Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape

The report examines the intersection of climate-driven food insecurity and geopolitical instability, arguing that the weaponization of food trade and the reversal of global economic integration exacerbate the risks posed by climate change. It recommends a combination of enhancing domestic climate-resilient agriculture, pursuing plurilateral cooperation among small groups of countries, transitioning to plant-based diets, and integrating demographic shifts into food security planning.

• Climate change creates transboundary risks where agricultural impacts in one region cascade through interconnected supply chains to cause food price shocks, reduced accessibility, and social instability in other regions.
• Global food security is threatened by the 'weaponization' of food trade and geoeconomic fragmentation, where countries use trade restrictions, tariffs, and export bans as instruments of geopolitical positioning.
• The global food market is highly vulnerable to disruptions in a small number of 'breadbaskets' or critical maritime chokepoints, which can lead to worldwide food insecurities.
• Nationalist policy responses to climate shocks, such as export bans to protect domestic supply, are often counterproductive as they decrease global supply and trigger cycles of trade restrictions.
• To reduce dependency on volatile global markets, countries should adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices, including crop diversification, agroforestry, and conservation tillage.
• Plurilateralism—cooperation among small groups of like-minded or neighboring countries—is proposed as a pragmatic alternative to failing multilateral systems for managing shared food security risks.
• Transitioning to plant-based diets and reducing food waste can improve resource efficiency and food availability; cutting food losses by half could potentially feed an additional billion people.
• Demographic pressures, including rapid population growth in poor regions and aging populations in others, must be integrated into food policy to address rising demand and agricultural labour shortages.

APA

Talebian, S., Lager, F., & Harris, K. (2024). Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/managing-food-security-risks-sei2024-044.pdf

Chicago

Talebian, Sara, Frida Lager, and Katy Harris. Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/managing-food-security-risks-sei2024-044.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Talebian |first1=Sara |last2=Lager |first2=Frida |last3=Harris |first3=Katy |title=Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/managing-food-security-risks-sei2024-044.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{talebian2024solutions, author = {Talebian, Sara and Lager, Frida and Harris, Katy}, title = {{Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/managing-food-security-risks-sei2024-044.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }