The Second Yemeni Economic Conference
Sana'a  18 - 20 April, 1998

Abstract 11:

Food Security and the Economic Reform Program

Dr. Hassan Ahmed Sharafuddin
Dept. of Economics
Sana’a University

Many are the problems and difficulties facing the Yemeni economy along the path of development. These problems have been accumulating over the years, and have reached a situation that threatens the future of development. They have also began to have negative impact on the overall livelihood of the Yemeni society. The most important of all is food security, which implies providing the necessary food for an ever increasing population.

From this last point stems the importance of this paper, which attempts to present and clarify some crucial aspects of food security in the Republic of Yemen. By analyzing the various facets of food security and examining potential difficulties, the paper discusses options to overcome these difficulties through a clear policy to be incorporated in the Economic Reform Program.

The structure of the paper is divided into four parts. The first defines the concept of food security, explaining its various dimensions. It also shows that the problem of food security in Yemen emanates from sluggish food production on the one hand, and the increase in consumption on the other. For the purpose of the Economic Reform Program, part one looks at food consumption which represents the first right step towards rationalizing consumption and to determine the required level of production. We can then stipulate factors of production necessary to bridge the food gap, or, at least reduce its severity.

In the following part, focus is directed towards trends in food consumption, and on factors leading to widening the food gap. It also exhibits that the increase in food imports has added to the burden on the balance of payments, thus fueling the inflationary trend over the last few years. In addition, the agriculture sector has failed to achieve any progress to enhance the agriculture sector’s contribution in the gross domestic product.

Part three of the paper presents the major factors influencing the increase in consumption. It highlights four of these factors. First is the high population growth which exceeds the world’s average. Second, the continuous rural-urban emigration. Third is the increase, up to the early 1990s, in per capita income resulting from remittances, or the improvement in the purchasing power attributable to expanding the cultivation of cash crops. The fourth represents government subsidy to some basic goods, which contributed, to a large extent, to encouraging food consumption in general, and grains in particular.

The fourth part of the paper attracts attention towards preparing an adequate strategy to overcome the insufficient food security. This requires estimating demand for major food commodities up to the year 2005, as well as examining major tools that would reduce food consumption in order to narrow the food gap. Such tools are thus crucial to be synchronized with the Economic Reform Program.