Water scarcity is one of the most limiting factors for agricultural production in the Arab region. Arab countries are already located in a very dry climate, and the increasingly evident impacts of climate change are exacerbating instances of drought. Food crops needs water to grow, and therefore drought has an immense impact on crop yields and food production. It is not surprising that a lot of attention has been geared recently at the relationship between climate change and food security. While the proposed solutions have concentrated mostly on increasing food production, Arab countries should make more serious work of combating food waste and encouraging more sustainable consumption.
The focus in climate change negotiations has been on mitigating further impacts of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reducing emissions is the central objective of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and it is at the heart of the negotiations of the Conference of the Parties (COP), including the latest COP21 in Paris. Nevertheless, there is by now a clear and widespread acknowledgement that we must also adapt to those changes that are already occurring and those that will inevitably occur. As climate change economist W.D. Nordhaus put it: ‘Mitigate we might; adapt we must’ (as cited in an article by Roger Pielke, Jr.). Adaptation strategies are urgently needed for Arab countries facing intensified droughts that affect agricultural food production.
Many adaptation strategies proposed on the international level emphasize technical solutions. Two such adaptation strategies in relation to food security are research and development of genetically engineered crops that are resilient to drought, and desalination techniques. These proposed adaptation strategies focus on increasing the production of food. Food production forms an important aspect of food security. Without enough food being produced in the regions where food is needed, food security could not be realized. There are also other dimensions to food security that are equally important but often neglected in discussions about climate change.
Food security, in accordance with the definition articulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization in the 1996 World Food Summit, includes food production and also availability of food and access to food. In efforts to tackle food insecurity in the face of drought in the Arab region, it is necessary to put serious efforts into making sure that enough food is available and accessible to those who need it, in addition to developing ways to increase production. Two ways to achieve this are promoting more sustainable consumption and addressing food waste.
Sustainable consumption was the topic of the 2015 annual conference of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). The conference was very timely, as the Arab region must begin to realize that technical solutions will not suffice in addressing food insecurity in the face of climate change. Changes in food consumption that will reduce the amount of water needed to produce food crops are cutting down on red meat and dairy products. Furthermore, there should be more consideration for reverting to growing crops that naturally need less water to grow, such as sorghum and millet, to replace water-intense crops such as maize and rice.
Related to sustainable consumption is food waste. National Geographic in its March 2016 issue has a feature on food waste, and data reveals that in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia less than half of the food that is produced is actually consumed. Over half of food production is lost in the production process or wasted in post-production. Reducing food waste is a key part of sustainable consumption (and production). Although food waste does not always feature very prominently in climate change discussions, it must feature much more highly on the food security agenda. There is little sense in investing immense efforts on increasing production, while continuing to waste more than half of what is produced.
To tackle food insecurity, particularly in the face of climate change and drought in the Arab region, we cannot focus blindly on technical solutions in the hope to increase crop yields. To be sure, I do not question the potential value of genetically engineered drought-resistant crops or the value of desalination. My point is merely that such ‘solutions’ will not address the whole problem. A sustainable and holistic change in attitude towards food – both in production and in consumption – must be achieved.
