New AgriShield-JO Index to Track Jordan's Food Security Risks Annually
A new open-access study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research introduces AgriShield-JO, a composite agricultural food-security risk index for Jordan. Developed by Huthaifa Alqaralleh and Audai Al-Majali, this index aims to provide policymakers with a detailed understanding of food security risks from 2007 through 2024. Unlike single indicators, AgriShield-JO breaks down risk into four pillars: climate and water stress, unstable domestic production, food-price pressure, and adaptive capacity gaps. Each pillar is scored on a 0-to-100 scale and then combined into an overall index, with individual pillar scores retained for diagnostic purposes. The framework is designed to identify not only the severity of risk in a given year but also its primary drivers, allowing for targeted policy responses. For instance, the index revealed that 2008 and 2010 were the highest-risk years, driven by production and market pressures in 2008 and climate-water stress in 2010. Adaptive-capacity risk, primarily...
