The Risks to National Security Posed by Increased Competition for Energy and Food Resources - Essay Example

Risks to National Security Posed by Increased Competition for Energy and Food Resources Risks to National Security Posed by Increased Competition for Energy and Food ResourcesOver the next 30 years, increased competition for energy and food resources will lead to national security risks. Some of these risks include the risk of trade sanctions against Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) countries, the risk of a deteriorating trade balance should food prices trend upwards faster than oil prices in the end, price risk, and supply risk.

1 The supply risk relates to the availability of food imports while price risk relates to the affordability of food imports.2 Moreover, this will expose national security to risks, as it will increase vulnerability to deterioration in the terms of trade between food and oil or the exhaustion of their reserves.3 These risks can lead to increased violence or foster another Arab Spring.4Subject to the significance of the risks to national security, Qatar must pursue measures aimed at reducing these risks.

Indeed, strategic storage and investments in port and rail infrastructure to create a regional import and transport network, economic diversification, trade diversification, price controls, and consumer subsidies, strategic stockholding, and investing at home can help Qatar to reduce these risks.5 Moreover, Qatar can reduce these risks by securing imports and securing food at home to prevent terrorists from contaminating the food supply with hazardous materials.6 Ultimately, Qatar can reduce these risks by using the Qatar National Food Security Programme to achieve sustainability, adopt technology in conserving water and electricity, and abhorring research technology, and innovation to enhance food security.