Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict
Joelle Friesen
1008 Oak Hill St.
Normal, IL 61761
(309)532-4545
12th grade
University High School
Teacher: Diane Walker
Parents: Jon and Janelle Friesen
Category II: Peace in the World
Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict 1
Between the years 2010 and 2012, 870 million people were hungry and undernourished
worldwide (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). With the world’s population
numbering approximately 7 billion, this means that 1 in every 8 people went hungry. Food insecurity is
a basic issue in our world that needs drastic and immediate attention, especially since it contributes to
conflict across the globe. Conflict and hunger form a vicious cycle, and if we work to eliminate global
food insecurity, then we can simultaneously reduce violence around the world. It is imperative that we
end world hunger to decrease conflict and make our world a more peaceful place.
Both hunger and conflict are age-old problems. Even in the Bible, the Israelites were more
argumentative in the desert before God provided them with manna from above (NIV Study Bible, Exodus
16). Today is no different. Proper nourishment is a basic human need, and without it poverty, strife,
and conflict follow. The International Food Policy Research Institute, known as IFPRI, notes that “most
of the countries currently experiencing conflict are classified by FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization]
as ‘low-income food deficit’ and have high proportions of food-insecure households.” Researchers have
identified hunger as a major factor in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, attributing the willingness of
populations to revolt to the “nothing-to-lose” mentality that frequently accompanies food insecurity
(Mandel). Famed authored Pearl S. Buck describes this mindset of the hungry by saying that, “A hungry
man can’t see right or wrong. He just sees food.” The desperate attitude that often results from not
having enough to eat can drive entire communities to turn on each other or on their existing
government systems. Although there are a plethora of factors that can trigger conflict, food insecurity
frequently exacerbates these grievances.
Conflict and hunger form a cycle of depravity; hunger causes conflict, and conflict results in
decreased food availability, over and over. The FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva remarked in
2012 that, “There is a clear linkage between hunger and conflict; food security and peace…hunger can
both trigger conflicts and be a result of conflict. So we cannot treat food security as being separated
Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict 2
from security and development as a whole” (qtd. in Prodi). For example, the Syrian civil war started as
part of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and is ongoing. Food insecurity was one of many factors at the
start of the Arab Spring, and now the conflict is causing even more hunger. The numbers have risen
astronomically; the Mennonite Central Committee says that, “As the conflict in war-stricken Syria
continues to claim lives and destroy livelihoods, the number of people facing hunger has jumped to two
million” (qtd. in Terichow). One way to break the cyclical nature of such a relationship is to eliminate
one of the factors so as to decrease the other. If we remove hunger from the cycle, we can drastically
reduce a source, consequence, and factor of conflict worldwide.
Ending hunger is possible. 870 million hungry people is a daunting number, but there are even
more well-fed people who have the ability to reach out and help. The United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organization has predicted that it would take thirty billion U.S. dollars to end world hunger
(qtd. in Matthews). This amount, although large, can be attained. The United States Senate passed a
bill in March of 2013 that appropriates a base budget of over 604 billion dollars to defense alone (United
States). With funds of that extent being spent on war-making instead of peace-making in our country,
imagine what could be done if both individuals and nations around the world placed more priority on
being a servant to others. There is an immense need for additional funds and energy to be directed
towards eliminating hunger across the globe, but we are on our way. Countless organizations have
implemented innovative and commendable programs for feeding the hungry, one person at a time. The
World Food Programme of the United Nations, which is the largest humanitarian agency fighting
hunger, has many plans including a food assistance program that offers incentive for combatants in wartorn countries to trade their swords for plowshares. The Mennonite Central Committee is active in over
fifty countries worldwide and their “Food for today, food for tomorrow, food for all” program focuses on
ensuring “an equitable abundance of food for all.” Other organizations such as Action Against Hunger,
The Hunger Project, and Stop Hunger Now are also working tirelessly towards the common goal of
Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict 3
ending hunger. President John F. Kennedy said that, “We have the ability, we have the means, and we
have the capacity to eliminate hunger from the face of the earth. We need only the will.” If the youth
of today can find the will to end hunger, then the people of tomorrow may see the fruits of their labor.
Today, youth need to step up and get involved in ending hunger, therefore reducing conflict, so
that tomorrow’s world will be a little brighter. We must multiply our efforts because each moment that
we wait we are turning our backs on those in need. First, each person needs to become educated about
the problem of hunger around the world. Only by forming a habit of being informed can we make wise
decisions to positively affect our world for years to come. Youth have numerous opportunities to get
involved, from volunteering at food banks and donating to charity organizations to writing letters to
their representatives in Congress about the importance of supplying aid to areas of high food insecurity.
We must change our mindset to more consciously consider the plight of our brothers and sisters around
the world who lack basic nourishment. Every person can make a difference by educating themselves
and actively stretching out a hand in love and friendship to those with less across the globe.
Food insecurity is a serious problem that must be addressed. It affects over twelve percent of
the world’s population and it is both a cause and effect in the endless cycle of hunger and conflict.
However, through education followed by action, we can eliminate hunger from this cycle of depravity
and thereby reduce conflict in our world. Together, let us continue to reach towards the goal of ending
hunger so that we can have a more peaceful world tomorrow.
Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict 4
Works Cited
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. "The State of Food Insecurity in the
World 2012." Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Ed. Food and
Agriculture Organization. FAO, 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/>.
International Food Policy Research Institute. Rev. of Conflict: A Cause and Effect of Hunger.
Field Exchange. Emergency Nutrition Network, Apr. 2001. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
<http://fex.ennonline.net/12/conflict>.
Mandel, Spencer. "Let Them Eat Baklava: Food Prices and the Arab Spring." WhoWhatWhy.
WhoWhatWhy Forensic Journalism, 26 Aug. 2011. Web. 4 Apr. 2013.
<http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/08/26/let-them-eat-baklava-food-prices-and-the-arabspring/>.
Matthews, Christopher. "The World Only Needs 30 Billion Dollars a Year to Eradicate the
Scourge of Hunger." FAO Newsroom. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, 3 June 2008. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000853/>.
Mennonite Central Committee Food. "What We Do." Mennonite Central Committee Food.
Mennonite Central Committee, 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.
<http://food.mcc.org/whatwedo>.
NIV Study Bible. Ed. Kenneth L. Barker. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008. Print. New Intl. Vers.
Prodi, Romano. "Food and Agriculture; Food Security Linked to Peace in the Sahel - FAO
Director-General." Africa News 7 Dec. 2012: n. pag. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 2 Apr.
2013. <http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?>.
Breaking Cycles of Hunger and Conflict 5
Terichow, Gladys. "MCC Supports $1.3 M Food Assistance in Syria." Mennonite Central
Committee. Mennonite Central Committee, 25 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.
<http://mccottawa.ca/stories/news/mcc-supports-13-m-food-assistance-syria>.
United States. Cong. Senate. Congressional Budget Office. Total Discretionary Appropriations
for Fiscal Year 2013. Print.
World Food Programme. "Food for Assets." World Food Programme. World Food Programme,
2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2013. <http://www.wfp.org/food-assets>.