Increasing the Resilience of the Food Systems
In Islamic States in Face of Future Food Crises
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discourage investment, and a debilitating effect on access to food, due to damage they can causeto
infrastructure and blockage of supply routes. Lack of governance can disrupt markets and drain
resources needed for investment in food security.
Environmental drivers, climate change leading to weather variability, and climate shocks, such as
floods and droughts, affects food production around the globe, with adverse impacts on many
regions, including theMiddle East, North Africa, and Central and South America. Floods and rising
sea levels pose a serious food security threat to countries that rely heavily on coastal agriculture,
such as Bangladesh, Vietnam,India, and the Netherlands.Droughts are having a devastating effect
on Sub-Saharan African countries, including Niger and Sudan, and some Gulf countries, such as
Oman. Global climate change is evident in many areas including the increase of air and sea
surface temperatures, the change in climate regimes, the force of extreme events, the
diminishing glaciers and sea level rise. While climate change goes on over decades or centuries,
it is associated with shorter-term changes such as variability in temperature and rainfall aswell
extreme events such as floods and droughts. Climate change h as increased the impact of climate
shocks including floods and droughts; however, it is important to note that not all shorter-term
changes can be ascribed to climate change. All pillars of food security are impacted by climate
variability and climate extremes limiting the capability of natural resources in sustaining food
demand for the world’s growing population .40
Social food insecurity drivers, population growth, and urbanization, have put a strain on already
scarce Sub-Saharan Africa,thepopulation is estimated todoubleby 2050; this growth,
combined with the fast pace of urbanization that is, in many instances, unplanned, has affected
agricultural production and strained resources.41 Vulnerable groups include small family farms
and agriculture workers, poor households, marginalized and socially isolated population
groups, women, children, and the elderly. Small family farms and workers whose incomes
dependmainly on agriculture are very vulnerable to threats to agricultural production. Poorer
households with little or no access to credit or savings are severely impacted by food security
crises, leading them to adopt negative coping strategies, such as limiting consumption, thus
increasing the risk of malnutrition. Marginalized and socially isolated groups, including
indigenous populations and disabled people, suffer in many instances from i nequalities that
leave them more vulnerable to food security crises. Women, in many instances, often take on
additional duties as workers and caregivers in response to climate shocks, which leads to male
out-migration, in turn leading them to reduce their food intake and subjecting them to
psychological and emotional distress. Children face higher risks and aremore vulnerable to food
security crises due to their lower mobility and the reduction in adequate care in terms of food
intake, which can impair their growth, school performance, and ability to earn income
throughout their lives.42
In addition to the factors directly impacting food security, highlighted above, there are the risks
of intentional tampering of the food supply chain that could also precipitate food crises. Food
adulteration is a particular risk that is tracked by the U.S. through the U.S. Department of
40 FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP andWHO. (2018). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in theWorld 2018: Building climate
resilience for food security and nutrition. Retrieved from
41 The Economist Intelligence Unit. (2018). Global Food Security Index 2018: Building Resilience in the Face of Rising Food-
Security Risks. Retrieved
42 FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP andWHO. (2018). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in theWorld 2018: Building climate
resilience for food security and nutrition.Retrieved