Qatar’s Top Food Investor Acquires Stake in World’s Largest Organic Grain and Oilseed Firm

Hassad, a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority and the country’s top food investor, has acquired a 22.5 percent stake in Canada-based Sunshine Foods International, the largest organic grain and oilseed company in the world.  Concurrently, Hassad announced an agreement with Sunshine Foods’ owner Tiryaki Agro to provide the Qatari market with food grains to meet demand and to strengthen the country’s food security.  

Although advances in technology resulted in an increase in food production in the MENA region in the 1990s, the region is still expected to see a food deficit of between 50 million tons and 90 million tons by 2020. In 2012, as much as 90 percent of Qatar’s food was sourced through imports, and with ongoing urbanization, rising population, and increasing affluence, Qatar’s food consumption is expected to reach 2.2 million metric tons this year. 
 
This investment aligns with Hassad’s strategy to expand its international reach, and follows its plan to invest more in Turkey, among other regions, reflected in its announcement of intentions announced in June of last year to invest $500 million in Sudan’s agriculture and food sectors within the next three years.