Food imports for food security in a high import-dependent economy: The impact of political instability

Abstract

We assess the impact of political instability in food exporting countries on food imports in a wealthy Gulf Arab state with heavy reliance on food imports for its food security. First, large amounts of Qatar’s food imports originate in politically unstable countries. Second, results reveal a large negative impact of the food exporter’s political instability on food imports by Qatar. This exposes the country to extremely slow recovery in the event of a shock to the food supply chain. The results are relevant to other Gulf Arab countries with similar food security circumstances.