The pressing water shortages, extreme population growth, and high food dependency rates lie at the roots of the contemporary food crisis in the MENA region. These circumstances will exaggerate in...Show moreThe pressing water shortages, extreme population growth, and high food dependency rates lie at the roots of the contemporary food crisis in the MENA region. These circumstances will exaggerate in the near future, leading to even more challenges in guaranteeing food security. There is an ongoing academic debate on whether the region should focus on the international food market or strive for food self-sufficiency. According to some, the former lies at the roots of the food crisis, while the latter is challenging because of climate issues. To contribute to this debate, this thesis critically examines the coming about of the food crisis based on food regime theory. It takes Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt as case studies to reflect on the agricultural policy in the MENA region from the colonial period onwards. There is a large focus on the neoliberal food regime, being the current global system of food production, consumption, and distribution that can be characterised by 1) a liberalised agricultural market, 2) a centralisation of power and wealth through large agribusiness from the Global North, 3) a focus on the export market and 4) the significant role of International Financial Institutions like the WB and the IMF. This thesis expounds on the contemporary food crisis in the MENA region, both in socio-economic and ecological terms, and explores the relationship between the neoliberal food regime and these issues. As for prospects, it suggests combining food self-sufficiency with the global market, striving for a fair and sustainable global food system that takes into account the contemporary context, its historical background, economic and collaboration opportunities and ecological restrictions. This entails a critical reflection on the role of the persisting Global North in the contemporary food regime and the global food crisis.Show less
Fear among other emotions plays an important role in shaping political outcomes, especially during periods of uncertainty. In this paper, ‘the politics of fear’ is taken as the theoretical basis...Show moreFear among other emotions plays an important role in shaping political outcomes, especially during periods of uncertainty. In this paper, ‘the politics of fear’ is taken as the theoretical basis and is explored through a case study of the democratic transition period in Egypt from 2011 to 2013. The aim is to investigate how fear led to the ultimate failure of this transition. This paper demonstrates that fear was experienced, instrumentalized and exacerbated by three main groups in Egypt during this period, the elite, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the leftists and seculars. Looking beyond Egypt, ‘the politics of fear’ can be used to explain other periods of political uncertainty in different contexts.Show less
