Managing a policy system: The challenge of food security

Food security is one of the issues that have received a great deal of attention by policy makers and national leaders in many developing countries, as well as international and regional and development agencies. They are concerned about market failures that may cause extreme shortages in supply and the inability to secure the types and quantities of foods that meet the nutritional needs of a fast growing population. The UN Millennium Development Goals increased awareness of food security challenges, and the need for governments and international organizations to develop appropriate strategies for food production and distribution. This dissertation compares the factors that contribute to global food insecurity, past and current efforts to reduce insecurity, and the factors that currently stand in the way of attaining and sustaining a reasonable level of food security from the perspective of the global food security regime. It also assesses the feasibility and possible outcomes of shifting from country-level or national strategies to a more global food security framework. This dissertation relies on quantitative and qualitative data, and begins with a broad analysis of the extent international organizations been effective in helping developing countries overcome food security challenges and the forces influence food security the most. It will narrow gradually to the analysis of a single case study, Egypt; the most populated country in the Middle East. Due to its population explosion, recent political instability, and limited capacity to increase food production, Egypt is facing mounting food security problems.