Global hunger is an early-warning signal for instability and should shape UK security planning states new report
A new report authored by Professor Stuart Gordon and commissioned by United Against Malnutrition & Hunger was launched on Wednesday 2 September at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. Lord Stirrup, former Chief of the Defence Staff and Marshal of the Royal Air Force, delivered the keynote address.
Additional speakers at the event included Rosalind Roberts, Research Director, RUSI; Sir Graham Stacey (Chair), former Air Marshal, member of UAMH Global Leadership Council; Professor Stuart Gordon, report author, and former member of the armed forces; Dr Sara Pantuliano, CEO of ODI Global; Dr Sima Samar, a medical doctor, former Vice President of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan, the first Minister of Women’s Affairs, and from 2002 to 2019, the Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and an Expert Adviser to UAMH.
The report, From Hunger to Instability: Why Global Hunger Matters for UK National Security, argues that global food insecurity should be treated as a strategic security issue and an early warning signal of instability. While conflict is widely recognised as a major driver of hunger, the research shows that hunger itself can also be a root cause of political crises, fuelling unrest and increasing risks to national and international security.
Drawing on evidence from current, recent and historical unrest in Tunisia, Somalia, Sudan, South Africa, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Yemen, the report illustrates how food insecurity can destabilise societies by eroding trust in government, fuelling mass protest, intensifying economic shocks, particularly among urban populations vulnerable to food price inflation, and creating opportunities for armed groups and coercive actors.
With half of the world’s population unable to afford a healthy diet, and malnutrition contributing to nearly half of all deaths among children under five, the findings underline the scale of the challenge and the need for leaders to act before food insecurity contributes to wider instability.
The report urges political leaders to invest in early, coordinated and locally informed interventions that can reduce the risk of escalation, protect food access, and strengthen resilience before crises become costlier and their impacts harder to contain.
Professor Stuart Gordon commented: “Food insecurity tests one of the most basic expectations people have of government: that it will protect access to the essentials of life. When food becomes unaffordable or unavailable, grievances can intensify quickly, public trust can erode, and instability can escalate.
“Hunger prevention should therefore be understood not only as a moral imperative, but as a strategic investment in security. Where hunger becomes destabilising, it is rarely because leaders lacked information. More often it is because action came too late. The report brings new evidence to UK debates on national security, conflict prevention and resilience at a time of mounting global uncertainty."
Lord Oates, CEO of United Against Malnutrition & Hunger, added: “Nutrition is foundational to development, prosperity, and security. This report shows why preventing hunger is both the right thing to do and firmly in the UK’s national interest.
“At a time of fiscal constraint, the UK should focus on early action and approaches that draw in additional resources: pooled and blended finance, stronger domestic investment, locally led delivery and proven nutrition interventions. Investing in pooled funding mechanisms such as UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund can help maximise the impact of UK support.”