Friday, 13 January 2012 15:05

Written by Niamh Griffin

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Mozambique is one of the “least developed countries” in the world according to EuropeAid. One of the main challenges facing farmers is a lack of money to survive from one crop cycle to the next. Many meet this challenge by selling too much of their crop leaving them without enough seeds to adequately prepare for the following season. This problem is exacerbated by out-dated methods of crop-storage.

A two-year project co-funded by EuropeAid with €1.3 million in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula has focused on “better access to quality seeds, increased yield of seeds and food crops and reduced storage losses for farmers.”

Friday, 11 November 2011 11:03

Written by Niamh Griffin

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Did social media drive the arab spring protests or was it more important as a tool for driving international media coverage. Kyrgyzstan's "Analog Revolution" was ignored, wrote Foreign Policy blogger Evgeny Morozov.

Social media does not only divide opinions, it also has the potential to alter divisions in and between societies, a conference on digital media and democracy heard in Dublin on Wednesday.

Political blogger Mick Fealty said one of the democratic functions of an online news outlet is to ‘explore stories slowly, stories without a grand narrative … the real advantage of blogging is that it has brought socialism to life.”

Focusing on the events of the Arab Spring, he said an Irish audience should remember this was driven by “a small group of the wealthy elite” who used the Internet to spread their message.

Friday, 30 September 2011 15:30

Written by Gozde Zorlu

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There is enough water in the world's rivers to meet the demands of the expanding global population, but the rivers have to be better managed, according to a series of studies released today at the 14th World Water Congress in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil.

The key problem for water use is not scarcity but inefficient use of supplies because of poor governance and regulation, concludes a special issue of the Water International coordinated by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF).

Thursday, 15 September 2011 14:43

Written by Mark Notaras

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The ongoing famine in war-prone Somalia has led to much speculation about the link between violent conflict and food insecurity. Some commentators have also connected this year’s political revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia to record high food prices.

A recent paper released by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Policy Planning and Strategy Division analyses the link between food insecurity and conflict, both political (e.g., revolutions, civil unrest) and violent (e.g., civil or interstate war). The report also identifies ways, which are discussed below, in which national governments and the international community can provide food assistance that restores peace and builds social capital.

In Food Insecurity and Violent Conflict: Causes, Consequences and Addressing the Challenges,  authors Henk-Jan Brinkman and Cullen S. Hendrix illustrate that food insecurity is a "threat and multiplier for violent conflict".

Based on their fairly broad review of the research, in which more than 100 sources were referenced, the authors find that "[f]ood insecurity, especially when caused by higher food prices, heightens the risk of democratic breakdown, civil conflict, protest, rioting, and communal conflict."

Food insecurity is not enough

Yet, food insecurity alone is a not a condition provocation for conflict. Like all cause and effect relationships, the link between the two forces is context-specific and varies according to a country’s level of development and the strength of its political institutions and social safety nets. The authors highlight that the more fragile the state in question, the more likely households are to rely upon food imports (which are relatively more expensive) and thus the more vulnerable they are in times of food price volatility.

Sunday, 03 July 2011 12:08

Written by Paul O’Brien

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A joint US-Irish partnership is mobilising governments in order to put hunger at the forefront of international development policies, writes Paul O’Brien, Overseas Director, Concern Worldwide.

As the United States celebrates its independence day, it offers us here in Ireland an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between our two countries.

President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Ireland highlighted once again the strong bonds that exist. Nowhere is this more evident right now than in the global fight against hunger. As President Obama noted in his speech on College Green “Ireland is working hand in hand with the United States to make sure that hungry mouths are fed around the world - because we remember those times. We know what crippling poverty can be like, and we want to make sure we’re helping others”.

This is an immensely important partnership between the US and Ireland. Chronic hunger, or undernutrition, contributes to the deaths of three million children under five each year.