The article questions neo-Malthusian theories that attempt to explain conflict and food security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as the consequence of environmental stress factors like water scarcity, drought and climate change. Instead it argues that socio-political factors are key in understanding conflicts in the region. The environment is a quintessentially human category and susceptible to adaptation, not an external variable that mechanically triggers socio-political consequences. Particular emphasis is laid on the cases of Syria and Darfur. The article then shows how the natural endowments of the MENA shaped food security before the advent of oil and globalised food trade. It concludes with an attempt to find a balanced explanation of the role of environmental factors in MENA food security today.