This Week at ISN - ISN Newsletter

This Week at ISN

01 - 05 October 2012 Safeguarding access to food is now generally perceived to be a major security issue. This week, we analyze the causes of food insecurity, how its growth impacts regional political dynamics, and what steps we might take to alleviate its side effects.

The Challenge of Global Food Insecurity

Food Security by Numbers
01 Oct 2012

Food insecurity is on the rise and is likely to get worse as the global population approaches nine billion people by 2050. In this multimedia feature, we show how this form of insecurity is inextricably linked to the price of commodities and the increasing challenges posed by climate change. More Food Security's Unholy Trinity Environmental Degradation, Climate Change, and Migration
02 Oct 2012

Food insecurity, starvation and malnutrition are not restricted just to the developing world. According to Danny Marks, environmental degradation, climate change and migration are increasingly compromising food security throughout the globe. More Food Security's Unholy Trinity The Case of the Sahel
03 Oct 2012

The Sahel region of Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming more unstable. Our partners at the United Nations University (UNU) warn that because of climate change, environmental degradation and migration, increased food insecurity across this fragile region will only make matters worse. More The Geopolitics of Food Security
04 Oct 2012

Rising demands for increasingly scarce food resources may lead to countries with food surpluses using their supplies for geopolitical leverage. The country in the best position to capitalize upon this opportunity is the United States, or so argues Paul Rogers in this podcast. More Land Acquisitions in the Developing World the New Resource Imperialism?
05 Oct 2012

Large-scale foreign investments in the farmlands of the developing world have been branded as a new form of imperialism. However, our partners at the Kiel Institute suggest that if such investments are governed more effectively, land acquisitions can provide the developing world with positive opportunities. More

Security Watch
The Weak Hand of Somalia's New President
01 Oct 2012

International optimism over the election of a new president in Somalia should not overlook the overwhelming realities that this failed state continues to face. J Peter Pham discusses how corruption and the hijacking of political processes continue to undermine Somalias stability. More Defining Cyberterrorism: Capturing a Broad Range of Activities in Cyberspace
02 Oct 2012

While the term 'cyberterrorism' was first coined in the 1980s, agreeing on a universally accepted definition

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remains a challenge. The CTC's Jonalan Brickey analyzes the origin of the term and provides definitions that better reflect todays realities. More Nile Basin at a Turning Point as Political Changes Roil Balance of Power and Competing Demands Proliferate
03 Oct 2012

The recent changes in leadership in Egypt and Ethiopia raise the prospect of improved relations between the Nile Basin states. One potential area for greater dialogue is the contentious issue of water security, argues New Security Beat's Carolyn Lamere. More China's Zero-Sum Game in the South China Sea Rattles its Neighbors
04 Oct 2012

Beijing's 'China takes all' approach to its territorial disputes in the South China Sea continues to complicate its relations with other states. If tensions are to decrease across the region, Beijing needs to realize that boundary disputes cannot be solved by hard power alone, argue Theresa Fallon and Graham Ong-Webb. More An Unprecedented Minesweeping Exercise in the Strait of Hormuz
05 Oct 2012

International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 was the largest international mine-clearing exercise ever held in the Middle East. And while the exercise helped the US Navy to improve its mine countermeasure capabilities, they also sent out a strong message to Iran, argues Stratfor. More

ISN Blog
Let Iran Have its Nuclear Technology
01 Oct 2012

US presidential races often provide windows of opportunity for states to pursue policy options that would normally be opposed by Washington. An Israeli air strike against Irans nuclear facilities would seriously complicate the current race for both candidates, writes Claude Salhani. More Outsourcing Responsibilities: Australia's Punitive Asylum Regime
02 Oct 2012

Australia now requires all asylum seekers to be taken to offshore processing centers, irrespective of their point of origin. The decision also suggests that Canberra is willing to renege on international obligations to safeguard human rights, or so argues Agnes Woolley. More The Iraq Action Team: a Model for Monitoring and Verification of WMD Non-Proliferation
03 Oct 2012

Many experts and commentators argue that a stronger global nuclear non-proliferation regime should be accompanied by the development of a subsidiary body responsible for verifying the absence of WMD programs. Rolf Ekus explores how the IAEA's Iraq 'action team' may serve as the ideal role model. More The Most Immediate Threats to Global Energy Security
04 Oct 2012

In this Q and A feature, Michael Bagley and the CSS' Jennifer Giroux discuss some of the major security threats facing the global energy sector. These threats include regional unrest, piracy and the destabilizing effects of piecemeal infrastructure investments by big business. More Kyrgyzstan Hosts Putin to Ink Defense, Energy, Debt Deals
05 Oct 2012

President Putin's recent visit to Kyrgyzstan ended with the signing of agreements on debt forgiveness and infrastructure development. However, David Trilling argues that more important agreements on military cooperation and the basing of Russian troops on Kyrgyz soil were signed earlier. More

Videos
What Is the Connection Between Food and Fuel As part of their research for Seven Revolutions, a project to identify and analyze the most important trends shaping the world out to the year 2030, Johanna Nesseth, Director of the CSIS' Global Food Security Project,

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shares her thoughts on the connection between food and fuel. More Health Impact of Rising Food Prices CFR's Senior Fellow for Global Health, Laurie Garrett, discusses the implications of rising food prices on global health. More Guatemala's Geographic Challenge Stratfor explains how difficult geography, limited natural resources and the policies of neighboring countries will complicate Guatemala's future. More

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