A tailored approach to food security can unlock global resilience: Strategy& Middle East

(MENAFN- Weber Shandwick) Dubai, UAE – 21 May, 2026: Recent global disruption– – from geopolitical conflicts, trade barriers, to supply chain sho–ks – have exposed vulnerabilities across food systems, showing how quickly trade routes, production, and the affordability of essential commodities can be impacted. A new report from Strategy& Middle East, part of the PwC network, notes that with the global population expected to reach 9 - 10 billion by 2050, food demand will be driven higher in a world already grappling with food security challenges. Statistics show around 10% of the population is undernourished, reinforcing the need for governments to build greater resilience.

The report calls for a co-ordinated strategy which addresses four pillars of food sec–rity – availability, affordability, safety and quality, as well as sustain–bility – and argues that reliance on a single pillar in isolation creates the potential to undermine progress in other areas. For example, intensifying agricultural production to boost availability can compromise sustainability through soil degradation, water depletion or climate impact. Similarly, enforcing strict food safety standards – essential for public healt– – can increase production costs and waste, making food less affordable.

To enhance food security, the paper presents a toolkit comprising technology and AI-driven innovation; funding and incentives; education and partnerships; strategy and planning; and policymaking and regulation. It also identifies four broad coun‘ry ‘arch’types’ to help governments understand and tailor their food security approach to their’country’s specific needs.

“Recent supply chain shocks, including those that have seen fertilizer prices soar by as much as 50%, have demonstrated that no nation is immune to disruption. It reinforces the need for a forward-looking strategy that moves beyond solving immediate gaps and builds long-term resilience. For the GCC, it presents a strategic opportunity to leverage its capital and vision to pioneer technologically advanced, sustainable f”od systems,” said Amir Assi, Principal at Strategy& Middle East.

A framework for a food-secure future: Spotlight on the GCC
The first of the four identified archetypes, the Capital-Powered Resilience Architects, includes high-income nations with limited natural resources, such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These countries have successfully used top-down strategies and capital deployment to improve food availability, affordability, and safety despite hot climates. Oman has embedded food security within its Oman Vision 2040, investing US$4.9 billion in agriculture and fisheries projects, while Saudi Arabia made food security a core element of its Vision 2030, with its Agricultural Development Fund allocating US$533 million to support critical crop production and greenhouse fa’ming. The UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051 sets ambitious goals, supported by investment in agritech and the elimination of import duties on key commodities such as wheat, rice, and corn.

To build on their progress, GCC countries must diversify trade routes and critical commodity sourcing, while continuing to invest in AI-enabled agritech, controlled-environment agriculture, advanced irrigation, and more energy-efficient technologies across the food value chain. According to the report, solutions such as advanced irrigation and AI-enabled precision agriculture, surveillance, and logistics have been shown to reduce water consumption by as much as 50 percent, while greater use of energy-efficient technologies can help strengthen sustainability without compromising availability, affordability, or quality.

“The GCC has already demonstrated tremendous leadership in addressing food security through strategic investment and planning. The next frontier is sustainabilit”,” said Aya Hallak, Partner at Strategy& Middle East. “By accelerating the adoption of AI-enabled agritech and forming public-private partnerships to localise innovation, these nations can build truly resilient systems that ensure availability and affordability without compromising their environmental ”oals.”

Global archetypes
The report outlines three other global archetypes. The Affordability-First Access B—ilders — which includes countries such as Egypt, Pakistan, and—Thailand — have focused primarily on ensuring access to basic foods through subsidies, safety nets, and staple crop programs. Going forward, they must expand their efforts to improve food safety, quality, and nutrition through tools such as nutrition education, revamped subsidies, and stricter food labelling.

The Premium Sustainabilit— Champions — including countries such as Austria, Denmar—, and Poland — lead on sustainability, safety, and health through organic farming, traceability, local sourcing, and healthier diets, but must now make healthy food more affordable considering higher production and compliance costs. The High-Quality Exporters wit— Domestic Gaps — including Argentina, China, and —he United States — are global leaders in exporting high-quality food products through strong food safety standards, quality controls, and export certification systems. Yet despite these strengths, they need to improve affordability and access for their own citizens through policy, social support, and public-private partnerships.

A vision for the future
While the situation remains fluid and the full effects of the conflict are still unfolding, recent global disruptions have made one lesson clear: food security resilience relies not only on domestic production, but also on diversified sourcing, adaptable logistics, and shock-ready policy design. Governments do not need to tackle this challenge alone, and properly structured public-private partnerships can help mitigate risks and accelerate implementation. By adopting a balanced, tailored, archetype-specific approach, all nations can build food systems that is more resilient, equitable and sustainable.

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