In areas of conflict, rural populations are frequently forced to flee for their safety, leaving crops untended. Animal herds are raided, crops are burned, productive assets are stolen. Conflicts disrupt traditional agricultural practices, thus exacerbating the effects of climatic fluctuations. Cattle herds that frequently protect against the negative food security effects of drought are reduced or eliminated. Population density, hunger, poverty and natural resource degradation are contributing to the initiation or maintenance of conflicts in countries such as Burundi and Rwanda.
Most wars occur in poor countries where food insecurity and hunger are rampant.
And conversely, when nations work to bolster their agricultural sectors, they'll strengthen their position against civil conflict. Former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe Countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe pose a major quandary to food experts, because it is not yet clear whether these countries, once major net grain exporters, will help to feed the world or participate in draining global food supplies. Cereal production is forecast to increase by almost 40 percent between 1993 and 2020 to 341 million tons. However, should crop production in this region increase more slowly than forecast, these countries could instead become major net grain importers by 2020. China and India Experts are sharply divided over food prospects in China, which contains one-fifth of the world's population.