Covid, Conflict, and Climate: Food Insecurity Today and the Way Forward

This event is co-hosted by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University and the Stimson Center’s Global Governance, Justice & Security, and Food Security Programs.

Food insecurity is at the core of the many challenges facing the world today. It overlaps with the “three Cs” shaping international politics in the new decade—COVID, climate, conflict—in complex and profound ways. The post-pandemic recovery will require policymakers to reframe, rethink, and reform the food system, particularly in regions prone to instability, conflict, and the worst effects of climate change.

In Spring 2021, the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University convened a series of working group meetings with participants representing academia, think tanks, government, international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. Outlined in its final report, Peace Through Food: Ending the Hunger-Instability Nexus, the group mapped out the current state of global food systems, discussed the relationship between hunger and conflict, and proposed ways to establish food security as a means to promote stability and end conflict.

Join Barbara Bodine, Brian Finlay, Johanna Mendelson Forman, Adriana Abendur, Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Rod Schoonover, Chase Sova, and Kelly McFarland for a discussion of the report’s recommendations and the path forward in advance of the UN Food Systems Summit (22-23 September 2021).

Opening Remarks

Brian Finlay, President and CEO, Stimson Center

Featured Speakers

Kelly McFarland, Director of Programs and Research, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University
Chase Sova, Senior Director of Public Policy and Research, World Food Program USA
Adriana Abdenur, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Plataforma CIPÓ
Ron Schoonover, Founder and Principal, Ecological Futures Group
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Founder and CEO, DevryBV Sustainable Strategies
Barbara Bodine, Director, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University

Moderated by

Johanna Mendelson Forman, Distinguished Fellow, Food Security Program, Stimson Center