In Sudan, protests against rising food prices and the high cost of living led to the ousting of former leader Omar al-Bashir in The situation again last year deteriorated to such an extent that a state of emergency had to be declared. This could increase insecurity, cautioned the UN.

About million people in Africa face acute food insecurity; at least one in five goes without food daily. In South Africa , serious unrest linked to rising food prices, among other issues, broke out in July NGOs are warning that food price increases are again leading to frustration and potential unrest.

As a result of these factors, about million people in Africa currently face acute food insecurity according to the Global Report on Food Crises. At least one in every five goes without food in a day. This scenario follows a year-on-year escalation of the problem in various regions of the continent over the last six years.

The central and southern Africa regions, for example, witnessed an increase of more than 5. Hardest hit were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Central African Republic.

Similarly, the Horn of Africa continues to be among the most affected regions, with more than 50 million people facing acute food insecurity in , an increase of about 8 million from estimates. According to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, food insecurity in Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Niger is cause for alarm.

As of the third quarter of , for example, about 1. Amid these trends, the war in Ukraine has worsened an already dire economic and food security situation, pushing millions of people on the continent towards starvation.

As most African countries are unable to cushion the increase in food prices, this crisis, if left unchecked, could herald destabilisation of some African states. The commitment to address the issue was also expressed in May when the AU held an extraordinary humanitarian summit and pledging conference in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

The summit agreed to prioritise investment in food and nutrition security data and information systems and build a sustainable and resilient agri-food system to ensure food sovereignty. These initiatives have happened in the context of existing frameworks. These include CAADP and the Africa Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Plan of Action to , which seeks a coordinated response to climate change.

UN Security Council Resolution recognises the link between armed conflict and food insecurity. Inadequate food supply results from conflicts, but can also foment insecurity among communities, especially in areas of forced displacements and shared intercommunal resources. Nationally, the rise in food prices correlates directly with political dissatisfaction, protests and agitations about change in government and with the onset of political instability.

The carbon footprint of food production is significant. And agriculture is the main driver of biodiversity loss. We need to turn this vicious circle into a virtuous cycle so that food systems can promote peace, which in turn promotes the supply of safe and nutritious food.

Small-scale farming is key to food systems that contribute to peaceful and healthy communities. They have great potential to contribute more to well-functioning, sustainable food systems. Because small-scale farms mainly serve domestic and local markets. They are especially important in developing countries where hunger is more likely to provoke unrest.

Moreover, where small-scale farming dominates, there is more civic and social engagement , trust, and attachment to local cultures and communities. Equally important, small farms and other rural small and medium-sized enterprises invest and spend in local economies, create jobs and opportunities — and therefore reduce the need to migrate.

Where small farms thrive, resilient and peaceful communities develop. Finally, smallholder farmers tend to take better care of the natural environment. Sustainable practices — such as organic agriculture — rely upon intricate knowledge of land and ecosystems, and benefit from the long history of working the land enjoyed by family farms.

Small-scale farming systems are responsible for more than half the calories produced globally , yet ironically these farmers often struggle to feed their own families.

Their land rights are often infringed, market prices and regulations frequently undermine their incomes, and they are disproportionately affected by climate change.

In countries and situations where conflict threatens food security, short-term actions to respond to crises are not enough. Long-term development investment is key to breaking the vicious circle of hunger and conflict. In Western Sudan , for example, rehabilitating, constructing and managing water points has reduced water-based tensions between nomadic pastoralists.

In Colombia , access to finance and training increased production and rural job opportunities, deterring young people from joining conflicts. In a remote area in Northern Pakistan , access to more resistant varieties of crops, veterinary services for livestock and paved roads to access markets resulted in communities rejecting extremist influences.

Today, COVID is adding to the strains on our food systems, disrupting markets and supply chains for small-scale farmers around the world, threatening peace and stability.

We need these small-scale farmers now more than ever, but they also need support and investment so they can play their crucial role. Food systems are complex. Small-scale farmers need inputs such as seeds and fertilizer to ensure production, and the training and support to overcome shocks such as unpredictable weather, economic downturns, or health crises.

It is also critical to ensure that the markets where their products are bought and sold keep running, and to support the crucial role of women in food systems by addressing gender inequalities which impede their income-generating activities.

But there are also a host of social dimensions. The success of small-scale farmers also depends on giving a voice to their representatives — organizations of farmers, indigenous peoples, women, water users and other community-level institutions.

The Food Systems Summit will be an opportunity to lay the foundations for the sustainable food systems of the future —and the peace and prosperity of future generations depend upon it.