Qatar National Food Security Programme: Initiating a model for Arid States
In a country like Qatar, which imports over 90 percent of its food needs, food security remains one of the major challenges. With extreme water scarcity and time-bound hydrocarbon wealth, the nation has limited choices. It either continues “business-as usual”, relying heavily on imports, or engages in an enormous undertaking to establish its food sovereignty. The 2008 food crises came as a wake-up call for the country that had, for decades, depended on cheap food imports. In response, a National Food Security Programme (QNFSP) was established by the Office of the Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.