Insulating Global Food Supply from the Threat of Weaponisation

The Russia-Ukraine war has led to a global food supply crunch due to port closures and the suspension of agricultural processing activities, which many have termed an act of food weaponisation. This has led to price surges in grains and fertilisers, exacerbating the challenges of food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable groups in developing countries. While the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions delves into categorising military and civilian objects during a conflict, there is a lack of clarity on food due to its dual-use nature. Thus, there is a need for an amendment to restrict states from using granaries and agricultural lands as military objectives. Although the amendments might prevent future acts of food weaponisation, the current threat to food security remains. This policy brief recommends the utilisation of the existing Agricultural Market Information System infrastructure for monitoring food prices and enhancing market supervision, creating green corridors and free trade zones for agricultural goods, enabling food crop diversity, and establishing grain repositories, which are essential to complement the G20 Bali Declaration’s commitment to addressing food security.