The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies

Faced with the growing challenges of climate change, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is particularly vulnerable due to its high dependence on food imports and limited natural resources. This article analyzes the impact of climate change on food security in the region using a quantitat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Oussama Elkhalfi, Rachid Chaabita, Moussab Ghoujdam, Kamal Zehraoui, Hicham EL Alaoui, Ismail Belhaj
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325003345
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Summary:Faced with the growing challenges of climate change, the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is particularly vulnerable due to its high dependence on food imports and limited natural resources. This article analyzes the impact of climate change on food security in the region using a quantitative approach based on panel data covering the period 2000–2022. The analysis relies on a random-effects panel regression model applied to a sample of ten countries. The objective is to examine how climatic factors, agricultural practices, and socio-economic conditions influence food availability. The results indicate that a 1 °C increase in average temperature reduces food availability by approximately 8.2 kcal/person/day, while the effect of precipitation is not statistically significant. In contrast, resilience-related variables such as irrigation, climate-resilient seeds, and access to agricultural credit positively contribute to food productivity. However, high dependence on food imports increases the structural vulnerability of the countries studied. The study recommends the implementation of integrated policies to strengthen resilience in the face of future climate challenges.
ISSN:2666-1543