Food Security and Sociopolitical Stability

Global food price spikes in 2008 and again in 2011 coincided with a surge of political unrest in low- and middle-income countries. Angry consumers took to the streets in scores of nations. In some places, food riots turned violent, pressuring governments and in a few cases contributed to their overthrow. Foreign investors sparked a new global land rush, adding a different set of pressures. With scientists cautioning that the world has entered a new era of steadily rising food prices, perhaps aggravated by climate change, the specter of widespread food insecurity and sociopolitical instability weighs on policymakers worldwide. In the past few years, governments and philanthropic foundations began redoubling efforts to resuscitate agricultural research and technology transfer, as well as to accelerate the modernization of food value chains to deliver high quality food inexpensively, faster, and in greater volumes to urban consumers. But will these efforts suffice? This volume explores the complex relationship between food security and sociopolitical stability up to roughly 2025. Organized around a series of original essays by leading global technical experts, a key message of this volume is that actions taken in an effort to address food security stressors may have consequences for food security, stability, or both that ultimately matter far more than the direct impacts of biophysical drivers such as climate or land or water scarcity. The means by which governments, firms, and private philanthropies tackle the food security challenge of the coming decade will fundamentally shape the relationship between food security and sociopolitical stability. Contributors to this volume - Arun Agrawal, University of Michigan Eddie H. Allison, University of East Anglia Kym Anderson, University of Adelaide, Australian National University, and Center for Economic Policy Research Christopher B. Barrett, Cornell University Prapti Bhandary, International Food Policy Research Institute Mark A. Cane, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Luc Christiaensen, World Bank Joshua E. Cinner, James Cook University Samuel Crowell, Cornell University Klaus Deininger, World Bank Dolapo Enahoro, International Livestock Research Institute Mario Herrero, International Livestock Research Institute Upmanu Lall, Columbia University Dong Eun Lee, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Travis J. Lybbert, University of California, Davis Timothy R. McClanahan, Wildlife Conservation Society Susan McCouch, Cornell University John McDermott, International Food Policy Research Institute Robert McLeman, Wilfrid Laurier University Daniel Maxwell, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University Heather R. Morgan, American University of Cairo Ryan Nehring, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth Mark W. Rosegrant, International Food Policy Research Institute Johan Swinnen, LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, University of Leuven C. Peter Timmer, Harvard University and Australian National University Simla Tokgoz, International Food Policy Research Institute Joanna B. Upton, Cornell University Kristine Van Herck, LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, University of Leuven Wendy Wolford, Cornell University