Food Security/Safety for MENA – Challenges, Trends and Mitigation

The WAMDA report cited that up to 250 kilograms of food per capita are discarded annually in the MENA region, adding that in Saudi Arabia about 427kg of food are wasted by an average person annually, while the UAE trails at 197kg per year.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries depend on food imports for more than 50% of their needs, making them one of the largest food importers in the whole world. GCC countries import about 85% of their food, with rice imports comprising virtually all consumption, around 93% of cereals, and approximately 62% of meat and 56% of vegetables. In 2020, MENA’s share of the world’s acutely food insecure people was 20%, disproportionately high compared to its 6% share of the population. The situation gets worse where there is conflict, such as in Yemen and Syria. The refugee crisis is taking a heavy toll on countries like Lebanon and Jordan. MENA is the worst off in terms of physical water stress, receiving less rainfall while the region has fast growing densely populated urban centers. The Middle East and Africa combined is the world’s fastest growing population region. Though wealthy countries like UAE meet their need through desalination of abundant ocean water, albeit this process is an expensive, energy-intensive one.

Further due to the conflicts and political protests that have been looming over the region in the last few decades, especially in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran, the situation has further deteriorated. COVID has further deteriorated the situation with some non-oil producing countries income has dwindled from tourism. According to the International Monetary Fund, the MENA region expected a negative three percent growth in 2020 alone. Although statistics for 2021 reflected slightly optimistic results, the recovery still seems uncertain and uneven.?

While food security is a major concern, let me also highlight the water crisis worldwide. Nearly half the global population are already living in potential water scarce areas at least once per year and this could increase to some 5 billion in 2050, 73% of the affected live in Asia.

In short, challenges faced in MENA on food security are coming from:

1. Climate Change - an increase in frequency of extreme weather and higher temperature, water stress and in 2020 there was one of the worst desert locust outbreaks, resulting also in eco-migration.
2. Population Growth Rate, highest in the world and rapid urbanization, with 66% of people expected to be living in cities by 2030.
3. Diet and Nutrition - exceptionally depending on food imports, one-third of the calories people consume are wheat products subsidized by governments. Between a quarter and one-third of the region’s adult population is obese. Our Food system is failing to support people’s health, providing calories but insufficient nutrition, resulting in people suffering from the double burden of malnutrition, both stunting and obesity.

What could we do to mitigate and reverse these trends?

1. Government need to work on increasing local supply by practices that an include genetically modified crops, desert agriculture, seawater farming, growing crops in vertical stacks, urban farming, and precision agriculture which uses data and technology to increase?yields.
2. Ensure stability of imports wherein a transitional public entity can be created as in a government run company that secures stable supplies of key commodities untilt the private sector is mature enough to take over.?
3. Infact in GCC countries, governments have shifted their policy from securing overseas supply routes and agricultural land abroad to focus on developing agriculture technology and broadening their domestic production capacity by adopting or innovating new food production technologies.
4. Last but not the least is Food Waste Management: An article published recently also makes an interesting read at www.arabnews.com/node/a849956. Food Waste management must be responsibility of government, private companies and general public and was wondering if a food waste tax can be introduced in this region. While millions in MENA and other regions of the world are suffering from having one meal a day, Food Waste must be treated as a serious offense.
5. Farm to Fork - encourage the concept which helps food loss and waste prevention, sustainable food production and food consumption, and sustainable food processing and distribution

Thanks for reading the above and welcome your views and feedback.