Food, peace and security

Global hunger and food insecurity, which had been steadily declining in previous decades, have been on the rise since 2016. Over the last few years, the number of people facing hunger has remained stubbornly above 700 million. If this trend continues, the Sustainable Development Goal ‘Zero Hunger’ is likely to be an elusive goal.

Global food insecurity is primarily driven by violent conflict, climate change, the ripple effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living. The combination of these mutually reinforcing drivers creates a perfect storm, eroding the ability of everybody—governments, regional and subregional organizations, provinces, municipalities, communities and families alike—to respond. 

Food insecurity and its consequences are most prominent in conflict- and disaster-affected countries. Therefore, food security is a critical issue for peace and security. The food crisis requires a response that is simultaneously humanitarian, pro-development and peace oriented.

The SIPRI Food, Peace and Security Programme studies the intersection between food security, conflict and peace. Researchers in the Programme explore this intersection from a variety of perspectives—including gender and climate change—and examine the role of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors and donors in breaking vicious cycles between food security and violent conflict. Key research areas include:

• how rising geopolitical tensions impact global food systems and shape local food security dynamics;
• how integrated efforts to transform food systems and food security interventions can build resilience, strengthen social cohesion, state–society relations, and communities’ agency, enhance stability and contribute to the prospects for peace;
• how the impact of aid interventions on generating peace can be monitored, evaluated and measured; and
• how the pathways between food security, climate change, environmental degradation and violent conflict play out, and how to respond in different conflict settings. 

Recent publications by the Programme have centred on:

• the implications of violent conflict and food insecurity for fragile settings;
• the ways in which equitable and sustainable food systems can foster peace;
• opportunities to break the detrimental relationship between food insecurity and violent conflict;
• ways to operationalize the humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus; and
• rural livelihood-related conflicts, urban warfare, environmental crimes and criminal network-based conflicts.

SIPRI’s main research collaboration in this area has included a knowledge partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP). Through multi-year and multi-country research it has provided recommendations on how WFP—as one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies—can strengthen its contribution to peace.

SIPRI leads the research consortium of the HDP Nexus Coalition: Fighting Food Crises. The SIPRI Food, Peace and Security Programme is a founding member of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, which collects and displays policy tools to combat global hunger and poverty. SIPRI offers technical assistance, capacity building, and knowledge-sharing to help governments and development actors reduce food insecurity and strengthen food systems.