To the UN Security Council: Connect Food Security with Climate Security

The authors contend that environmental degradation and climate change are fundamental drivers of food insecurity and conflict. They highlight how resource competition in regions like the Sahel and Yemen fuels violence and extremism, while pointing to natural farming successes in India as a model for resilience. The document recommends that international security institutions acknowledge climate security risks to effectively address stability and displacement.

• Acute food insecurity is driven by a combination of conflict, weather extremes, and economic shocks. In 2019, over 135 million people faced acute food insecurity, with conflict affecting 77 million people in 22 countries and weather extremes affecting 34 million people in 25 countries.
• Environmental degradation and climate change act as drivers of conflict by increasing competition for dwindling arable land and water. In Africa, this manifests as land-use disputes between settled farmers and nomadic herdsmen in central Mali, the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. In northeast Nigeria, the expansion of the Sahara Desert renders land inarable, forcing migration to cities where a lack of opportunity can lead to extremism.
• Climate-driven water scarcity has historically contributed to conflict in Darfur and Yemen. In Darfur, average rainfall decreased by 40 percent since the early 1980s, leading to fighting over food and water. In Yemen, long-term rainfall declines and mismanagement have caused water tables beneath the capital to shrink by approximately three to six meters per year, exacerbating competition between warring factions.
• Natural farming practices can restore land and water function, increasing resilience to drought and flooding. In the Andhra Pradesh region of India, these practices have enabled over 800,000 farmers to grow crops year-round, double their profits, and reduce reliance on strained supply chains during the COVID pandemic.
• Security institutions should incorporate climate security risks and the advancement of climate resilience—specifically regarding food and water security—into their primary missions to address the root causes of conflict and displacement.

APA

Brock, S., & Loomis, D. (2021). To the UN Security Council: Connect Food Security with Climate Security. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/03/11/to-the-un-security-council-connect-food-security-with-climate-security/

Chicago

Brock, Steve, and Deborah Loomis. To the UN Security Council: Connect Food Security with Climate Security. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/03/11/to-the-un-security-council-connect-food-security-with-climate-security/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Brock |first1=Steve |last2=Loomis |first2=Deborah |title=To the UN Security Council: Connect Food Security with Climate Security |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=11 March 2021 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/03/11/to-the-un-security-council-connect-food-security-with-climate-security/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{brock2021security, author = {Brock, Steve and Loomis, Deborah}, title = {{To the UN Security Council: Connect Food Security with Climate Security}}, publisher = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/03/11/to-the-un-security-council-connect-food-security-with-climate-security/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }