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We are witnessing a revolution in food. New technologies will change the way the world eats, expand access to food, and improve the quality of what is produced.  But we are also living at a time when dramatic advances in the reduction of global poverty and hunger are being challenged by ongoing conflicts, climate change, and urbanization.  Going forward, the conversation around food will shift away from the more mechanical aspects of growing more crops to feed the planet, to the transformational role food plays as a proxy for understanding the political dynamics of international relations.

Today food is no longer “stove piped.” Instead, discussions about food now recognize the interconnected nature of food with a very broad constituency of people and organizations.  This is transformational. Humanitarians are interacting more with development practitioners to create sustainable food climates after crises.  Military strategists are working with conflict experts to prevent further destabilization of countries plagued by war, and the private sector is engaged, using business strategies and impact investments to help address international value chains. Food critics and chefs are searching for ways to bring their knowledge of food preparation into the limelight by using it as a tool for social good. Often these projects seek to alleviate global hunger by scaling up production to help farmers reach larger markets.

For students of international relations, understanding the multi-dimensional aspects of food is central to understanding global governance. The issue of food security is not just a matter of feeding the 800 million hungry people on the planet today—it is also an issue of conflict prevention and international cooperation. We have all heard that by 2050 the world will have two billion more mouths to feed.  But the real challenge in a globalized world will be fostering equitable access to food if inequality between the global north and south remains rife. Physical phenomena like changing weather patterns, diminishing supplies of fresh water, and increased desertification, make food an essential component of the international relations curriculum.

This brief overview does not cover the full breadth of food studies today[i], but by reviewing some of the central issues that make the kitchen the new venue of foreign policy, I hope to familiarize readers with some of the key concepts and themes that are evolving the conversation around food policy, public diplomacy, and the nexus between security and development.

Food as National Security

Food has entered the security space.  In 2015, the National Intelligence Council issued a report on food as a national security concern. While there is no clear direct causation between food access and conflict, food insecurity is now being discussed as a factor that exacerbates other political, economic, and social drivers of conflict. Who has power is often determined by who has land and resources to buy food, and who must work hard for a minimum wage just to have it. Lack of food can also be a consequence of conflict.  Food supplies in post-conflict countries often reflect the state of governance since providing citizens with basic needs speaks directly to state capacity.

Food remains a prominent weapon of war. We are witnessing this in the conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, and Yemen.  Think of the specific targeting of civilians who are waiting in lines at bakeries, or the prevention of food convoys from getting to neighborhoods deemed to be controlled by insurgents.  Blocking food aid and deliberately withholding food from a population is a war crime which harkens back to the horrific days of World War II when 700,000 people starved to death at Leningrad after Nazis surrounding the city prevented supplies from entering for over a year (Collingham, 2012).[ii]

With food security on the national security agenda, international peacebuilding interventions often include delivering food assistance. Food aid can reduce tensions and alleviate the underlying sources of conflict thus fostering unity and trust while building the legitimacy and capacity of the state (Hendrix and Brinkman, 2015). Aid can provide life-saving food during the post-conflict or crisis period and, at its best, aid should work to sustain agricultural supplies, enhance development, and find ways to promote stability and prevent new disruptions of the peace.

While the concept of humanitarian aid is relatively straightforward, the implementation and governance of food supplies often creates problems.  Assistance and support can disrupt food markets and be used as tools of oppression. Though misappropriation of aid is a series problem, peacebuilding interventions promoting food security may also bring benefits through long-term processes. Inclusivity is crucial if programs are to be properly designed, implemented, and evaluated. If done correctly, food security programs bring together various groups who would otherwise be at odds, and can consequentially build social resistance to violence.

Food is also about status and gender. Women comprise the largest percentage of the workforce in the agricultural sector, but often do not have access to or control over land and productive resources.  Women are 43% of........

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