The Near East and the historical region of the Fertile Crescent is the birthplace of agriculture. Today, the agriculture and food sector in Near East and North Africa (NENA) region plays a key role in building resilience to shocks and emergencies and contributes to rural livelihoods and employment. The rich diversity in landscapes, agriculture products and practices in the region offer a promise of the new untapped opportunities. However, agrifood systems in the NENA region are facing many challenges to sustainably feed a growing population. With many countries located in dry zones, agrifood systems in the NENA region are suffering prolonged drought and continue the overuse of freshwater for agriculture, contribute to soil degradation and drive down the productive capacity of land. Similar to other regions in the world, despite the rich biodiversity, food supplies in the NENA region has increasingly relied on a few crops and food products including wheat, rice and maize. Low productivity and diversity of crops coupled with inefficiencies in supply chains often restrict access to affordable healthy diet for many vulnerable groups in both rural and urban areas.
Algeria
- SAP: Figs
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands, mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production, green storage, green processing, green marketing
Egypt
- SAP: Dates
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands
- Thematic area: Green production, green processing
Iraq
- SAP: Dates
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands
- Thematic area: Green production, green marketing
Jordan
- SAP: Dates
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands
- Thematic area: Green production, green storage, green processing, green marketing
Lebanon
- SAP: Pulses (chickpea, fava beans & lentil)
- Type of product: Field crop
- Implementation location: Drylands, mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production, green marketing
Morocco
- SAP: Carob
- Type of product: Forestry product
- Implementation location: Drylands, mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production, green processing, green marketing
Saudi Arabia
- SAP: Coffee
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production
Syria
- SAP: Olives
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands, mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production, green processing. Green marketing
Tunisia
- SAP: Harissa
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Drylands
- Thematic area: Green production, green storage, green processing, green marketing
Yemen
- SAP: Coffee
- Type of product: Horticulture product
- Implementation location: Mountainous areas
- Thematic area: Green production, green storage, green processing, green marketing
Expected outcomes
- Productive and resilient production systems are created
- Food security and nutrition is improved
- Increased quality, productivity and diversity of selected SAPs, in combination with reduced crop and food loss/waste and fair and efficient market access and trade.
- The environment is improved through reduced use of agricultural chemicals, reduced GHG emission, land degradation and biodiversity loss.
- Livelihood of smallholder and family farmers improved through the creation of decent jobs and an increased income, as well as increased involvement of different ethnic and social groups, youth, girls and women in promoting the initiative.
Key strategies
- Collaborative design and country-led implementation: the initiative is developed through consultations and its implementation is driven by FAO Members
- Demand-driven: all Members can join the initiative based on their demand and context.
- Promote innovation on green technologies along the value chain
- Participatory approach and multi-stakeholders implementation
Facts and Figures
- 69 million undernourished people in 2020 in the Arab region, an increase of 4.8 million from 2019
- 11% of food is lost between farm and retail and up to 145 kg/capita of food waste at the consumer and hospitality level in the region.
- Nearly 1 in 3 people in the world did not have access to adequate food in 2020 – an increase of 320 million people in just one year.
- Less than 5% of total land area in the NENA region is arable, causing limited production capacity and this is exacerbated by climate change.
News
FAO holds first meeting of the One Country One Priority Product Regional Organizing Group
14 September 2023, Cairo – The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAO-RNE) held today the first meeting of the Regional Organizing Group (ROG) in Cairo, Egypt.
FAO kicks off implementation of the One Country One Priority Product projects in NENA countries
13 September 2023, Cairo, Egypt – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the implementation of the Once Country, One Priority Product (OCOP) projects in Near East and North Africa countries.
FAO launches the Global Action on One Country One Priority Product in the Near East and North Africa
20 June 2022, Cairo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Near East and North Africa has launched today the implementation of the Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products.
Workshop sets out project for sustainable development of palm dates in Egypt
08/05/2023, Cairo, Egypt – a project to sustainably develop palm dates in Egypt was presented by the Government of Egypt and the FAO office in Egypt for discussion with farmer representatives and other stakeholders.
FAO trains experts to upgrade value chains of Special Agriculture Products
11 April 2023, Cairo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a virtual training on sustainable food value chain (SFVC) analysis as part of the regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).
FAO meets stakeholders to enhance the olive value chain in Syria
10/07/2023 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched an inception meeting last month with 23 representatives from different stakeholders across the olive value chain, including the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR), olive producers. ...
Related Links
Working Towards
- Better production (BP1, BP2, BP3, BP4 and BP5)
- Better nutrition (BN1 and BN5)
- Better environment (BE1, BE3, and BE4)
- Better life (BL1 and BL2)