Climate-smart Diversified Cropping Systems for Drylands of the Arab Region

Abstract

Cereals constitute the main staple food in the Arab countries and are, therefore, of key importance for food security in the region. But to ensure healthy diets and nutrition security, a diversification of food sources is important to provide all needed nutrients. In a context where climate change (fig 1), increasing water scarcity, population growth, urbanization and changing diets pose particular challenges to the region, it is important that climate-smart options to produce nutritious food are developed, tested and scaled.