Professor Stuart Gordon warns conflict-driven hunger is a political failure, not a food shortage

Professor Stuart Gordon has highlighted the growing link between conflict and global food insecurity in a feature published by the Irish Examiner.

In the article, Professor Gordon argues that modern famines are increasingly the result of political decisions rather than natural scarcity.

“In today’s major crises, famine is far less about failed rains than failed politics,” he said. “What we’re seeing in places like Gaza is, by many expert assessments, a man-made famine driven by restrictions on access and aid.”

The piece examines how contemporary conflicts, including those in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine, and the escalating tensions involving Iran, are reshaping global food systems by disrupting agricultural production, trade routes, fertiliser supplies, and humanitarian access.

Professor Gordon notes that conflict now affects food security far beyond war zones themselves.

“Modern hunger crises are no longer contained within war zones — conflicts now disrupt prices, supply chains, and aid flows globally, amplifying food insecurity far beyond the battlefield.”

The article also explores concerns around the use of starvation as a method of warfare through sieges, blockades, and restrictions on humanitarian aid.

“There is growing evidence that hunger is being used less as a by product and more as a method,” Professor Gordon said.

The feature concludes by emphasising that diplomacy, conflict prevention, and peace-building are central to addressing global hunger crises sustainably.

Read the full article in the Irish Examiner.