CHALLENGES OF FOOD SECURITY IN A SMALL ENERGY-EXPORTING COUNTRY: A CASE STUDY OF THE DAIRY SECTOR IN QATAR

Abstract

Qatar’s 2017 Gulf blockade exposed vulnerabilities in its food security model and triggered a state-led transformation of the national dairy industry. This dissertation employs a qualitative case study of Baladna, drawing on semi‑structured interviews with senior policymakers, corporate leaders, and academic experts, alongside analysis of government strategies and corporate reports, to reveal how developmental‑state coordination and Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus principles combined to achieve fresh‑milk self‑sufficiency in Qatar within a year. Building on developmental-state theory, the research demonstrates how land allocations, financing support, and regulatory fast-tracking enabled an emergency-scale-up of high-tech dairy farms, even as these interventions reconfigured Qatar’s water and energy landscapes. Through the WEF Nexus lens, the study reveals the hidden “virtual water” and energy footprints embedded in imported feed. It maps both the eco-efficiencies gained from effluent recycling and composting, as well as the enduring carbon and resource costs associated with subsidized grid power and desalinated water. Interviews and document analysis further reveal how layered buffer stocks and diversified import routes secured supply-chain resilience during subsequent global shocks, and how pilots in vertical-farm fodder, precision-fermentation proteins, and biodigesters are laying the groundwork for decoupling dairy output from scarce resources. By situating Qatar’s dairy experience alongside international and Gulf-region precedents, this work highlights the tradeoffs inherent in rapid self-sufficiency and the necessity of integrated resource governance. It concludes with strategic recommendations for enhancing environmental performance, strengthening alternative feed alliances, scaling renewable-powered operations, and embedding adaptive feedback mechanisms to guide other resource-scarce, import-dependent nations. In weaving together developmental-state analysis and nexus-based resource assessment, this dissertation advances our understanding of how small, high-income countries can reconcile urgent food security imperatives with long-term economic viability and ecological stewardship.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science