Food Security Via Improving Crop Water Productivity in Some Arab Countries

Abstract

Food security is one of the essential elements of national security and self-sufficiency in basic food commodities; Arab countries import about half of their food requirements and consider the significant importers of grain in the world. On this basis, Arab countries, particularly those with vast agricultural capabilities, have worked on achieving the goal of self-sufficiency, reducing the food gap, and have implemented many national plans and programs to increase production and productivity within the agricultural sector. Water availability in the Arab region is a critical issue as the area has 5 percent of the world's population having access to merely 1 percent of the world's total water resources. According to United Nations estimates, around 12 Arab countries suffer from severe water shortages. The per capita availability of renewable water resources is less than 500 m3 per year. Most Arab countries have a shortage of rainfall. Agriculture and Socio-Economic growth are almost entirely dependent on irrigation. The food consumption pattern must change dramatically during the next 20 years in response to increases in population, per capita income, and changes in consumer preferences. This study provides evidence of the importance of studying food security alongside water poverty. Having water scarcity contributing to nearly half the variation in food security will have important policy, research, and investment implications. The agricultural sector faces the challenge of producing more food with less water by increasing crop water productivity. This paper contributes to the debate and aims to explain the efficient use of water for food production and identify opportunities and challenges to produce more food with less water by increasing crop water productivity. It presented several options for achieving a food security strategy in some Arab countries by improving water productivity. Also, it provided some measures to adapt these options to the local circumstances and guarantee the Arab states' right to achieve food security for their people.