How do rising prices pressure living security in developing countries?

Food security expert Dr. Fadel ElZubi explains that these developments are no longer circumstantial; rather, they reflect intertwined structural pressures that include economic, climatic, and supply chain factors, leading to mounting strain on households’ ability to access food.

ElZubi adds, in his interview with Sifr, that these pressures are reflected in consumption behavior, as families tend to reduce the diversity of their diets, with the impact of the crisis varying between countries depending on their economic structures and level of reliance on imports.

He points out that countries adopt different policies to address the crisis: Egypt relies on bread subsidies as a key tool to protect purchasing power, while Lebanon depends on cash transfers and humanitarian support programs.

ElZubi stresses that confronting this crisis requires dual policies that combine protecting purchasing power with strengthening local production, noting that reliance on subsidies alone is insufficient without structural reforms.