Dubai's free bread machines can help fight regional hunger

A humble loaf of bread, or the lack of it, can cause havoc on the streets. Blood has been shed for bread for centuries in different parts of the world. The Middle East has witnessed these numerous times, even in recent memory. Since food is essential for human survival, its shortages have a profound and immediate effect. Bread is among its most omnipresent component in the region and beyond. At least a part of the chaos associated with the Arab Spring can be attributed to food supply shortages.

In Egypt, way back in the late 1970s, bread riots became a spontaneous response to rising commodity prices. The root of the problem may have been dissatisfaction with the economic policies of the government in power, but the trigger came from the shortage of bread in local markets. Similar protests in the country in 1984 and 2017 resulted from the scarcity of bread and other essential food items. In 2013, bread prices had to be rolled back after widespread riots.

Jordan has also witnessed food riots in recent years. Once again, anger over economic policies or a lack of long-term planning led to a general rise in food prices, especially bread. In Lebanon, in the late 1980s, protesters chanted a generic but evocative slogan – “We’re hungry! We want to eat!” – compelling the authorities to take notice. In 2020, protesters in Beirut blocked roads over reports of a proposed cut in subsidies for essential goods.

In Tunisia, from December 1983 to January 1984, high bread prices led to massive protests. Morocco witnessed similar turbulence during its 1984 Bread Uprising. Iran has also frequently seen riots over bread and other essential commodity prices. As recently as May this year, shops were set on fire in the country, and scores of “provocateurs” arrested.

In other words, the Middle East knows that bread can become an explosive issue, and such a situation must be avoided at all costs. Other factors are also involved, as food riots are not always “spontaneous acts of mindless mobs.” According to an Orient Institute, Beirut, research paper, such protests follow “a limited and rather stable set of repertoires that are deeply rooted in prevailing social norms.” Yet, a smooth supply of bread at least guarantees social stability.

In this context, Dubai’s initiative to ensure free bread provides a template for tackling the region’s food supply challenges, at least at a micro level. It shows how to address the root of the problem, avoiding hunger at all costs, so no one sleeps hungry. It does so smartly, using technology. The bread-vending machine may look like another headline-grabbing announcement, but a deeper look suggests a simple solution that works at various levels.

The writer is a senior researcher based in Abu Dhabi