KEY FINDINGS
ON CONFLICT AND FOOD SECURITY
Most conflicts mainly affect rural areas and their populations. This is particularly true for civil conflicts, nowadays the most common form of armed conflict.
Conflict has strong and unambiguous adverse effects on food security and nutrition. It is the major driver of food insecurity and malnutrition, both acute and chronic.
Conflict has lasting impacts on human development as a result of increased malnutrition, which tends to affect children the most and leave lifelong physical and/or mental handicaps.
Causal effects of conflict-food security nexus vary across conflict zones, but common features are disruption of food production and food systems, plundering of crops and livestock, loss of assets and incomes, hence directly and indirectly affecting food access.
ON WHETHER FOOD INSECURITY TRIGGERS CONFLICT
Food insecurity can also be a source of conflict, but not necessarily so. Where it is, it is never the one single factor behind the strife.
Causal effects of the food security-conflict nexus include dispossession of assets (including land and livestock) and threats to food security (including sudden food price increases), but in conjunction with other forms of grievance and discontent.
ON PEACE DIVIDENDS AND FOOD SECURITY
Building resilience through peacebuilding efforts is critical for food security and nutrition.
Little is known about how, and to what extent, improved food security could prevent conflict, and build and sustain peace. Yet, depending on context-specific conditions, food aid and social protection, as well as helping communities complete harvests, tend to contribute significantly to peacebuilding.