ABSTRACT
Environmental problems emerged as a social and political issue in the late 1960s when the impact of industrialisation began to be felt around the world. Greenhouse effects, severe river and ocean pollution, soil erosion and the deterioration of the major biological systems are related to the expansion of human activities. Local environmental degradation such as soil erosion and desertification is especially severe in developing countries. Global food insecurity has been created by a shift from a variety of indigenous food crops to imported food like wheat and rice following a transfer of cropland from subsistence production to cash crop production. Environmental security reflects the interconnectedness of various dimensions of peace issues. A demand for cheap beef to be supplied for hamburger restaurants in North America leads to clearing tropical forests for grazing cattle, consequently contributing to global warming. Poverty in Central America along with unequal land distribution is thus directly connected to people in the North through their consumption patterns.
