To cultivate peace: agriculture in a world of conflict

This paper posits that:

• there is a strong link between agricultural dependence and new types of conflict, found primarily in countries with weak agricultural sectors where malnutrition and hunger are prevalent
• new conflicts can be traced to the loss of livelihood and the hopelessness of surviving at the margins
• these conditions lead many to pursue lives of crime and banditry and are reflected in the viciousness of the new armed conflicts

The paper concludes that:

• the rehabilitation of agriculture is a central condition for reducing violence through its role in improving development, reducing poverty, and preventing environmental destruction
• focussing on the agricultural sector of the economy is likely to pay great dividends in terms of fostering global peace and prosperity

To this end it recommends that:

• farmers grow more on less land to reduce deforestation risk
• farming methods that conserve water and require fewer pesticides will contribute to environmental stability
• greater attention should be given to cross continental/national/regional agricultural research and extension

Overall, without cultivating development--a process highly dependent on the conditions facing agricultural production and rural livelihood--there can be no sustainable peace.