Libya faces land and water resource constraints with relatively underdeveloped farming systems and practices, and imports 75-80 percent of its food consumption requirements. Ongoing conflicts have led to a lack of finance to import subsidized food, disruptions in supply chains, chronic shortages of food and loss of livelihoods. These contributing factors have significantly deteriorated the food security situation in the country, where more than one-fifth of the children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and 1.28 million people are food insecure.
Fighting desertification and drought, as well as mitigating impact on climate change is a crucial area that The Libyan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal and Marine Wealth (MoA) prioritizes for improving food security and securing area for cultivation. Due to their hot and arid/semiarid climate as well as other uncontrollable environmental factors, farmers are often forced to engage in agricultural practices that place tremendous pressure on already fragile natural resources. The resulting impact includes erosion of arable land, increased water scarcity, desertification, declining vegetation cover and loss of biodiversity.
The Libyan MoA has recognized the vital role improved individual and institutional capacities play in rising agricultural productivity and promoting efficient and sustainable agricultural practices. Building these capacities is especially for small-scale producers in order to achieve agricultural sustainability, while also critical to improve food security and livelihoods and economic development.
