A strategic reserve is the reserve of a commodity or items that is held back from normal use by governments, organisations, or businesses in pursuance of a particular strategy or to cope with unexpected events.
A strategic reserve can be:
Financial in nature such as ring fenced funding or a capital reserves of a large corporation.
A commodity, such as intervention stocks of food or petrol (see security of supply and strategic petroleum reserves)
Specific machinery such as rail road cars or steam locomotives, to be used in an emergency situation.
Examples of commodity reserves:
Global strategic petroleum reserves
Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve
Strategic uranium reserves
National Helium Reserve
Strategic grain reserve
Gold reserve
International Strategic Reserve of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers
Strategic National Stockpile – medical supplies in the U.S.
