No peace on empty stomachs / #FAO4Peace

"You can't build peace on empty stomachs",

Norman Borlaug, “Father” of the Green Revolution, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize.

Every year on 21 September the International Day for Peace is commemorated.

In 2018, conflict was the major driver of food crises in 21 countries, affecting around 74 million people. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as unprecedented Desert Locust outbreaks in Eastern Africa, are obscuring economic prospects pointing out that the situation may only get worse. The proportion of undernourished people living in countries in conflict and protracted crisis is almost three times higher than that in other developing countries. Contributing to peace is therefore critical to tackling hunger.

There is a solution: agriculture can drive post-conflict recovery. Agriculture accounts for two-thirds of employment and one-third of GDP in countries in protracted crises.

Conflict and attacks on farming communities undermine rural livelihoods and force people to flee their homes.

FAO plays a fundamental role in mobilising global and national responses when conflicts impact food security. Conflicts in Syria and Yemen have increased undernourishment. This is compounded by the large presence of internally displaced persons, which also affects neighboring countries.

According to the “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” (SOFI 2020) publication, in Yemen, the economic downturn following the conflict that began in 2015 has resulted in the destruction of social protection networks and basic services, contributing to critical conditions of food security and nutrition.

In Somalia, and in Syria FAO is working with partners to strengthen the food security and resilience of those that remain on their land many of whom are women and children. FAO is operating in 13 of Syria’s 14 governorates, working to help families stay on their land when it is safe to do so, and continue producing food to feed themselves, their communities and the country.

With improved seeds from FAO, farmers can make the most of cultivable areas. In 2015, despite enormous challenges and constraints, Syrian farmers produced 2.4 million tonnes of wheat – around 60 percent of the pre-conflict average. Backyard production kits are enabling conflict-affected families to produce nutritious food close to their homes with a quick turnaround and earn much needed income. With the help of FAO and its partners, farmers in Syria can also once again earn a living from beekeeping.

FAO is working within the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that recognizes that peace is a vital condition for development by focusing on eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition to achieve peaceful societies that leave no one behind.

#FAO4Peace