Agricultural Production in Qatar’s Hot Arid Climate

Theodora Karanisa, Alexandre Amato, Renee Richer, Sara Abdul Majid, Cynthia Skelhorn and Sami Sayadi
Additional contact information
Theodora Karanisa: Center for Sustainable Development, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713 Doha, Qatar
Alexandre Amato: Qatar Green Building Council, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 5825 Doha, Qatar
Renee Richer: Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin—Green Bay 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311, USA
Sara Abdul Majid: Retro Technical Services, 204 Gate D1, Maarid Al Waab, Salwa Road, P.O. Box 22087 Doha, Qatar
Cynthia Skelhorn: Qatar Green Building Council, Qatar Foundation, Education City, P.O. Box 5825 Doha, Qatar
Sami Sayadi: Center for Sustainable Development, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713 Doha, Qatar

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: Agriculture has played an essential role in the provision of food and has been a major factor in overall economic development for societies around the world for millennia. In the past, agriculture in hot, arid countries like Qatar faced many challenges, the primary one being a dearth of water for irrigation. Historically this severely limited Qatar’s economic development, which was based largely on resource exploitation, pearl fishing, and only more recently, on the exploitation of its oil and gas reserves which subsequently has led to Qatar’s great wealth. This paper gives an overview of the recent evolution of Qatar’s agricultural sector and investigates future trends that tackle the challenges of its hot arid climate and the limited availability of agricultural resources. Specifically, the review analyses Qatar’s potential to develop a national food security strategy based on a significant expansion of food production in the country. We review recent policy actions implemented to address challenges in the food supply chain caused by a 3.5-year blockade imposed by the adjacent Arab Gulf States, discussing the renewed interest in the potential that an enhanced agricultural sector must provide some aspects of food security and the implications for policymakers that would logically ensue.

Keywords: agriculture; hot arid climate; Qatar food security; agricultural policy; urban food production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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