DOHA, 29 July – Qatar has topped Arab countries in terms of food access and ranked as the second most food secure country in the region by the Global Food Security report, published on Wednesday.
Published by Deep Knowledge Analytics, the report found that Qatar is the leading Arab state, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan.
As for the overall food security ranking, the UAE topped the list, followed by Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and other regional states. In terms of Food System and Economy Resilience Ranking, Qatar came fifth place in the Arab world, with the UAE taking the lead in the list.
Meanwhile, the US was at the top of the Food Security Index as Sub-Saharan and various countries of the Middle East and North Africa being at the bottom quartile of the index.
It also pointed to the rippling impact of the ongoing Russia and Ukraine war on global food security, with food prices skyrocketing as a result of the disruption of global fertiliser and grain shipments.
“High prices coupled with shortages due to disruptions of exports from the region are likely to reduce fertiliser usage in many countries, which will affect yields of coming harvests and future availability of agricultural commodities on international markets,” read the report.
In March, Qatar’s Hassad Food announced plans to satisfy the local market needs for grains, oilseeds, and wheat under a strategic action plan to avoid any shortage in the global supply chain.
This came as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war threatens wheat production worldwide, given that both countries account for a third of global wheat and barley exports.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also revealed in April that Qatar’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to witness a growth rate of 3.9%. — Doha News
