Countries in protracted crisis—whether long-term civil, international, or ethnic conflict—face the persistent challenge of maintaining food security while basic safety is at stake. Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia have all recently experienced political violence compounded by rising hunger among their populations.
The Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) brings together organizations from around the world to share and create solutions to global agricultural issues. GFAR and its partners have been working together to show that agricultural innovation and research during and after protracted crises is fundamental to fighting hunger and healing communities.
In a report entitled Healing Wounds, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) shows that agricultural research and training is beneficial both for healing communities and for preventing future violence. Most of the rural poor are family farmers, so pro-poor investments in agricultural development can prevent the discontentment that often breeds violence. During times of conflict, agricultural programs have the potential to boost food production, revitalize the small-scale private sector, and rebuild community bonds in times of violence.
In January of 2014 the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and CGIAR jointly held a workshop on enhancing resilience to conflict in Arab regions through agricultural research. Due to conflict, IFAD reported, more than 25 percent of Egypt’s population is suffering from hunger. In Yemen, the amount of food insecure people has spiked to 44 percent, up from 32 percent in 2009.
Political conflict can lead to instability that threatens food security, but food insecurity can also be a cause of unrest in itself. This was the case during the Arab Spring in 2012, when people rallied against the government demanding “more bread, dignity, and justice.” The workshop celebrated the launch of Arab Spatial 2.0, an online tool that provides researchers with food security and development-related information to help end hunger in Arab conflict regions.
“Building resilience to conflict requires improving food and nutrition security through a smart and country-specific mix of trade, agricultural and social policies and interventions,” said Clemens Breisinger, project leader and research fellow at IFPRI. By coordinating agricultural researchers to exchange information, initiate collaboration and conduct joint actions, GFAR plays a vital role in these solutions.