A World Bank Group regional flagship report, Building Food Security, Creating Jobs, shows that transforming agrifood systems is one of the greatest opportunities to strengthen food and nutrition security, create jobs, and build resilience across the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region.
OVERVIEW
The Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region (MENAAP) faces mounting pressures from climate change, water scarcity, conflict, and rising malnutrition. Today, one in six people across the region lacks reliable access to food, while 42 percent cannot afford a healthy diet. Demand for food is projected to increase by 67 percent by 2050. Yet solutions already exist for the region to produce more and better food with less resources. In addition, agrifood systems extend far beyond farms, encompassing processing, transport, storage, logistics, trade, retail, and food services that connect producers to consumers. The agrifood sector already supports 63 million jobs - nearly one in three workers in the region - making them a cornerstone of livelihoods, economic growth, and stability.
The report argues that food security is about far more than increasing agricultural production. It requires modernizing the entire agrifood system—from farm to table—through stronger value chains, better storage, logistics and trade, climate-smart practices, innovation, better value for money in public spending, greater private sector participation and improved nutrition. By reducing food loss and waste, improving water productivity, making trade more resilient, and creating a more enabling business environment, countries can produce more and better food while creating more and better jobs, particularly for women and youth.
