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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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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author Oussama Elkhalfi
Rachid Chaabita
Moussab Ghoujdam
Kamal Zehraoui
Hicham EL Alaoui
Ismail Belhaj
author_facet Oussama Elkhalfi
Rachid Chaabita
Moussab Ghoujdam
Kamal Zehraoui
Hicham EL Alaoui
Ismail Belhaj
author_sort Oussama Elkhalfi
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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series Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
spelling doaj-art-dc2e59a42a194c2e8c6c03091d11d33d2025-08-20T02:31:07ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432025-06-012110196310.1016/j.jafr.2025.101963The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategiesOussama Elkhalfi0Rachid Chaabita1Moussab Ghoujdam2Kamal Zehraoui3Hicham EL Alaoui4Ismail Belhaj5Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, FSJES, Fes, Morocco; Corresponding author.Hassan II University, FSJES, Casablanca, MoroccoHassan II University, FSJES, Casablanca, MoroccoHassan II University, FSJES, Casablanca, MoroccoBIGOFE, Hassan II University - Ain Chock, FSJES, Casablanca, MoroccoSidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, FSJES, Fes, MoroccoFaced 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325003345Q54Q18O13
spellingShingle Oussama Elkhalfi
Rachid Chaabita
Moussab Ghoujdam
Kamal Zehraoui
Hicham EL Alaoui
Ismail Belhaj
The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Q54
Q18
O13
title The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
title_full The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
title_fullStr The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
title_full_unstemmed The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
title_short The impact of climate change on food security in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and adaptation strategies
title_sort impact of climate change on food security in the middle east and north africa challenges and adaptation strategies
topic Q54
Q18
O13
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325003345
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