Strategic Reserves of Agricultural Products: Comparative Study of Asian Experiences and Devising Solutions for Iran

Public stockpiling of staple foods is used as a tool in food security policies. Stockpiling of agricultural products for strategic purposes such as dealing with food shortages during emergencies, controlling food markets and stabilizing the prices, is prevalent in Asian country and other developing economies. For this reason, public stockpiling is called as an Asian phenomenon. Reserves of staple foods in Iran are maintained, because of country's large area and population, climatic threats, economic fluctuations and sanctions. This paper aims to investigate the structures and mechanisms for maintaining and managing the strategic reserves of agricultural products in eight selected Asian countries, and to propose policy recommendations for Iran, based on benchmarking of Asian experiences and recommendations of international organizations.