Adversaries try to starve their opponents into submission. Wells are poisoned and farmers' fields are mined, often halting agriculture until long after the conflict has ended. Without adequate means of producing food in the future, the nation is then likely to see more conflict in the years to come. Improved agriculture, which can increase production, raise farmers' earnings, and replenish depleted resources, is a powerful and effective means of promoting peace and stability. Warfare over the last 20 years has cost up to a million lives per year, and most of the casualties are civilians, not combatants.
Developed countries deliver humanitarian assistance at considerable cost.
The cost of conflict is even greater. Much of the human suffering and expensive emergency measures could be forestalled by spending relatively small sums on agricultural research to prevent hunger and food insecurity in the developing world. Agricultural research can break the chain. All Rights Reserved.