Efficiency of Agriculture and Water Sector and the Reality of Food Security in Arab Countries (2010-2017)

Omer Allagabo Omer Mustafa

Expert of Economics and Banking, General Union of Arabs Experts (Morocco), Assistant Professor of Economics, Banking and Finance, Deputy Secretary of Academic Affairs-Sudan Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences (SABFS-Sudan), Khartoum, Sudan.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1697-8877

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.512.2020.71.1.6

Keywords: Efficiency, Agriculture, Water sector, Reality, Food security, Arab countries.


Abstract

The main aim of the paper is to presents the reality of food security in Arab countries (that means literally the Arab peninsula and the North African Arab States); in the light of the efficiency of agriculture and water sector during the period (2010-2017). The descriptive analytical approach was used. Secondary data were collected and used to describe challenges that faced Arab food security during that period. The results found that agricultural production is insufficient to meets the demand for food in Arab countries because it highly depends on rain-fed irrigation which causes low productivity; in connection with poor strategic planning. Further, it is found that, poor exploitation and miss-management of water resources, conversion of farmland to urban uses, application of old technology, population growth, rising demand for food and degradation of natural resources have contributed to widening of food gap. The study recommends that, if Arab countries want to achieve the food security and self-sufficiency they have to consider the following: use of modern technology to improve the productivity, cooperation in agricultural research, good utilization of water resources and effective agricultural and financing policies.

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