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

The paper argues that agricultural and marine commodities can function as conflict resources, similar to oil or diamonds, by providing funding for rebel groups and governments through trade taxation. It highlights that commodity price volatility and competition over land and water increase political instability and conflict risks. The author recommends that the UN Security Council impose sanctions on these resources when linked to conflict financing, broaden the mandates of UN Expert Panels, and ensure peacekeeping missions are equipped to monitor and secure natural resources.

• Agricultural and marine commodities can be misused to fund violent conflict, as both governments and rebel groups can raise funds by 'taxing' the trade of these resources.
• Economic and political instability, which increases the likelihood of conflict, can be driven by volatile prices for agricultural commodities, particularly in countries dependent on a narrow range of exports.
• Trade in agricultural and marine commodities can heighten the risk of conflict by acting as proxies for competition over scarce natural resources such as land and water.
• The author proposes several UN-led interventions to mitigate conflict, including the imposition of sanctions on resources linked to conflict financing, the creation of a systematic database of Expert Panel materials, and the mapping of natural resources by UN departments prior to peacekeeping operations.

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} }