Food, Development, and Politics in the Middle East
Food, Development, and Politics in the Middle East

Author: Marvin G. Weinbaum

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-07-24

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 1317411668

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As the reality of a food deficit emerged in the Middle East, rural society and the agricultural sector – once viewed as peripheral to national development – swiftly rose up the policy agendas of nearly every Middle East country. This book, first published in 1982, looks at the complex interrelationships of food production, development schemes and politics in those countries. Dr Weinbaum considers the origins, nature, scope and political dimensions of the potential food shortfall and explores how food deficits could lead to changed international relations among states in the Middle East. He specifically examines the physical and technological limitations to increased food production, then assesses the major social, economic and political hurdles in the way of agricultural development, the effects of – and pressures for – agrarian reform, the bureaucratic policymaking process, and the domestic impact of foreign assistance policies. He concludes with an examination of the linkage between food supply availability and political stability.

The Agricultural Development of the Middle East
The Agricultural Development of the Middle East

Author: Bernard Augustus Keen

Publisher:

Published: 1946

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13:

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This report was produced for the Middle East Supply Centre, an institution set up by the British in 1941 to supply and/or keep supplies for basic life needs open to populations in the Middle East over which Britain had control. This is the first in a series of four. (The second volume is on non-agricultural scientific surveys of the Middle East.) This report identifies problems for agricultural development, including social factors, scientific and technical problems such as soil quality, and farmer information about new techniques.

Agriculture and economic transformation in the Middle East and North Africa: A review of the past with lessons for the future
Agriculture and economic transformation in the Middle East and North Africa: A review of the past with lessons for the future

Author: Nin-Pratt, Alejandro

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2017-12-31

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13: 0896292959

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The agriculture sector is key for economic and social development, but the sector’s potential has not received enough attention from policy makers and stakeholders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Political transitions, instability, and the resulting refugee crisis have shifted focus away from other pressing development challenges, including slow progress in economic diversification, high unemployment, and persistent high food insecurity and rural poverty. Despite its small contribution to GDP, agriculture is strategic for sustainable development in the MENA countries. Agriculture, for example, is central to achieve food and water security in a region characterized as one of the most food insecure and water scarce in the world. The sector’s role in employment is also central, given the region’s high structural unemployment. However, it will not be possible for MENA countries to develop agriculture without a pathway to structural economic transformation. The region has already started the process of transformation but longstanding challenges remain. This report aims to examine the drivers, constraints, and social implications of agricultural development in MENA and to explore possible cornerstones for new and sustainable development strategies in the context of economic transformation. More specifically, the report provides answers to the following questions: • What development strategies and policies did governments in MENA put in place over the past three decades and how did they affect the performance of agriculture? • How did the structural characteristics of the MENA countries affect agricultural development and the economic transformation process in the region? • What did we learn from the past performance of agriculture? What should be the central elements guiding future agricultural policies? • What are elements of a new and sustainable development strategy in MENA countries? • What is the role of agriculture and agro-industries for development in MENA?