(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A new publication offering a comprehensive study available to date on issues of food security and food sovereignty in the Arab region has been launched by Georgetown University's Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) in Education City.
Food Security in the Middle East provides empirical case studies of Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Yemen, Gulf states and Iran, with a focus on how they have been affected by events of Arab uprisings and rising food prices following the global economic crisis of 2007-2008.
Major themes examined include the ascent and decline of food regimes, urban agriculture, overseas agricultural land purchases, national food self-sufficiency strategies, distribution networks, food consumption patterns, nutrition transitions and healthcare.
Collectively, the chapters represent original contributions to political science, economics, agricultural studies, and healthcare policy, and reflect the increasing urgency of policy and public debate on the subject.
"Everyone agrees that access to food is one of the most basic human rights. But in reality, food has become politicised. What's more, unlike healthcare, education or housing, food has evolved into a security issue," said the Editor and contributing author, Zahra Babar.
CIRS Director, Dr Mehran Kamrava, also contributed to the volume.
He said, "We hope the book sets a base of understanding for the full breadth of food security issues to benefit work of scholars, researchers, practitioners and policymakers.
"There hasn't been an in-depth examination of social and political issues around food sovereignty and the availability and security of food supplies in the Middle East, and the book is an invaluable tool in understanding some of these critical questions."
The chapters in the volume, published by Oxford University Press and C Hurst & Co., grew out of two working group meetings under the auspices of CIRS, and includes contributions from 25 experts in food security issues from top universities around the world.
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