Food security in light of the war in Ukraine: food studies meet defence studies / Arita Holmberg

This article argues that knowledge of the global food system of the 2020s that is present in food studies is overlooked in defence studies. The implications of this are that the security and defence policy understanding of what determines food security is insufficient, as illustrated by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Whether or not there is an explicit strategy to exploit food security in war, a war between two important food producers affects societies worldwide. By reading food studies literature with a defence studies lens, several areas of relevance are identified. First, the concentration of power within the global food system is a major vulnerability. Second, the dependencies of many countries upon food imports are a potential concern and future risk of conflict dynamics. Third, efforts to steer food preparedness within defence policy frameworks need to take into account the difficulties associated with governing the global food system. Fourth, the war in Ukraine has illustrated the key role of the international community – exemplified by FAO – in assisting countries with food-related support. Fifth, Western populations’ food and eating habits constitute a challenge for the legitimacy of any food preparedness measures, due to the need for diversity.