Around 43 percent of the NENA region’s population live in rural areas, which in turn are highly affected by the poverty that results from exclusion from the region’s economic growth; 70 percent of the region’s poor currently live in rural areas and are largely dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. Many of these are small-scale family farmers. The region, in turn, is even more dependent on small-scale farmers who generate 80 percent of the region’s agricultural production. They are therefore essential to NENA’s pathway out of food insecurity and poverty.

To address these interconnected challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations developed three Regional Initiatives that reflect the common priorities expressed by the member states of the NENA region. These initiatives are based on the principles of country ownership, participation and partnership, and focus on (1) water scarcity, (2) building resilience for food security and nutrition, and (3) empowering small-scale family farmers.