Qatar aims for food goal in radical desert farming plan

Qatar could never be accused of being a shrinking violet. The Gulf nation may have failed in its bid to bring the 2016 Olympics to the Arabian Desert, but the country is embarking on a project that appears at least as audacious - an attempt to make the desert bloom and achieve food security.

The aim of the Qatar National Food Security Programme is to bring the country as close as possible to food self-sufficiency by 2023. There is even the prospect of farms rising skywards in the form of skyscrapers as Qatar considers introducing hydroponics - soilless agriculture - and "vertical farming".

Like other Gulf countries made rich by hydrocarbon reserves, Qatar was spurred into action two years ago when rising food prices caused producing countries to restrict their exports, raising the possibility of food deficits even for wealthy Arab states.