Regional workshop on strategic planning and implementation for food systems transformation in Arab countries

Arab countries convene in Amman to advance coordinated strategies for implementing food systems transformation across the region.

Amman Workshop Banner
18/12/2025

1-2 December 2025 | Amman, Jordan – ESCWA, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Regional Bureau for Arab States, with support from the Government of Sweden, organized a regional workshop on strategic planning and implementation for food systems transformation in Arab countries. The workshop brought together National Food Systems Convenors and climate focal points from 16 countries, aiming to strengthen capacities for more coherent, integrated food systems action across the Arab region.

The meeting took place at a particularly timely moment, just months after the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktake in Addis Ababa. Khaled Eltaweel, Senior Programme Coordinator at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, highlighted that convening Arab countries at this stage created a valuable opportunity to align perspectives, shape a shared regional approach, and move from dialogue to implementation, building on progress already made in transforming food and agricultural systems across the region.

Discussions underscored the urgency of accelerating action in the face of mounting challenges. According to the Near East and North Africa – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025, in 2024, hunger affected 77.5 million people across the region, moderate/severe food insecurity rose to 40.2 percent, and the cost of a healthy diet continued to climb, exacerbating the double burden of malnutrition. These pressures are compounded by lagging progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, significant data gaps, heavy reliance on food imports, water scarcity, land degradation, energy constraints, and intensifying climate impacts such as drought and desertification. Participants emphasized that food security is not simply an aspiration, but a destination that can only be achieved through well-functioning food systems, requiring coordinated action across agriculture, trade, health, environment, climate, and finance.

Financing also emerged as a central concern. Many countries warned that economic instability is constraining urgently needed investment in agriculture, nutrition, and wider food systems reforms. Delegates stressed the importance of sustained support from international organizations and development partners to unlock capital and maintain progress. Despite these challenges, discussions revealed strong political commitment across the Arab region to advance more resilient, sustainable, and people-centred food systems, alongside a clear call for deeper partnerships to overcome remaining financial and structural barriers.

Regional cooperation was a recurring theme. Reem Nejdawi, Chief of the Food and Environment Policies Team at ESCWA, emphasized the value of bringing together representatives from 16 Arab countries to exchange experiences, pool expertise, and identify solutions that transcend national borders. Participants echoed the view that, just as food systems challenges are inherently cross-border, effective solutions must also be transferable and regionally coordinated.

The FAO Regional Director for the Near East and North Africa, Mr. AbdulHakim Elwaer, highlighted the importance of supporting Arab countries in translating strategies into action. He noted that strengthening national capacities, fostering policy coherence, and aligning food systems priorities with climate and development agendas are essential for achieving long-term food security, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods across the region.

The workshop laid important groundwork that will be carried forward at the Hub’s next annual regional meeting, scheduled for 30 March 2025 on the sidelines of the Arab Sustainable Development Forum in Beirut, Lebanon.

Amman Workshop


Expert Group Meeting on climate and food: Building resilient food systems in Arab LDCs

3–4 December – Building on the regional workshop, the Expert Group Meeting brought together Arab Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to address the specific challenges they face in implementing sustainable development initiatives. As low-income countries, Arab LDCs contend with deep structural constraints, high vulnerability to economic and environmental shocks, and low human asset levels. Many are located in climate hotspots, where water scarcity and land degradation contribute to widespread food insecurity affecting nearly 70 percent of the population, alongside high rates of stunting and wasting.

The workshop marked a milestone for ESCWA’s project, “Bridging the Climate-Food Nexus: Coherent Climate Action and Food System Transformation for Resilient Arab Least Developed Countries.” The initiative aims to better align food system transformation with national climate action plans and will work closely with the Hub’s Convergence Initiative to ensure coordinated implementation and shared learning.

During the meeting, Arab Convergence Initiative countries – Egypt, Jordan, and Mauritania – shared insights from their experiences as pilot countries, offering practical lessons on strengthening institutional capacities and improving cross-ministerial coordination. The meeting also featured inputs from a range of partners and facilitated discussions among food and climate focal points to identify concrete entry points for country-level engagement and opportunities for enhanced regional collaboration.

Countries also highlighted the Joint SDG Fund as a promising mechanism for mobilizing resources for integrated food and climate initiatives in coordination with UN agencies. Looking ahead, the Hub will continue its collaboration with ESCWA, while AOAD reaffirmed its commitment to support Arab LDCs and ensure their inclusion in planned activities for 2026, including the Hub’s annual regional meeting.

 

Related articles: