Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Qatar: International Threats and Local Constraints

Abstract

Food security has been a constant issue in Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region since the 2007–2008 global food crisis. The Qatari government implemented two significant strategies: overseas agri-investments and long-term food imports based on its fiscal capability. Qatar was therefore placed third in the Arab world and 37th internationally in the Global Food Security Index in 2020. However, the Gulf diplomatic crisis of 2017 demonstrated the limits of import-based food policies and the need to increase domestic supply. Nevertheless, Qatari agriculture is limited by some natural and structural factors (e.g. scarce water resources and poor soils, low use of modern agricultural techniques). The chapter deals with agriculture and food production in Qatar and analyses the current food policies and strategies to accomplish food and nutrition security in the country. It analyzes the issues, challenges, and policy responses to ensure the country’s food security. The chapter is based on a review of scholarly literature from Scopus and Google Scholar databases as well as grey literature from different sources (e.g. reports, websites, etc.). It argues for promoting efficient and sustainable agriculture with high resource usage efficiency to achieve long-term food security in Qatar.