This document summarizes a presentation on a systems approach to food security in Qatar. It discusses Qatar's reliance on food imports, challenges around domestic food production due to lack of water and arable land, and high levels of food waste. The SAFE-Q project aims to develop a systems model to understand causes of food waste and support policy to strengthen Qatar's food supply chain resilience, promote a circular economy approach, and better understand consumer behaviors to reduce waste. Recommendations include improving infrastructure, education around supply chains, policies for recycling and reuse, and engagement between policymakers, producers and consumers.

1. www.cranfield.ac.uk/som
A systems approach to
food security
Emel Aktas, Hafize Sahin, Qiongyu Lu, Amir Sharif,
Mehran Kamrava
Contact: emel.aktas@cranfield.ac.uk
Presented by: Ruoqi Geng (Cardiff University)
4 May 2018
This presentation was made possible by NPRP grant # [NPRP 7-1103-5-156] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a
member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.
Presented at POMS 29th Annual
Conference, Houston, TX. May 4, 2018

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Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
This research was made possible by NPRP grant #
[NPRP 7-1103-5-156] from the Qatar National
Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation)
The statements made herein are solely the
responsibility of the authors
@SafeqProject

3. 3https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/safeq/
Background
Source: Institute of Medicine / National Research Council (2015)

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What is food security?
Food security exists “when all people at all times have physical,
economic, and social access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet
their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy and active life”.
World Food Summit (2009)
PILLARS OF FOOD SECURITY
1. Food availability: sufficient quantities of
food available on a consistent basis
2. Food access: having sufficient resources
to obtain appropriate foods for a
nutritious diet
3. Food use: appropriate use based on
knowledge of basic nutrition and care, as
well as adequate water and sanitation
4. Stability of the above

5. 5https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/safeq/
v Food Losses: “take place during agricultural production, post-harvest,
and processing stages”,
• i.e. LOGISTICS-DRIVEN
v Food Waste: “occur at the end of the food chain (distribution, sale and
final consumption)”,
• i.e. BEHAVIOUR-DRIVEN
v Avoidable: food / drink thrown away which is still edible
v Possibly Avoidable: food / drink consumed or not used than can be
made edible
v Unavoidable: food / drink waste via preparation of food that is inedible
Food Losses and Waste

6. 6https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/safeq/
Origins of Food Waste
During or
immediately after
harvesting on the
farm
After leaving the
farm for handling,
storage, and
transport
During industrial
or domestic
processing and/or
packaging
During distribution
to markets,
including at
wholesale and
retail markets
In the home or
business of the
consumer, including
restaurants and
caterers
Source: WRI analysis based on FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste – extent, causes
and prevention. Rome: UN FAO.

7. 7https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/safeq/

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Global Food Security Index
A dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model
19 unique indicators
113 countries
http://foodsecurityindex.eiu.com
Affordability is measured across six indicators:
Food consumption as a share of household expenditure | Proportion of the population
under the global poverty line (% of population with income under US$3.10/day at 2011
purchasing power parity, or PPP, exchange rates)
| GDP per head at PPP exchange rates | Agricultural import tariffs | Presence of food
safety-net programmes | Access to financing for farmers
Availability is measured across eight indicators:
Sufficiency of supply | Public expenditure on agricultural research and development
(R&D) | Agricultural infrastructure | Volatility of agricultural production | Political stability
risk | Corruption | Urban absorption capacity | Food loss
Food quality and safety is measured across five indicators:
Diet diversification | Nutritional standards | Micronutrient availability | Protein quality |
Food safety

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Global Food Security Index: Qatar Affordability
GDP / capita (US$ PPP)
Agricultural import tariffs
Food safety net programmes
Access to financing for farmers
Food consumption as a share of household
expenditure
Proportion of the population

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Global Food Security Index: Qatar Availability
Public expenditure on agricultural R&D Volatility of agricultural production
Agricultural infrastructure
Corruption
Political stability risk
Food loss

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Global Food Security Index: Qatar Quality and
Safety
Diet diversification
Nutritional standards
Micronutrient availability
Protein quality
Food safety
Source: EIU

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Qatar’s Profile
Source: FAOSTAT, Arab Agricultural Statistics Year Book, Alpen Capital, CIRS (GU Qatar) –
all as of 2013

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Qatar’s Food Security Progress
vQatar has increased its total domestic production
substantiality since 2015 beyond 7%
vQatar still imports over 90% of its food requirements.
vQatar is 100% dependent on desalinated water and is a
huge challenge in term of improving its domestic
production.
vBiggest volumes normally come through Saudi Arabia and
UAE: since 2017, these volumes now come via alternative
providers.

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v Qatar Statistic Authority (QSA): “(….) more than half of the municipal
waste generated (…) contains discarded food.”
The Peninsula, 5th June 2013
Food Waste in Qatar poses challenges
vGlobal challenges remain: International development,
competition, population growth, climate change, energy
supply….
vGeopolitical risk may affect Food distribution: impact of
closure on one border
vVery challenging to produce 100%
of Qatar’s food needs: hot weather,
unfertile soil, and lack of rain.
vLack of water: hindering expansion
of agricultural production.

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v Focus on operational problems occurring during production,
distribution and transportation.
v Focus on storage, delivery and consumption of food.
v Provide an estimate of the food waste occurring in distribution and
consumption.
v Establish the link between distribution frequencies and the food
quality/safety/consumption using simulation models.
v Allow policy-makers and practitioners to access food security and
develop strategies to strengthen food supply chains.
v Seeks to support Qatari efforts to implement the Qatar National
Vision 2030 focusing on the long-term sustainability of the food
supply chain.
Safeguarding Food & Environment in Qatar (SAFE-Q)

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Project Scope & Methodology

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SAFE-Q Stakeholder Workshops
A process of group-wise Prioritisation, Categorisation, Relative Importance and
Inter-relationship mapping was utilised (using strategic management tools) as
identified by Koivupuro et al. (2012)

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FCM - Modelling Causality
Food market competition, regulations, import regulations, market access,
bureaucracy, time to market and cross-chain collaboration affect food waste
F1 – Market competition
F2 – Food imports
F3 – Food regulations
F6 – Quality mgmt.
F7 – Recycling
F9 – Bureaucracy
F10 – Investment
F13 – Food safety
F17 – Chain collab.
F16 – Certification
F20 – Food Waste
Source:
Irani, Z., Sharif, A.M., Lee, H., Aktas, E., Topaloglu, Z., van’t Wout, T., and Huda, S. (2017). Managing food
security through food waste and loss: Small data to big data. Computers and Operations Research. In Press.

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v “Attractiveness”:
v Which limit do we address first?
v Reinforcing elements:
v Food Supply
v Balancing elements:
v Food Demand
v Limiting conditions:
v Economic policy and Regulatory
reforms
v Safeguarding environmental
products and resources
v Results: Food waste behaviours
Systems Archetypes of Food Waste
Sustainable
Business
Operations
Food Waste
Behaviours
(+)
(+)
FOOD
SUPPLY
Alignment of conflicting
Government policies
(+)
(-)
FOOD
DEMAND
Economic Policy
& Regulatory Reforms
Regulatory
Changes
Impact upon
Climate
Change
(+)
Safeguarding
environmental products &
resources
Source:
Sharif, A,M., and Irani, Z. (2016). People, Process and Policy perspectives on Food Security: an
exploration using systems archetypes”. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 10
(1): 3-10.

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Impact and Recommendations
Resilient Food Supply
Food supply chains in
Qatar are fragmented
Improve via
infrastructure and
education (supply
chain skills)

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Impact and Recommendations
Circular Economy
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse
food
Policies to develop a
circular economy
strategy and
programme that
includes and involves
consumer education

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Impact and Recommendations
Understand Behaviours
Consumer behaviours do
have a significant impact
on food waste
• Structured shopping
lists
• Strategies for
improved food storage
/ use of surplus food
• Better capacity and
demand management
• Healthier promotions,
• De-cluttered display
strategies

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Impact and Recommendations
Policy making
Involve Policy makers in
dialogue with producers
and consumers
Run focussed events
for stakeholders across
the food supply chain
on causes as identified
(expiry date, demand
management, storage)
à R&D, nutrition and
health, water & energy
nexus, “citizen
science”

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Thank you
Questions / Comments?
Emel.Aktas@cranfield.ac.uk
@emelaktas
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/emelaktas/
https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/safeq/