through safety nets, family planning services and education
- optimising investments, especially in water, to increase productivity and profitability, and helping rural communities make the most of their resources
The authors suggest three critical strategies that, together can help offset future vulnerability to price shocks:
- strengthen safety nets, provide people with better access to family planning services and promote education
- enhance the food supply provided by domestic agriculture and improve rural livelihoods by addressing lagging productivity growth through increased investment in research and development
- reduce exposure to market volatility by improving supply chain efficiency and by more effectively using financial instruments to hedge risks
The Executive Summary at the beginning of this paper is available in English, French and Arabic.
