Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict

This research paper explores how the production and trade of agricultural and marine commodities can contribute to the onset or continuation of violent conflict, drawing on case studies from Côte d'Ivoire, Somalia, and Central Asia.

• Agricultural and marine commodities can be misused to fund conflict through the 'taxing' of trade, with both rebel groups and governments utilizing these sources. Governments and multinational companies involved in this trade may be complicit in supporting conflict.
• Economic and political instability, which increases the likelihood of conflict, can be driven by the volatile prices of agricultural commodities, particularly in countries heavily dependent on exporting a narrow range of these commodities.
• Agricultural and marine commodities act as proxies for essential natural resources like land and water, which can heighten competition and conflict over scarce resources and alter the strategic importance of those resources.
• The author proposes several UN-led interventions to mitigate conflict, including the imposition of sanctions on resources linked to conflict financing, broadening the mandates of UN Expert Panels, and ensuring peacekeeping missions have the mandate to secure natural resources and monitor their trade.

APA

Brown,, A. C. (2008). Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/growing-unrest-links-between-farmed-and-fished-resources-and-risk-conflict

Chicago

Brown,, Alec Crawford,Oli. Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2008. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/growing-unrest-links-between-farmed-and-fished-resources-and-risk-conflict.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brown, |first1=Alec Crawford,Oli |title=Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=3 July 2008 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/growing-unrest-links-between-farmed-and-fished-resources-and-risk-conflict |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brown2008growing, author = {Brown,, Alec Crawford,Oli}, title = {{Growing Unrest: The links between farmed and fished resources and the risk of conflict}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2008}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/growing-unrest-links-between-farmed-and-fished-resources-and-risk-conflict}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }