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Roots of Resilience: Building Peace in an Era of Food and Climate Shocks
By Siena Cicarelli, Luca Cinciripini, Lukas Eichelter, Philip Novakovic-Wilke, and Lena von Zabern
Pest and Pathogen Threats to Food Security
By Molly Gallagher, Ecological Security Fellow
Executive Summary
Pests and pathogens impacting essential agricultural products pose a significant threat to the future of food security. Critical food sources are at risk worldwide due to pest and pathogen attacks.1 Globalization increases the risk of invasive pest and pathogen species, which can rapidly take hold in regions with crop plants already subject to significant climate stressors. The interacting impacts of climate change and globalization can be unpredictable and are expected to cause additional strain on the food supply.2
Over the next two decades, we must intervene to protect the global food supply from pests and pathogens. Technologies to detect their presence are needed. These early warning systems may be applied during the growth phase of crop plants and should also be developed for screening imports. Standoff and low-cost detection should be deployed domestically and internationally to enhance surveillance. Furthermore, we must invest in basic research under a One Health framework to enable improved analytics and threat forecasting to guide optimal mitigation efforts. Finally, it is critical that we strengthen relationships across regions to coordinate quarantine and control efforts long-term.
Nexus 25 Project Launches New Podcast, “Reshaping Multilateralism”
In early March, the Nexus25 project officially launched a new podcast, “Reshaping Multilateralism,” a series at the intersection of food, climate, security, and migration. The first teaser episode provides an overview of today’s top nexus challenges and some initial solutions for multilateral leaders. To discuss, Host Thin Lei Win was joined by the three experts leading Nexus25‘s work:
- Michael Werz, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Adviser for North America and Multilateral Affairs to the Munich Security Conference;
- Erin Sikorsky, the Director of the Center for Climate and Security and the International Military Council on Climate and Security; and
- Nathalie Tocci, the Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and part-time Professor at the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute.
The Nexus25 project is a joint Istituto Affari Internazionali/Center for Climate and Security initiative funded by Stiftung Mercator. The teaser is available on the Nexus25 website here, or wherever you get your podcasts. The next episode, “The View from MSC,” will be released on March 28th.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing: Need for Stronger US Leadership on Food Security in a Time of Climate Crisis
By Ethan Wong and Siena Cicarelli
On March 6, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) held a hearing on global food security featuring testimony from Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Dr. Cary Fowler, Special Envoy for Global Food Security at the US Department of State.
This hearing came at a critical time for development, diplomatic and food security leaders alike. In her testimony, Ms. Esposito noted that over 735 million people are chronically hungry and the state of global food security is only worsening. Ongoing and emerging conflicts continue to drive food insecurity, particularly through the weaponization of food, as seen in Gaza and Ukraine. At the same time, shifting weather patterns and increasing climate extremes have threatened global supply chains and future food production. These recent shocks highlight the urgent nexus between hunger, climate, and conflict – and the need for greater US leadership in building resilient and future-fit food systems.
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