IFAD Urges Leaders at Munich to Treat Food Security as Global Security

As world leaders convene at the Munich Security Conference (13–15 February) amid mounting geopolitical tensions, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is calling on governments and investors to recognize food security and rural investment as central pillars of global stability.

"Fragile food systems pose an underestimated risk to global stability," said IFAD President Alvaro Lario. "Specifically, access to productive land and reliable freshwater must be prioritized. Land and water deserve as much attention as rare minerals, if not more, as they are key to global stability."

Rural Fragility as a Driver of Conflict

Nearly 80 per cent of the world's poorest people live in rural areas, where climate shocks, degraded land, water scarcity and limited economic opportunities are intensifying instability.

According to IFAD, these pressures act as force multipliers for conflict, displacement and regional insecurity.

"When rural communities have access to productive land and water, food security improves, conflicts over resources decrease and economic opportunities arise," Lario said.

The Fund argues that ignoring rural fragility risks undermining diplomatic and military efforts aimed at stabilizing conflict-affected regions.

Investing in Peace at the "First Mile"

For almost five decades, IFAD has invested at what it calls the "first mile" of food systems — where crops are grown and rural livelihoods are built — helping communities strengthen resilience before shocks escalate into humanitarian crises.

The organization works with governments, UN agencies and private-sector partners to align food security financing with broader security and foreign policy objectives.

"Investing in small-scale producers and rural entrepreneurs to connect them to markets and finance does not just promote opportunity and prosperity," Lario said. "It also strengthens the foundations of peace and safeguards some of our most valuable resources."

Proven Impact on Stability and Conflict Reduction

IFAD points to growing evidence that rural investment directly contributes to stability.

A recent three-year impact assessment found that project participants experienced more than a one-third increase in income, productive capacity and market access.

Data from IFAD-supported programmes also show measurable security outcomes:

• In Mali, districts without IFAD-supported agricultural initiatives saw an 8 per cent rise in local conflicts compared to districts that received support.

• In Ethiopia, a 1 per cent increase in land productivity was associated with a 3 per cent reduction in local conflicts.

Such findings underscore the link between rural economic opportunity and reduced vulnerability to violence, illicit economies and irregular migration.

Food Insecurity and Conflict Intertwined

The scale of the challenge is stark. It is estimated that 70 per cent of people facing acute food insecurity live in fragile or conflict-affected contexts. Armed conflicts have nearly doubled since 2019, and for 44 per cent of acutely food insecure populations, conflict or insecurity is the primary driver.

IFAD argues that without sustained rural investment, these trends will intensify.

Leveraging Finance for Long-Term Stability

For every dollar in core contributions, IFAD mobilizes approximately US$6 in high-impact investments by crowding in public, private and domestic financing. The Fund positions itself as a frontline development actor capable of creating the conditions for private capital to flow into rural economies.

By strengthening land productivity, water access and rural entrepreneurship, IFAD says it provides scalable, field-tested solutions that complement diplomatic and security efforts.

As discussions unfold in Munich, the Fund is urging leaders to broaden their definition of security.

Food systems, IFAD stresses, are not only humanitarian concerns but strategic assets. Safeguarding productive land and freshwater — and investing in rural communities — may prove as critical to global stability as traditional geopolitical priorities.