Food as a Weapon? Qatar Under Blockade & The History of Gulf Food Geopolitics, a talk with Natalie Koch, Associate Professor and O’Hanley Faculty Scholar in the Department of Geography at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Graduate Student Lounge
126 College Ave.
New Brunswick
In June 2017, Qatar was put under blockade by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other regional neighbors – sealing its land, sea, and air networks. A small desert country, Qatar is entirely dependent on food imports. The blockade therefore challenged the country’s sovereignty and forced leaders to find new food supply networks overnight. Using food as a “weapon,” here exercised by Qatar’s blockading neighbors, is not a new idea. This talk explores this history in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as how Qatar has responded in the 2 years it has been under blockade.