The new Food Policy Bulletin for the Near East and North Africa region focuses on agricultural entrepreneurs who are key drivers in developing sustainable food systems and agro-industry growth. They are the market movers who take risks, create jobs and income and stimulate rural development. With their innovations, they can also...

The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE) organized a four-day regional workshop in Cairo, Egypt, focused on improving the capacity of countries in the analysis and design of agrifood value chains in conflict-prone and conflict-affected contexts in the Near East and North Africa region (NENA)....

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a virtual training on sustainable food value chain (SFVC) analysis as part of the regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), “Evidence-based policy and investment for sustainable development of the value chains of Special Agricultural Products in the Near East and...

The multispecies (spp.) plant genus Opuntia (commonly referred to as cactus pear) plays a significant socioeconomic, environmental and nutritional role for many countries in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, which comprises 18 member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Opuntia spp....

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) are the most economically important vegetable crops in Egypt and worldwide. The winter crop in Egypt is particularly prone to late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans. A total of 152 P. infestans isolates were isolated from the 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 winter crops with 82 isolates...

Access to clean and safe water is a prerequisite to meeting basic human rights. Water is essential for all productive activities in Egypt in the agricultural sector and related sectors, including industry, trade and energy generation. Agriculture is a key sector in the Egyptian economy, contributing 11.3 percent to the...

With a clear decrease in the agricultural households’ incomes, the increase of food and production factors prices, and the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production, smallholders’ farmers are facing food insecurity challenge, especially in arid regions. The objective of this paper is to examine the resilience of households to food insecurity...

“Agrifood value chains of small and medium-sized producers in the Near East and North Africa region have the potential to generate more value through improved access to high-value markets. Limited logistics capacity in the region, coupled with lack of access to continuous cold chain, has resulted in weak supply chain...

The farmer field schools (FFS) approach was developed by FAO and its partners more than 25 years ago as an alternative to the dominant extension method, which did not work in situations with more complex and unexpected problems, such as pesticide-induced pest outbreaks.In a typical FFS a group of 20-25...

Recent global crises have led to diverse impacts across the world’s low- and middle-income regions, reflecting local conditions and differing policy responses. These effects are often compounded by more local shocks and crises, including prolonged conflict and violence, natural disasters, and fragile economic and governance systems. This section examines the...

The Guidelines for action on food loss and waste reduction in the Near East and North Africa provide support to Member Countries to implement the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Food Loss and Waste Reduction, an international instrument designed to guide FLW policymaking and interventions at global level. These regionally-tailored...

Land use is an essential component for many areas, from water management to agriculture, from the fight against desertification to that against climate change. The detection of changes in land cover allows a better understanding of the state and dynamics of natural resources and, to a certain extent, of their...

Food systems are intimately linked to our lives – through the food we eat, our nutrition and health, our livelihoods, jobs, and the environment and natural resources of the planet. The main challenge for food systems is to produce nutritious food for all while preserving our biodiversity and environment and...

This report outlines the conceptual framework for sand and dust storms (SDS) hazard risk and vulnerability assessment and mapping in agriculture and provides the elements as part of SDS contingency planning process in agriculture in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Its main purpose is to provide an applicable procedure for using...

La « Journée internationale de la Terre nourricière », instituée par l’ONU pour rappeler l’urgence d’agir pour la planète est célébrée chaque 22 avril. Elle a été, cette année, l’occasion pour le secrétaire général de l’ONU, Antonio Guterres, de lancer son appel à intensifier l’action climatique et à investir massivement dans l’adaptation...

The economic contribution of women to agricultural and irrigation activities and to the livelihoods, well-being and food security of families and communities is often unrecognized, invisible and mostly undervalued. Moreover, the role of women in fetching, preserving and managing productive and non-productive water often goes unrecognized and understudied. This assessment...

Agriculture is a fundamentally important human activity that intrinsically depends on nature and at the same time poses a threat to it. Agriculture depends on healthy ecosystems and ecosystem services, such as fresh water, soil fertility, nutrient cycling, pest regulation and pollination. Biodiversity forms the foundation of food production: without...

This year’s report presents evidence that Arab States face significant challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 targets related to hunger, food security, and nutrition, as undernourishment, moderate or severe food insecurity, and malnourishment are increasing. Child wasting and overweight are higher, and adult obesity is double the global average....

Le secteur agricole est un pilier majeur de l’économie de la Tunisie, assurant non seulement la sécurité alimentaire mais aussi la création d’emplois et la gestion des ressources naturelles. Cependant, l’agriculture pluviale, qui constitue 92% de l’agriculture tunisienne, est vulnérable aux aléas climatiques et à la dégradation des sols. Avis...

La région du Sahel est aujourd’hui confrontée à de nombreux défis, à savoir une crise sécuritaire, la montée de l’extrémisme, des perspectives économiques limitées, des emplois décents qui font défaut, sans parler des difficultés pour accéder à l’éducation, à la formation professionnelle et à l’ensemble des services de base. Les...