Definition
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. This definition, established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, encompasses four dimensions: availability, access, utilisation, and stability.
For countries with limited arable land, scarce water resources, and small populations relative to consumption needs, food security is primarily a function of import capacity, supply chain diversity, strategic reserves, and — where possible — domestic production.
Qatar’s Food Security Challenge
Qatar imports the vast majority of its food supply. The country’s arid climate, limited arable land, and severe water scarcity constrain domestic agricultural production. Prior to 2017, a significant share of food imports entered Qatar through the Saudi Arabian land border.
The GCC blockade of 2017-2021 exposed this vulnerability acutely. The closure of the Saudi border disrupted established food supply chains and temporarily created shortages of certain perishable goods. Qatar responded with emergency supply diversification — establishing new shipping routes through Oman and Turkey, airlifting dairy cattle to establish domestic production, and accelerating investment in local agriculture and food processing.
Post-Blockade Strategy
The blockade transformed food security from a policy aspiration into a national priority. Qatar’s post-blockade food security strategy encompasses several pillars: expansion of domestic dairy and poultry production (Baladna Company became a major domestic dairy producer), investment in controlled-environment agriculture (greenhouses, hydroponics), establishment of strategic food reserves, diversification of import sources across multiple trade corridors, and overseas agricultural investment through Hassad Food (a subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority).
Qatar has significantly increased its self-sufficiency in dairy products and certain vegetables, though it remains dependent on imports for grains, meat, and many other food categories.
Significance
Food security is both a development objective and a national security imperative for Qatar. The blockade demonstrated that supply chain concentration carries strategic risk, and the subsequent investment in domestic production and import diversification represents one of the most tangible outcomes of the crisis. Food security is addressed within the Environmental Development Pillar of the National Vision 2030.