- Why invest: the food insecurity in MENA region
- Food security challenges in the MENA region
- Producing more with less under changing climate – ICARDA’s experience
- Closing remarks
Presented at:
Global Forum for Innovation in agriculture (GIFA), Abu Dhabi, 20-21 MArch, 2017
Mapping suitable niche for cactus and legumes in diversified farming in drylands
Enhancing food security in MENA region under the conditions of climate change
1. Dr Andrew Noble
Deputy Director General
ICARDA
Enhancing food security in MENA region
under the conditions of climate change
Abu Dhabi, 20-21 March 2017
2. Outline
Why invest: the food insecurity in MENA region
Food security challenges in the MENA region
Producing more with less under changing
climate – ICARDA’s experience
Closing remarks
3. 2
The food insecurity in the MENA region
Do we need to invest in
increasing food production in
the MENA region?
Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP
4. 50% of the food consumed in MENA is imported
MENA has the largest dependence on
food imports in the world
A large chunk of it is wheat, region’s staple diet
5. Grain Importer and Exporter Regions of the World (2010)
Source: adapted from USDA 2011
+91.2
+6.3
North America
Latin America and
the Caribbean
Sub-Saharan
Africa
-18.0
+17.5
Europe
-65.8
MENA region
+16.1
Former Soviet
Union
-58.8
Asia
Oceania
Net Exports+ -
+18.6
Net Imports
Global trade in million tonnes
7. 6
A growing dependence on food imports in MENA
Population of the MENA region is increasing at
2 percent per year – the second highest rate in the world.
Under business as usual, this means increasing dependence on food
imports ….
… greater vulnerability to high global food prices & market shocks
… less resilience to other socio-economic stresses.
Wheat imports to continue increasing
Projected increase from 2013 to 2024: 10% (USDA 2015)
Food supply disruptions are known to trigger conflicts
8. The challenges to enhancing
food security in the MENA region
amid climate change
10. 9
About 80% of total
fresh water is consumed by
agriculture, on average
Water availability per capita
Our basic well-being
requires a minimum
2,000 m3/year of water
per capita
Set to drop to 550 m3/year by 2050
MENA’s biggest challenge: WATER SCARCITY
11. And climate change is set
to make the conditions
worse in MENA region
a hotter and drier MENA …
12. Relative change of mean annual precipitation
1980/1999 to 2080/2099
Compiled by Geoinformatics Unit, ICARDA
13. Absolute change of mean annual temperature
1980/1999 to 2080/2099
Compiled by Geoinformatics Unit, ICARDA
14. - Less precipitation and more droughts
- Extreme temperatures
- Changes in climatic zones
- Shorter growing season
- New emerging diseases and insect pests
Climate change is affecting food production
16. 6
3.5
2.9
5.5
6 6
2.5
2
1.6
1.4
2
1.5 1.5
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Algeria Jordan Palestine Morocco Syria Tunisia Yemen
Yield(t/ha)
Country
Potential yield (research station)
Actual farmer yield
Source: Enhancing Food Security In Arab Countries project, funded by AFESD, KFAED, IsDB and OFID
The Wheat Yield Gap in MENA
17. Bridging the Yield Gap in MENA
Unlocking the potential with science
and technology
19. New improved varieties with climate resilience
High yield potential
Tolerance to abiotic stresses
• Drought
• Heat
• Cold
• Salinity
Resistance to biotic stresses
• Diseases
• Insect pests
• Parasitic weeds
Improved crop varieties of wheat, barley, faba bean,
lentil and chickpea released offer:
Demonstrated potential
to triple cereal yields
in MENA
20. Transforming wheat production in Sudan
Heat-tolerant wheat varieties yield up
to 6 t/ha – three times the national
average of 2 t/ha
Wheat growing area to grow from
300,000 to half a million ha over the
next three years
21. ICARDA experience: Achieving food security in Syria
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
Wheat Production in Syria
(Thousand Tons)
Syria had become self-sufficient and even an exporter of wheat.
22. Producing more with less water
Mechanized raised bed planting package
Reduces irrigation water use by 25%
Increases yields by 30%
Reduces seed rate by 50%
Increases water use efficiency by 72%
23. Reaching 800,000 hectare by 2023,
under government campaign
From research-for-development to transformative impact
The awarded raised bed technology
A fruit of long-term research partnership of
ICARDA with Egypt’s NARS
24. Scaling out raised-bed technology to other countries
Raised bed machines produced in partnership with private sector and NARS
have been sent to:
Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan, Tunisia & Uzbekistan
25. Rainwater harvesting in marginal lands
Micro-catchments using laser-guided
contouring Vallerani machines
• Reduced time and cost
• Effective water harvesting
• 40-50% increase in rainwater
productivity
26. Soilless
Culture
Increased yields
per unit of
water, space
and energy
More crop per drop in marginal lands
Adapting/optimizing protected agriculture (greenhouses)
and soil-less culture in GCC
27. An estimated 85% less water use if all
greenhouse tomato production changes to
soilless in Abu Dhabi
48 kg/m3
7 kg/m3
Hydroponics
cooled
greenhouse
Soil open field
Water
productivity
More crop per drop in marginal lands (contd.)
Oman, UAE, Bahrain encouraging
growers to adopt soilless farming
by providing incentives, such as
grants & technical assistance.
28. Sustainable date palm production in Gulf countries
Problem solving research &
technology transfer
Liquid pollination
Increased productivity & profits
Integrated pest management
Chemical-free dates
Genetic fingerprinting and genomics
Conserving diversity of date palm
cultivars
Innovative drying techniques
Better quality and reduced field loss
29. Accelerating food security through South-South
Cooperation
The India-Morocco Food Legumes Initiative
Exchange of innovations & technologies and mutual
capacity development through South-South collaboration
30. Developing national capacities in MENA
Young Agricultural Scientists Program
Fostering a new generation of agricultural scientists
Arab Food Security Project
31. Transferring improved technologies to farmers
Field days
Farm field schools
Framers traveling workshops
Over 30,000 farmers reached through
Arab Food Security Project
32. Closing remarks
Enabling policy environment
More investment in adaptive agricultural research
Capacity development and institutional support
Greater innovative and cross-cutting partnerships
Scaling out of these proven technologies can have
transformative impact on food security in MENA.
What’s needed?
Notas del editor
5
What’s worse is that the MENA countries are heading toward a growing dependence on food imports. The region has a rapidly growing population, scond highest rate in the world, which will place more demand on food supply.
Source: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/aes88/53335_aes88.pdf
This trend is going to make the region even more vulnerable to global food markets. And less capable of absorbing shocks. When other socio-economic factors come into play, like the region’s high unemployment rate, even slight disruptions can lead to conflict.
The state of agricultural technologies has been lagging behind in MENA countries over the past several years. The result is that farmers suffer from exceptionally poor yields. Also, the current practices are leading to unsustainable use of natural resources. The degraded soils are further reducing the yields. A trend that needs to be stopped and can be easily turned around for big gains. With improved and innovative technologies that are here and now.
I will touch on some water and crop technologies that can help MENA countries take big strides in food security.
17
18
19
Sunday, March 19, 2017
The story of mechanized raised bed technology tells us what long term investment in agricultural research and partnership can accomplish. Right now, 80% of fresh water is being used by agriculture in the country. The technology has provided a practical solution to the country’s acute water shortage. And so is now being backed by Egypt’s national wheat campaign for greater adoption. It’s likely to reach 800,00 ha over next 5-6 years – more wheat production with less water use.
Further, as spill over, ICARDA is pilot testing these machines in other countries that it works in to bring similar benefits. Which adds further value to the investment in research. We are seeing an increasing demand for the technology in countries in Africa where irrigation is practiced.
Recently, the G20 countries have adopted an action plan which prioritizes improving agricultural water-use efficiency. And this technology can help countries do that successfully.
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Dr M.B. Solh, DG of ICARDA
Aside from focusing on improving water productivity, scientists are integrating the greenhouse production system with solar energy for cooling and use of treated gray water – adding further value for the farmers and the environment. Results have motivated.
We have been working with GCC countries on making date palm production more sustainable and profitable.
Developed technologies need effective mechanisms for dissemination and scaling out to other countries, which is one of the big challenges we are working on with our partners. One pathway that has ben showing good results is south-south cooperation. In a project focused on bringing improved legumes technologies to developing countries, we are able to leverage research activities in Morocco and India for greater mutual gains through exchange of innovations, lessons learnt and capacity building.
Developing national capacities is an important piece of the puzzle for increasing food security in MENA. Through Arab Food Security Project, ICARDA has been able to mentor and develop a new generation of agricultural scientists in these countries. An initiative that continues today.