Attachments
This report focuses on assessing food security and developing an updated assessment framework for evaluating food systems in the Arab region. It outlines a comprehensive approach to assessing food systems in a way that accounts for the key dimensions of food security – availability, access, utilization, stability, agency and sustainability – by integrating them into a food systems framework through its commonly accepted components, external drivers and outcomes. This allows for a categorization of Arab food systems based on income levels, conflict status and food system development stages to highlight known challenges and recommend action steps for achieving the desired food systems transformation. It also enables the evaluation of Arab food systems based on their ability to support three key attributes: inclusivity, a measure of equity and food justice; resilience, the capacity to recover from shocks such as conflicts or pandemics; and sustainability, which concerns resource scarcity and environmental pressures. The Arab Food Systems Assessment Tool thus aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Arab food systems landscape, enabling policymakers to make informed decisions and implement targeted interventions to improve food security, reduce inequalities, enhance resilience and promote sustainability in the region.