The Efforts of the Algerian Government to Ensure Food Security in Light of Contemporary Crises

Abstract

The Russian-Ukrainian war had a significant impact in raising the sense of danger regarding shortages in the supply of basic foodstuffs or the rise in their prices as a result of political and security instability around the world. The Algerian state has firmly sought to strengthen food security through multiple and sustainable strategies aimed at enhancing local production, improving distribution chains, and reducing dependence on imports through the diversification of local production and the policy of supporting exports outside hydrocarbons. This matter had an impact on Algeria’s foreign trade relations, as the Algerian authorities decided to stop importing some products that are produced locally. This prompted the European Union to adopt a negative position and express its dissatisfaction with this matter, which calls for the need to review the partnership agreement concluded in 2002 between the two parties in order to clarify Algeria’s status as a partner and not merely a market. In order to strengthen national security, Algeria has made considerable efforts in recent years, represented in giving attention to the agricultural sector through the orientation toward Saharan agriculture and the adoption of reforms and policies to secure food stocks and rationalize consumption.

Algeria is well aware that the spread of hunger, unemployment, and poverty in many countries of the world inevitably leads to political and social instability, and even to the spread of revolutions such as those witnessed by many Arab countries in recent years, as well as armed conflicts in Africa. In order to achieve economic independence and reduce dependence on the outside world, there is no way to do so except by first fighting corruption and then adopting promising development policies and investments that attract, rather than repel, national and foreign capital, with the aim of ensuring food security and thus guaranteeing national security.

Objectives: The study aims to identify Algeria’s efforts in confronting the challenges of contemporary crises in order to achieve its food security. Method: The current study differs from previous studies in terms of methodology, as it relies on analyzing the policies that addressed the topic through the descriptive analytical method. Results: The researcher reached a number of results, the most prominent of which is that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis had a significant impact in increasing awareness among developing countries of the need to pay attention to their food security. Population growth and limited resources are considered among the most important factors that increase the severity of poverty and malnutrition. Political conflicts and wars also play an important role in disrupting development and the movement of goods supply. Here, a strong transitive relationship appears between poverty, food shortages, and political and social instability.