Highlights
Events
9/ 9
2025
10/6
2025
Hack4safeFood: Tackling food safety challenges
09/09/2025 - 10/06/2025
Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Research Network and Food Safety Innovation Hub (RNFSI...
26/ 5
2025
11/8
2025
The Seventh World Food Safety Day - 2025
26/05/2025 - 11/08/2025
Series of Webinars: Date: 26 May – 11 August 2025 (Every Monday) 11.00 – 12.30 (Cairo Time)
Food safety is crucial for agrifood transformation in the Arab region, driven by rapid population growth and increased food demand. Consumers in this region face heightened exposure to contaminated food and foodborne diseases due to several factors such as dry climate, unsafe water supplie...
30/ 6
2025
4/7
2025
Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness & Systems Transformation (YALA FAST)
Rabat (Morocco), 30/06/2025 - 04/07/2025
Food insecurity and malnutrition are persistent challenges in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. It is a daunting challenge as 60% of the population is under the age of 25, 40% of the region’s women are unemployed, and 40% of the population lives in rural areas with high unemployment rates and lower wages.
Regional Priorities
Action Areas
Red Palm Weevil Eradication Programme
The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Eradication Programme facilitates the coordination of regional efforts to ensure an integrated and sustainable approach to controlling the RPW and reducing its devastating effects on date palm production, the food and income security of rural communities, and the ecology of affected areas.
Youth empowerment
Young men and women have a key role to play in fostering sustainability, equity and resilience of agrifood systems in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. FAO works with youth across the region to improve their access to high quality education and training, decent employment, rural institutions and critical assets and services, in agrifood value chains.
Sustainable and Inclusive Agrifood Value Chains
Sustainable and inclusive agrifood value chains development is a market-oriented and systems-based approach for assessing, understanding and improving the performance of agrifood value chains, to ensure their economic, social, and environmental and climate sustainability.
The UN Decade of Family Farming
The UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) aims to shed new light on what it means to be a family farmer in a rapidly changing world and highlights more than ever before the important role family farmers play in eradicating hunger and shaping the future of our agri-food systems.
Addressing climate change in agrifood systems
FAO’s climate change activities aim to strengthen capacities of member countries to build resilient agrifood systems, and to plan, implement and report on climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in the agriculture sectors.
Rural advisory services for inclusive transformation in the Near East and North Africa
Rural advisory services (RAS) have a central role in equipping farmers with the knowledge and skills to cope with challenges and empower them to make informed decisions, link to markets and act collectively to improve their livelihoods and claim their agency in inclusive rural transformation.
The Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity for the Near East and North Africa
In order to help NENA countries address the food and water security challenges, the FAO’s Regional Office in the Near East and North Africa and its partners established the Water Scarcity Initiative.
Gender equality and women’s empowerment for inclusive food systems transformation
The Regional Office has a stand-alone programme of work on gender equality and women’s empowerment that addresses gender as a cross-cutting theme in all its regional priorities and initiatives.
One Country One Priority Product: Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products
The Global Action on Green Development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs): One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) was launched by the FAO Director General in 2021. The initiative will aim to support countries in transforming their agrifood systems to be more sustainable, efficient, resilient and inclusive.
Social inclusion
In NENA countries, poverty is predominantly rural. With small scale producers – including fishers and pastoralists – and landless rural workers facing growing marginalization, rural communities are left increasingly vulnerable to economic, political and environmental shocks. This and the high prevalence of gender disparities, youth unemployment, child labour and other forms of exclusion constitute a significant barrier to more equitable agrifood systems in the region.
Stories
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Blogs
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Opinions
Pope Francis—A Moral Beacon for a Hungry World
27/04/2025
“The future of humanity is written in the fields, villages, and forests where the excluded fight for dignity.” These words, spoken by Pope Francis in 2017, have long echoed across the arid landscapes and conflict-scarred communities of the Near East and North Africa.
Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
Innovating knowledge sharing for sustainable forest and landscape management: how KHIBRA can connect lessons from Lebanon, Algeria, and beyond
07/04/2025
To enhance regional collaboration, KHIBRA serves as a crucial tool in facilitating structured dialogues, technical exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives between Lebanon and Algeria. By focusing on land restoration and sustainable forest management, KHIBRA can support the development of national strategies tailored to each country’s needs, promoting investment in long-term sustainability.
FAO Assistant Director- General
Forests for food: A pathway to food security in the Near East and North Africa
21/03/2025
As we celebrate the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2025 under the theme Forests and Foods, it is important to acknowledge the often-overlooked role of forests in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region's food security.
FAO Assistant Director- General
A path to end hunger and malnutrition in the Arab States: Can innovative and strategic financing accelerate transformation of Agrifood systems?
18/12/2024
In 2023, the Arab States faced a significant escalation in hunger and malnutrition. A staggering 14 percent of the population, equivalent to 66.1 million people, suffered from hunger.
FAO Assistant Director- General
UNCCD COP16: FAO’s role in building resilient agrifood systems and restoring NENA’s landscapes
02/12/2024
As global attention converges on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), the urgency to combat land degradation and desertification takes centre stage.
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Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
NENA’s restoration revolution: Investing in people and planet
05/12/2024
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region faces a sobering reality: about 86 percent of its total land area suffers from degradation and desertification (FAO, 2021), threatening the livelihoods of 410 million people. As climate change continues to intensify, reducing rainfall and straining water resources, the impacts on agriculture, biodiversity, and socio-economic stability grow more dire.
FAO Assistant Director- General
Investing in the planet and its people: Synergizing initiatives for accelerated climate action at the 29th Conference of the Parties
19/11/2024
As the world looks ahead to the 29th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024, the call for transformative solutions in agrifood systems is stronger than ever. In this pivotal moment for climate action, two major initiatives are set to play crucial roles: the FAST Partnership (Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation)
Opinions
The Right to Food in the Maghreb and Middle East: A Critical Moment for Action
11/11/2024
The right to food is a fundamental human right that ensures every person has access to adequate, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life. It is not just about having enough food to survive but about having food that is appropriate, available, and accessible to everyone, without discrimination.
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Technical Expertise
Strengthening urban-rural food systems through local production and food waste reduction
30/10/2024
Urbanization in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is rapidly accelerating, bringing with it both opportunities and immense challenges. With projections showing that by 2050, 73 percent of the population will live in cities, surpassing 450 million people, food systems in the region are under extreme pressure to meet growing urban demands.
Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
Leading the way: Gulf countries' efforts in mangrove restoration
26/07/2024
On the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we delve into the vital importance of mangroves. These unique coastal ecosystems provide critical habitats for a myriad of marine and terrestrial wildlife.
Greening agriculture, water scarcity and climate action
Combating sand and dust storms in MENA: the role of tree plantation
12/07/2024
As we celebrate the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms 2024, it is crucial to delve deeper into the complexities of this issue. Sand and dust storms (SDS) are natural phenomena driven by a combination of environmental and human-induced factors.
Opinions
Leveraging Water for Peace: FAO’s Experience in Yemen
03/04/2024
To leverage ‘Water for Peace,’ we urgently need to fully understand the water governance systems, how resources are extracted, used, shared and replenished. Our experience in Yemen has shown glaring gaps between policy and the ultimate use of the precious commodity. Another gap is limited funding to replicate best water management practices which have been piloted and proven effective.
FAO Assistant Director- General
Innovating today for a greener tomorrow: FAO's initiatives in the Near East and North Africa region
21/03/2024
As we approach the International Day of Forests on 21st March, it's crucial to recognize the significance of forests, especially in dryland regions like the Near East and North Africa (NENA). With the region's population soaring, demands on land and water are escalating, making initiatives for greening agriculture, water scarcity, and climate action critical priorities for FAO.
FAO Director-General
Accelerating the transformation of agrifood systems in the NENA region
27/02/2024
The MENA region faces severe water scarcity and climate shocks. As a result, we must prioritize the adaptation to climate change, as well as mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Technical Expertise
Success Story on collaboration
13/11/2023
As a follow-up to a successful workshop held in 2021, RNE-HR Team took initiative once again to organize an event in June of this year, in collaboration with various HR counterparts and the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience, this time to highlight the critical role of Human Resources in emergency and crisis contexts.
Opinions
COP28 in Dubai: Seizing the Opportunity to Achieve Global Food Security and Sustainable, Healthy Nutrition
30/09/2023
As we anticipate the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, it is crucial to underscore the significance of this global platform for advancing the sustainable development agenda in the Arab region and worldwide.
Technical Expertise
Urgent need for a Regional Strategy for Sustainable Management of Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases (TPPDs) in the Near East and North Africa
07/09/2023
The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region is challenged by the continuous threat of transboundary plant pests and diseases, the introduction and spread of which is facilitated by increased trade activities,
Partnerships & Cooperations
The Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Unit (SPRM)
14/08/2023
The Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Unit (SPRM) is designed to promote a more systematic use of partnerships in the Near East and North Africa Region (NENA), and to provide practical guidance to FAO units and partners to facilitate the selection, prioritization, development and management of new or renewed partnerships.
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Technical Expertise
Advancing Water Action for Food and Climate Security
09/08/2023
Water is one of the most vital resources on the planet. It is critical to agriculture, which accounts for 72% of worldwide freshwater withdrawals, as well as to other economic sectors, and is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Publications
FAO alerts countries in the Near East and West Eurasia to enhance preparedness for foot-and-mouth disease
2025
FAO is recommending urgent biosecurity measures and enhanced surveillance following the recent detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) serotype SAT1 in the Near East.
Policy incubator on extending social insurance for agriculture workers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Expert group meeting report 24-26 June 2024
2025
As part of their broader efforts to address informality and decent work deficits in the agriculture sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) engaged with practitioners and policymakers in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region
Stocktaking and situation analysis of FAO's work with cooperatives and other forms of collective action in the Near East and North Africa region
2025
Agricultural cooperatives, Producer and Professional Organizations (PPOs), and Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the North Africa and Near East (NENA) region play a crucial role in supporting small-scale family farming, which is vital for the regional economy.
Multimedia
Farmers access water to revive agricultural activities in Daraa
04/06/2025
FAO, under the United Nation’s Joint Programme, has rehabilitated nine wells in southern and southeastern Daraa, allowing 3 500 farmers and herders...
FAO rehabilitates the National Biological Laboratory in Syria to combat water hyacinth
22/05/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Italy have rehabilitated the National Biological Laboratory in Hama to achieve...
Woroud’s transformation: The power of resilience and empowerment
27/05/2025
Woroud’s first step toward transformation came through an opportunity with FAO. She joined a Farmer Field School (FFS) focused on sustainable agricultural...
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=88e9f5ea_2 "Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=a8ad9034_1 "The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=dfbaa9f2_1 "Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=4eb83e5b_1 "Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b68ea809_2 "Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=26bd6c6b_1 "Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=2b881a9b_1 "The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=ae3a73a3_1 "Regional Centre on Agrarian Reform & Rural Development for the Near East(CARDNE)")
.tmb-th600x400.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=5fad0e0e_1 "Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)")
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