Once the cradle of agriculture, the Near East and North Africa Region is now food deficit and
for many years, it has been the largest net food importer among developing countries. As more
than 60% of the population of the region live in the rural areas and depend on agriculture for
their livelihood, the decreasing agricultural production is therefore not only affecting food
security in general but also hampering poverty alleviation efforts.
Ever increasing demographic pressures is threatening the natural resources in the Region
including the important genetic diversity. The natural resources base for agriculture in the region
is very fragile with especially acute shortage of water and arable land. Aridity is a prevailing
feature in the Region, making it the poorest in the world in terms of water resources, both
globally and on a per inhabitant basis. The land resources are characterized as being both
limited and fragile; desert or semi-desert covers a staggering 70% of the total area, with 22%
under pasture, leaving a meager 8% as potential arable land.
Despite affluence in some parts, poverty and food insecurity persists in the region and some of
its poorest countries are also the poorest in the world. Poverty is pervasive in dry areas. Over
80 percent of the population live in countries with an average per capita Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) of $1.10 per day. More than 70% of the impoverished people live in rural areas
and largely depend on agriculture as a source of income.