Tags: Food security, Food availability, Food affordability, Global food price shock, Food resources, Sustainable food security, Political options

The recent global food price shock combined with the political upheaval in North Africa, provides an opportune moment for the North African countries, along with the international community, to take stock of the food security status of the region and to reappraise food security strategies in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. There are already signs that governments in the region are doing this and are becoming less willing to rely so heavily on food imports as the route to food security. Consequently, the concept of “food sovereignty” is gaining currency in the region, whereby nation states secure greater control and power over their sources of food, and adopt strategies that are not just dictated by international market forces. This is leading to two new approaches to food security – land acquisition in third party countries to secure direct access to food supplies which by-passes international food markets and a renewed emphasis on domestic food production in the North African countries themselves.

The Political Economy of Food Security in North Africa.pdf