Food security: perspectives from the Arab World

Abstract

This paper presents recent analysis and recommendations that can assist Arab countries in their efforts to design and implement policies and investment strategies to strengthen agricultural development. It summarizes the conclusions of a series of papers (presented elsewhere in this publication) on food security in the Arab region. In most Arab countries, food production is limited by severe shortages of water and arable land, leaving the region dependent on food imports and vulnerable to weather and market fluctuations. Growing concerns about food security, highlighted during the 2008 food price crisis, are encouraging policy makers to seek ways to ensure stable, affordable food supplies. The data presented here suggest that food security in the region can be significantly improved by more effective use of currently available technologies and a more supportive policy and institutional environment. This summary paper highlights a range of issues: specific research and development needs, investment priorities, tools that can aid policy development and reduce risk, mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable households, ways to improve farmers’ ability to respond to price signals, and the implications of the rapid growth in foreign land investments by some Arab countries.