Food, Agriculture, and Economic Policy in the Middle East and North Africa

by Hans Lofgren

Overview

This volume brings together a set of studies analyzing different aspects of food and agriculture in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This sector is of crucial importance to the MENA economies, especially in terms of employment. Agriculture is particularly important for the poor, both on the consumption side - a large part of their budget is allocated to food - and as a source of incomes as most of the poor live in rural areas where agriculture dominates. Agriculture production in MENA is severely constrained by water scarcity and low, irregular rainfall. Sustainability is a major concern in many parts of the region as the quality of land and water resources is deterioration and scarcity becomes more severe due to growing competition from other parts of the economy. The fact that the region relies on imports for a large share of its food consumption is a major concern for policymakers who view this as a threat to national food security and a source of political vulnerability. The studies included in this volume range from regional overview to micro studies. The chapters with a country focus cover issues that are recurrent in many MENA countries, giving them a broader relevance. The analyses cover policy issues in a wide range of areas - water, drought management, agriculture technology, producer and consumer subsidies, domestic food distribution, and foreign trade - and discusses how coordinated policies in these and other areas can contribute to more rapid, sustainable growth and poverty reduction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762309924
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:	01/15/2003
Series:	Research in Middle East Economics , #5
Edition description:	1ST
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.79(d)

Table of Contents

Preface. Acknowledgements. contributors. Referees. Introduction (H. Lofgren). Food Security, Poverty, and Economic Policy in the Middle East and North Africa (H. Lofgren, A. Richards). From Citrus to Cellphones? Agriculture As Source of New Comparative Advantage in the Middle East and North Africa (J. Devlin). Politics, Economics and (Virtual) Water: A Discursive Analysis of Water Policies in the Middle East and North Africa (J.A. Allan, J.C. Olmsted). Managing Livestock in Drought-Prone Areas of the Middle East and North Africa: Policy Issues (P. Hazell P. Oram, N. Chaherli). The Political Economy and Distributional Impact of the Egyptian Food Subsidy System (R.H. Adams, Jr.). Adjustments of Wheat Production to Market Reform in Egypt (M. Kherallah, N. Minot, P. Gruhn). Price Policy, Irreversible Investment, and the Scale of Agriculture Mechanization in Egypt (J. Kerr). Food Security in Tunisia: Trends and Policy Options (M.A. Chemingui, S. Dessus). Micro-Economic Perspectives on Tunisia's Agro-Export Strategy (J.D. Foltz). Policy and Progress in Moroccan Agriculture: A Retrospective and Perspective (C. Arndt, W.E. Tyner). Yemeni Agriculture: Historical Overview, Policy Lessons, and Prospects (J.B. Nugent). Structural Change in Agriculture and Water Requirements in Turkey (S. Sayan, N. Demir). Urban Food Security, The Rural Hinterland, and Istanbul's Lower Income Migrant Households (P.J. Kaldjian).