This report represents a joint effort by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). This joint working paper lays out a rationale and strategic framework for improving food security and managing food-price shocks in the Arab countries, by suggesting three critical strategies that, together, can serve as pillars to help offset future vulnerability to price shocks:
1. Strengthen safety nets, provide people with better access to family planning services, and promote education.
2. Enhance the food supply provided by domestic agriculture and improve rural livelihoods by addressing lagging productivity growth through increased investment in research and development.
3. Reduce exposure to market volatility by improving supply chain efficiency and by more effectively using financial instruments to hedge risk.