The Eurasian Wheat Belt and Food Security ― Global and Regional Aspects

This bookprovides an in-depth analysis of the wheat production developments in theEurasian region and assesses the potential contribution of the region todomestic and international food security. In particular, the book covers policyand institutional developments of the agricultural sector in Eurasia with aspecial focus on the horizontal issues relevant to the current and futurepotential growth of the wheat production, such as land policy, credit andfinance, privatization, farm restructuring, and environmental challenges.

Global foodsecurity is a major societal concern in the light of an increasing population,which is projected to grow from around seven billion today to almost 10 billion in2050. Two most likely ways to achieve the much needed food production growthare: expansion of land cultivation or increase in crop yields and total factorproductivity. The only region with a significant amount of uncultivated arableland that is at the same time experiencing rising agricultural productivity isthe “Eurasian wheat belt,” comprising of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and theCentral Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kirgizstan).This makes the region a potential hotspot for driving the future growth ofglobal agriculture. Such prospects require a detailed investigation ofEurasia’s future perspectives in terms of food production (with a focus onwheat) and its potential contribution to regional and global food security.

SERGIO GOMEZ Y PALOMA is a senior researcher at the JointResearch Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. He studied AgriculturalSciences and Agricultural Economics at the universities of Bologna, Milano andNapoli (Italy), and Agro Paris Tech (France). Before joining the JRC he was aLecturer of development economics at Roskilde University, Denmark. His mainresearch interests include agricultural policy analysis, agricultural-microeconomics, and development economics.

SEBASTIEN MARYis a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at DePaul University. Hecompleted his PhD at the University of Aberdeen. Previously, he has heldpositions at the University of Aberdeen and at the European Commission’s JointResearch Centre. His research interests focus on agricultural policy, ruraldevelopment and food security.

STEPHEN LANGRELL is a senior researcher at the DG forHealth and Food Safety of the European Commission. Previously he was seniorresearcher at the Joint Research Centre (JRC). His research interests focus on agriculturalpolicy, plant protection and environmental sciences.