Italy: Day 6 World Peace

January 9, 2018 (Part 1) Today was the final morning learning from FAO professionals about their efforts in alleviating food insecurity. The topic of the day can be condensed around the fact that conflict and food are intertwined."Peace is fundamental for development."The 2030 agenda to end global hunger cannot be achieved without peace. No food security, no peace. No peace, no food security. Countries in protracted crisis have almost 3x undernourishment.Food insecurity can trigger, fuel or sustain conflict. In the past, food has been used as a strategic war weapon and has been the cause of conflict in areas where food riots have occurred because of high food prices, for example. After a prolonged decline, world hunger appears to be on the rise again (!!!!). Progress has slowed because of the following reasons:

• Conflict (Two trends: reversal of long term period of peace, changed nature of conflict
• Climate change + extreme weather
• Economic slowdowns and impacts on social protection policies

In addition, conflict is a main driver of population displacement and displaced populations are among the most vulnerable in the world. The majority of the chronically food insecure and malnourished live in countries affected by conflict. Each conflict is unique in its context, situation and possible remedies. Development policy to confront this issue comes in multiple steps:

• Policies that address the drivers of conflict -->
• Engagement in productive economic activities -->
• Facilitate community-based approaches -->
• Strengthen institutions

It's crazy to me how much conflict exists in our world today. Conflict drives food insecurity and the talks with FAO solidified that concept today.