PROJECT OVERVIEW
Strengthening Food Security and Resilience in the MENA Region with STAPLES
Understanding External Stressors
Generate a better understanding for governments and economic actors involved in the cereal value chain in the MENA region of the external stressors and shocks that derive from global value chains (GVCs) and threaten local cereal supply chain and food security.
Developing Resilience Strategies
Develop innovative solutions and evidence-based recommendations for strategies, action plans, and best practices that governments and economic actors of the MENA food systems along the cereal value chain can use to enhance system resilience and ensure food security.
Improve preparedness
Improve preparedness of governments and economic actors along the cereal value chain to anticipate and cope with external stressors by integrating new knowledge and data into a Decision Support System (DSS) for adopting solutions and best practices.
Strengthening Food Security in the MENA Region
The STAPLES (STable food Access and Prices and Lower Exposure to Shocks) project addresses critical issues of food security in the MENA region, where countries heavily rely on cereal imports for their population’s dietary needs. Egypt and Morocco, among others, stand out as significant importers, highlighting the vulnerability of their food systems. Recognizing the necessity for a comprehensive approach, the project focuses on understanding the entire cereal value chain, domestically and globally. By integrating stakeholders’ knowledge and adopting a multi-dimensional strategy, the project aims to enhance the resilience of the MENA region’s food systems.

Integrating Interdisciplinary Solutions
The project adopts an interdisciplinary methodology, drawing expertise from various sectors including economics, engineering, legal studies, and ethnobiology. This interdisciplinary approach ensures a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the cereal value chain. Key elements of the methodology include a focus on results orientation and user-centeredness. Digital technologies and decision support tools play a central role, facilitating data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings. Stakeholder engagement is paramount throughout the project, ensuring alignment with user needs and fostering collaboration for data collection, validation, and dissemination. By targeting diverse stakeholders including EU producers, smallholder farmers, local authorities, and the general public, the project aims to develop solutions that address the specific needs of each group, ultimately contributing to the resilience of the MENA region’s food systems.
Additionally to the scientific work packages, the project also includes work packages WP5 for communication, dissemination and exploitation management and WP6 for project management.
Work Package 1
Understanding external stressors and shocks
This Work Package focuses on enhancing our understanding of the risks within the cereal value chain. Through comprehensive analysis, it seeks to identify vulnerabilities and potential disruptions, providing insights to inform resilience-building strategies.
Work Package 2
Developing innovative solutions and evidence based recommendations: Global Value Chain
In this Work Package, innovative solutions for enhancing domestic agricultural production within the MENA region are developed. By addressing challenges such as water scarcity and land management, the aim is to bolster local food production capacity and reduce dependency on imports.
Work Package 3
Developing innovative solutions and evidence based recommendations: domestic agricultural production
Work Package 3 is dedicated to enhancing resilience within the global value chain. By examining factors such as trade dynamics, market fluctuations, and supply chain disruptions, this phase aims to identify strategies to mitigate risks and ensure stability in cereal supply.
Work Package 4
Designing information and decision support tools
This Work Package focuses on the practical implementation of decision support tools and digital technologies. By providing policymakers and economic actors with access to relevant information and support systems, it aims to improve preparedness and resilience across the cereal value chain.
Enhance Domestic Resilience
Implementing strategies targeted at bolstering domestic cereal production and supply chains, thereby fortifying resilience against internal pressures and risks.
Improve International Market Resilience
Addressing challenges in international markets to enhance the resilience of MENA countries’ cereal trade, ensuring stability amidst global fluctuations and uncertainties.
Interdisciplinarity
The partnership covers a wide range of subjects and guarantees a consistent and fruitful match of knowledge.