Source: researcher accounts.

Considering the structure of the sector, shown in graph (2), it is noted that the production of fishery wealth has not increased significantly, it recorded its highest value by about 11.8 million dinars in 2010, then decreased to 10.9 million dinars in 2018, and on the contrary, agricultural production continued to rise and doubled during the period 2006-2018.

Chart performance2

The development of the structure of the agricultural and fishing sector (one million Bahraini dinars)

Source: Quarterly Bulletin of national accounts (fourth quarter 2018, National Accounts 2010), information and eGovernment Authority.

The trend of net trade exchange net trade (total exports of those goods minus total imports of those goods) for selected groups of goods between the Kingdom and the outside world during the period (1995-2016) reveals the depth of the gap suffered by this sector, as the trend of the balance of trade exchange is tilted significantly in favor of imports of those goods, which recorded a deficit of more than a billion dollars in 2016 as shown by Table No. (2).

Table (2)

The net trade exchange of the kingdom for groups of agricultural commodities

(Million US dollars)

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, UN.

Indicators of food security in the kingdom:

Despite the modest productivity of the agriculture and fish sector and its low contribution to GDP, the kingdom enjoys a good level of food security due to its ability to cover a large part of its food needs through international markets.

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Food Security Index defines “food security” as a country’s ability to meet or import its basic food needs under any circumstances, no matter how high its global price.

The index, which includes 113 countries, is based on four criteria for measuring food security:

1. Food Affordability
2. Food Availability
3. Quality and safety Quality and Safety
4. Natural Resources and adaptation Natural Resources and Resilience: measures the extent to which a country is exposed to the effects of climate change, natural resource risks, and how that country adapts to those risks.

The above criteria include 22 sub-indicators that are considered as drivers of food security.

The general indicator of World Food Security was calculated as follows:

• Set a score for each criterion on a scale starting from 0 (indicates the worst) to 100 (indicates the best)
• Calculate the score of each criterion by the weighted average of the sub-indicators included under it.
• The final result of the general food security index was derived based on the weighted average of the scores of the four criteria, based on which a rank was given for each of the countries covered.

Table 3 summarizes the sub-indicators under each of the four criteria listed under the Global Food Security Index.

Table (3)

Structure of the World Food Security Index

Source: (index) Global Food Security Index, Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist , 2019

The Global Food Security Index issued in 2019 reveals that the Kingdom ranked 50th (out of 113 countries) in achieving food security with a score of 66.6, which is higher than the global average of 62.9 as shown in Table 4.

Considering the other criteria listed under the Global Food Security Index, it is noted that the Kingdom ranked 26th globally according to the “food affordability” criterion, which is a relatively high rank, with a score of 81.5, which is higher than the global average of 67.5.

Perhaps one of the most prominent reasons that led to the increase in the kingdom’s ability in this criterion is due to three factors, namely: the existence of programs concerned with food safety and quality, the lack of a percentage of the population below the global poverty line, and low customs tariffs on agricultural imports.

The second criterion, “food availability”, indicates that the Kingdom ranked at an average position in the world ranking, ranking 70th, and that work to improve this criterion requires taking a number of measures and policies to overcome food losses, reduce fluctuations in agricultural production, develop agricultural infrastructure, focus on agricultural research and development, and others.

This applies to the standard of “quality and safety”, the Kingdom ranked 67, with a score of 56.9 and below the world average by 5 degrees, and in order for the kingdom to enhance its capabilities in this standard, it should focus on the development of standards for nutrition and diets.

Table (4)

Food security indicators in Bahrain

* The fourth special Criterion “natural resources and adaptation” is not included in the calculation of the general indicator of food security.

Source: Global Food Security Index, Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist, 2019

Bahrain’s food security strategy:

The kingdom has long been aware of the importance of achieving a sustainable level of food security, and the royal directives announced by His Majesty the King at the opening ceremony of the second session of the fifth legislative term of the Shura Council and deputies came to emphasize the need to work and build on the achievement of the National Food Security Strategy through the:

• Allocation of sites for agricultural production and fish farming
• Enhancing the National Content by benefiting farmers and fishermen from the upcoming projects
• Building a generation trained in modern methods of agricultural and fish production
• Increase the contribution of local production of vegetables by 20%
• Raising the percentage of self-sufficiency of fish to 62%

The national initiative for the development of the agricultural sector was launched in 2010 under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the king of the country, which aims to support and encourage workers in agricultural fields through the establishment of private markets to market agricultural products such as farmers market in Badie and Hoora Ali, and strive to establish a factory for packing dates, increase the green area, and spread awareness and agricultural culture.

The secretary-general of the national initiative for the development of the agricultural sector, Sheikha Maram Bint Isa Al Khalifa, has made great efforts in the development of integrated agricultural projects, such as the Hoora Ali project, the development of work in the agricultural incubator center, the construction of greenhouses, the sponsorship of the Bahrain International Garden exhibition, the reactivation and revival of the Bahrain Agricultural Cooperative Society, the cultivation of mangroves, interest in palm trees, and others.

Proposals to strengthen food security:

Achieving sustainable food security requires the development of work on the following pillars:

• Increase local production of basic agricultural crops and fish using modern methods without hydroponic soil, which saves arable land areas, saves water, and increases production. The achievement of this goal requires the establishment of the necessary infrastructure for such production, the qualification and training of farmers and fishermen on modern methods of production and fish farming through specialized training courses in agricultural economics, entrepreneurship, and the transfer of water-saving agricultural technology
• Investing in agricultural lands in politically and economically stable countries that possess the necessary natural resources, and linking them with the kingdom friendly relations
• Diversity of food sources
• Utilization of treated water for irrigation of farms
• Capacity building in the fields of Agricultural Statistics
• Enhancing the kingdom’s reserves of strategic food commodities
• Establishment of food industries linked and integrated with local agricultural production
• Providing support to farmers, fishermen and food industries with local content.
• Studying the possibility of establishing a bank for agricultural finance, fish farming and food industries with local content.
• Adopt a plan to face the risks of food shortages from abroad and prepare for crises, disasters and epidemics that may hinder international trade. This requires maintaining a good stock level, especially of strategic food commodities.