ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the interconnectivity between food insecurity, climate change and democratic development. It argues that food insecurity is expected to rise as a result of climate change, impacting the political and democratic stability of individual countries. The political effects of food insecurity are likely to vary between regions, depending on climate vulnerability, reliance on food imports, democratic and economic development, strength of state institutions and the vitality of civil society. While food insecurity is a significant problem in low-income countries, it is also likely to affect high-income countries and could exacerbate inequalities within nations. Food is moreover a commodity traded on a global market, and climate extreme events on different continents can have dire consequences for food-importing countries. Tackling food injustice and unsustainable food production is challenging, as the mobilizing structures related to food are fragmented, while the farming industry is a powerful entity. Food can also become the subject of political exploitation by food nationalistic rhetorics. This chapter concludes by arguing that to uphold democracy, it is necessary to create sustainable food systems.
