Introduction
Food, often viewed merely as a basic human necessity, is increasingly being recognised as a critical strategic resource with profound implications for national security, geopolitical stability, and global power dynamics. The intertwining of food systems with economic stability, geopolitical relations, and social resilience reveals that disruptions in food availability are no longer isolated humanitarian issues but potent triggers of global instability (Savary et al, 2020). Nowhere is this interplay more vivid than in fragile West Africa, where food insecurity is reaching alarming levels. As populations grow, arable land becomes scarcer, and climate-related shocks intensify, food systems are emerging as both potential flashpoints and tools of resilience in global affairs (Canton, 2021; Hendrix & Brinkman, 2013).
In West Africa, where over 70% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood (Kamenya et al., 2022), food insecurity is both a cause and a consequence of conflict. The region has experienced recurrent cycles of drought, insurgency, and political instability—factors that undermine food production and disrupt supply chains. Armed groups have increasingly weaponised food – controlling distribution routes, looting harvests, or leveraging hunger to recruit and exert power (Akinyetun et al., 2024). Food’s strategic importance is heightened by competition for agricultural land, water, and supply chain control. Countries engage in land acquisitions, stockpiling, and trade restrictions to protect their food supplies (Wise, 2019). This causes price volatility, diplomatic tensions, and impacts vulnerable communities, especially in import-dependent nations. These dynamics illustrate how food security is deeply embedded in the broader matrix of regional stability and governance.
As of early 2025, nearly 50 million people in West and Central Africa are projected to face acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+)—a reality fueled by a blend of conflict, climate volatility, and economic stagnation. The broader implications of this crisis extend beyond borders, risking regional spillovers and security contagion with global ramifications.
Recognising food as a strategic resource requires rethinking agricultural policy, trade, humanitarian aid, and security planning in a more integrated fashion. This article explores the multifaceted role of food in shaping security outcomes in West Africa, situating the region within a global context where food insecurity is increasingly linked to geopolitical risk and global governance challenges.
The Resource Value of Food in the 21st Century
Food functions as currency of power, not only as sustenance, making it a determinant of public stability, state legitimacy, and national security. Historically, civilisations have risen or collapsed based on their ability to feed populations. Becoming an essential resource with economic, political, and environmental dimensions in the 21st century, food is driven by global population growth and increasing demand for safe, nutritious, and accessible food (Lawrence et al., 2013). Today, this dynamic persists, albeit complicated by globalisation, supply chain dependencies, and climate change.
Food is a crucial global economy, employing over 1 billion people and contributing to GDP in low- and middle-income countries, especially in West Africa (World Bank Group, 2022). Control over food production and supply chains is a strategic priority for both developed and emerging economies. Land grabs by wealthier nations in Africa and Asia secure future food supplies while governments use food as a tool of statecraft (Heady & Fan, 2008; McKeon, 2014).
Global price trends in cereals—particularly maize and wheat—have remained volatile, reflecting both market pressures and geopolitical shocks. According to the World Bank’s February 2025 update, while wheat prices have stabilised, maize prices surged to a 15-month high, raising alarms in food-import-dependent countries. A 1% rise in global food prices is estimated to push 10 million people into extreme poverty, a staggering vulnerability multiplier.
What magnifies the urgency is that only 3% of global development funding is allocated to the food sector, despite it being central to humanitarian and economic resilience. Meanwhile, global humanitarian assistance dedicated to food dropped by 30% in 2023, signaling a dangerous mismatch between need and response (ibid, 2025).
Food is a crucial environmental resource, as agriculture consumes 70% of global freshwater resources and contributes to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions (Kay et al., 2022). Efforts to enhance food productivity are linked to environmental stewardship and carbon mitigation (Rockström et al., 2017). Climate change is reshaping food production, making it a “threat multiplier” in fragile contexts. Food security is a fundamental determinant of human security, as chronic undernutrition and food price spikes can trigger political unrest (Hendrix & Brinkman, 2013). The global food system’s vulnerability to shocks further highlights the need to treat food as a strategic resource.
West Africa: Epicentre of a Brewing Crisis
First, the climate, conflict, and collapse: West Africa embodies the frontline of this global food crisis. The region’s susceptibility to climate shocks—droughts, floods, and irregular rainfall—has slashed agricultural yields and undermined local production systems. For example, sorghum and millet prices in Burkina Faso have surged by over 55% due to flooding, transportation costs, and market disruptions (World Bank, 2025). Meanwhile, violent conflicts, particularly in countries like Mali, Niger, and Nigeria, have further destabilized food supply chains. These disruptions are not merely economic, they create displacement, increase dependence on humanitarian aid, and erode the state’s ability to ensure basic welfare. Food insecurity becomes both a cause and a consequence of conflict, fueling cycles that are difficult to break.
Second, the economic vulnerability and policy shortfalls: The region’s economic outlook further exacerbates food insecurity. The World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects (2025) projects stagnation, with growth remaining at 2.7% through 2026, far below the levels required to address poverty or strengthen food systems. Currency devaluation and inflation are acute in countries like Nigeria, where domestically produced rice and wheat are priced almost twice as high as they were a year ago. In this economic climate, food becomes a luxury for millions. With households spending a major portion of their income on food, minor shocks result in massive livelihood disruptions. What are the global repercussions?
Food insecurity in West Africa does not remain confined to the region. It migrates through displacement, conflict spillovers, and economic interdependencies (Flores, 2004). Hunger drives cross-border migration, which can strain neighbouring states and incite xenophobia, nationalism, and political tension (Adamson, 2006). As food systems fail, the risk of state fragility rises, providing fertile ground for extremist groups to exploit grievances and recruit disenfranchised populations.
This security contagion has been well-documented in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, where food crises and armed conflict are intertwined (Schoonover at al., 2021). West Africa is not far behind. Without a strategic realignment that positions food as a core element of national security policy, regional destabilisation may radiate across Europe, North Africa, and even global markets.
Conclusion
The global food system is at a tipping point. For West Africa, the convergence of climate shocks, conflict, and economic stagnation paints a grim picture. But the implications extend globally. Food, as a resource, has the power to destabilise or strengthen societies. It demands urgent re-prioritisation—not just as a development issue but as a strategic asset essential to peace and security.
Enhancing regional migration frameworks, investing in climate-resilient agriculture, supporting youth employment in agriculture, regulating land acquisitions, promoting inclusive land tenure policies, preventing water-related conflicts, integrating food security into defense, foreign affairs, and security planning, establishing early-warning systems, protecting key agricultural zones, diversifying staple crops and inputs, bolstering intra-regional trade infrastructure, and fostering cross-sector collaboration between agriculture, defense, finance, and environment ministries are all important ways to support food security efforts.
To prevent security contagion, international stakeholders must invest more in resilient agrifood systems, strengthen local production capacity, and align food policies with broader development and security frameworks. West Africa’s crisis is a warning: in an interconnected world, food insecurity anywhere is a threat to stability everywhere.
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