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How are transformation and crisis intervention related, Dr. Frick?

2022-10-14

Martin Frick has been director of the WFP office in Berlin for a year – since then one hunger crisis has followed another. What are the diplomat's answers? A conversation about opportunities in agriculture, the interplay of multiple crises, the importance of resilience and tighter budgets.

The consequences of the climate crisis are already visible: due to climate change, droughts not only last longer, the sealed soils are also less able to absorb water. ©Flickr, Asian Development Bank, 2012

By Dr. Martin Frick

A man in a suit stands confidently outdoors with a blurred background.

Since November 2021, Dr. Martin Frick is Chief of the WFP-Bureau for Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein in Berlin. Previously, he served as special envoy of the UN Secretary-General at the Food Systems Summit 2021, Executive Director of the UNFCCC-secretariat tasked with the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and as FAO-Climate Chief.

All contributions

UN World Food Programme (WFP)

Things have turned out even worse than expected since you took office, haven’t they?

Dr. Martin Frick: Sadly, that’s one way of putting it. When I started here a year ago, I actually wanted to heavily focus on climate. Regrettably, while our future is uncertain, the climate issue is one area where we are most certain about the outcome. Then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And just like that, what we had been saying all along became abundantly clear overnight: The global food system is incredibly vulnerable! You can see that just by looking at how prices are skyrocketing globally because the world’s fifth largest grain exporter was taken off the market within hours. People always ask me where the hotspots are. Off course, they exist – like Lebanon, for example. However, the fact is that 345 million people are currently acutely starving in 82 countries around the world.

Hardly anyone is talking about Lebanon these days.

Exactly. And it affects many people. I just spoke with my colleague who is responsible for Latin America: The surging prices on that continent are causing instability in countries where we didn’t expect it. It’s a mixture of economic exhaustion after three years of the coronavirus pandemic, currency meltdowns, a strong dollar and extremely high prices. People are on the edge.

How would you summarise your first year in one sentence?

We are facing many crises, but everything is interconnected and merged into one big crisis. This systemic challenge cannot be broken down into individual parts. We have to tackle it as a whole.

What is this systemic crisis in specific terms?

We have political instability, war and conflicts, climate change, the aftermath of the pandemic, and a very fragile global food system that desperately needs to be transformed.

As a global community, we are powerless against political instability or violent conflicts...

We have seen this time and again, given the difficult constellation in the Security Council. But we can take countermeasures when it comes to preventing conflicts.

The fight against hunger is always a fight for stability and peace.

After all, the countries that are currently under pressure are not becoming more stable. Peace and stability start with food security. That’s where we need to start.

Do you expect a collapse in food production due to the correlation between the energy price crisis and fertiliser prices, which will further exacerbate the situation?

This is an example of the systemic crisis. We are concerned about fertiliser prices in the short term. But the long-term view is different. Artificial fertiliser is made from fossil energy, which is not a sustainable solution from a climate perspective. We need to return to traditional methods like crop rotation, humus formation and agroforestry. In other words, we need to mix forestry and agriculture. We also need to promote targeted animal husbandry in a manner that would contribute to fertilising. But this system cannot be changed over night. The transition to agroecology will take several years, but we can no longer postpone it, especially since it will also impact food security. We know that artificial fertiliser will become more expensive in the long run, which is why we need to move away from using it. From a climate policy perspective, it is clear that we can no longer afford industrial, high-intensity agriculture in the long run.

Major initiatives that have joined the fight against hunger, such as AGRA, would certainly disagree with you...

AGRA is also transitioning. AGRA has come under a lot of scrutiny in the last few years and has recently changed its position on the issue of artificial fertiliser. It is becoming increasingly clear that large-scale industrial agriculture is not even possible in countries of the global South, as it will cause to catastrophic losses of soil. Therefore, we must focus on small-scale agriculture, on smallholders, which is highly labour-intensive and diversified. It’s a better way to manage the available resources and build up natural capital.

You have worked for years on the transformation of food systems. Now you are involved in crisis intervention. Are these two contradicting positions? Are there also conceptual similarities?

Our slogan is ‘Saving lives and changing lives’. Besides UNICEF, we are the only UN organisation with a dual mandate: a humanitarian mandate and a development mandate for long-term food security. Unfortunately, one crisis follows another. That’s why our current focus is mostly on humanitarian issues at a ratio of 80:20. I have said all year that we must not neglect the aspect of ‘changing lives’. Despite the massive increase in contributions from countries like Germany, the gap between humanitarian needs and humanitarian funding is widening. Therefore, we have no other choice but to convert to agriculture.

So, merely considering the development aspect is not enough – we actually need to push it hard?

‘Saving lives is always a top priority. We cannot let people starve. But I would be very happy if we could get to 50:50, because public resources are more and more limited. Therefore, we have to try to get as much as possible out of these funds, especially in the long term. We can no longer afford this idealistic separation between humanitarian and developmental aid.

Does that also apply to climate financing?

Well, food systems – how food gets to our plates – are the biggest contributors to global warming, and they also have the greatest potential to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere.

Increasing resilience in agriculture is the number one priority. Otherwise, we will face a perpetual global hunger crisis.

In Africa, the WFP has had to reduce food rations to refugees. How do you change that?

We are an organisation that has almost no core funding. Basically, everything runs on project funding, so we depend on donors to give us the amounts we need for specific tasks. And if we don’t raise enough money, we have to cut back and set priorities. That’s a tough pill to swallow. But it also shows that, ideally, humanitarian aid can only be a short fix. Donors get tired of supporting the same situation time and again over several years. That’s why we need diplomatic initiatives for conflict prevention and long-term restructuring of food systems.

Are you having a tougher time breaking through?

(He exhales deeply.) It’s quite natural that after many years, at some point donors become less interested in providing support. Rich countries are also starting to feel the pressure, mainly because of the pandemic, but also the Russian war, which has led to military spending in Germany that no one had even thought of before. Meanwhile, solidarity in Germany is increasing and the WFP is receiving more and more support from Germany.

On the other hand, Europe is facing many crises of its own – from politics to the economy. Naturally, it is more difficult to see beyond the end of your own nose, isn’t it?

People, especially from our parliament, often ask me: What can we do in the long term? That is exactly where we need to focus our work: in addition to the fight against the climate crisis, food insecurity and political instability, our priority must be to strengthen the position of women. All this has to be tackled jointly. There are no viable solutions that only focus on one problem. It has to come from below.

Okay. So how can regions like sub-Saharan Africa successfully ensure their own food security?

Water is the first issue. Due to climate change, droughts not only last longer, but a year’s worth of rainfall pours down within one or two days. This is devastating because the soils are sealed, so the water runs off and destroys everything. Restoring soils is therefore a core solution for me. One kilogram of humus can store more than 20 kilograms of water...

...How can that be accomplished?

There are very simple technologies. In the Sahel region, we are digging pits that allow water to flow away more slowly when it rains. We fill them with humus and plant tree seedlings in them to grow beautiful trees. And in the shade of these trees, the temperature drops and morning dew rises. It becomes cooler and wetter. It also makes farming easier. This increases the likelihood of rain – and it’s not voodoo science!

Some people are saying that there is enough food – it is just unequally distributed. Is that true?

In terms of quantity it’s true, but the reality is more complex. We often have a juxtaposition of food insecurity with simultaneous production for world market export, for example cotton. You can’t eat it. Countries have been taught for many years to focus on a few products for export and then buy food cheaply on the world market.

Why was that done?

It worked for a while, and it also served our self-interest to get more goods from the global South dirt cheap, like cocoa, bananas or cotton. Cheap T-shirts come at a price. Now we need regional markets and production for local supply.

Currently, three types of crops cover 60 per cent of the global calorie demand. This uniformity does not work because it depletes the soil, uses too much water and feeds the population too unilaterally.

In other words, the price of our cheap coffee and T-shirts is hunger?

That’s one way of looking at it. There’s a little bit more to it, but in a nutshell, that’s what it is.

Did nobody see it coming? Or did nobody want to see it?

It worked well. It’s not that Ukraine is the only country that exports wheat. It was just doing it very cheaply. Agriculture should not exploit existing resources like the mining industry.

It sounds cynical, of course, but do you also see the Ukraine war as an opportunity for transformation of food systems?

The pressure has increased significantly. I don’t want to talk about opportunities, because the situation is too dramatic for that. But this pressure can also accelerate change. It just doesn’t happen overnight.

Did you think at the beginning of your career that you would work so much with sustainability, nutrition and the fight against hunger?

Not at all. It actually just sort of happened. I was a diplomat in the Federal Foreign Office and specialised in human rights. In 2007, under the German EU Presidency, I helped negotiate the UN Human Rights Council and that’s when I first encountered the issue of climate change: The Maldives introduced a resolution on the subject – and people asked themselves: What does that have to do with human rights? Since then, we have learned a lot. And since that time, this topic stuck with me.

Have you also changed something in your own life during these years of work?

Oh yes. I have a car that is 23 years old and sits for four weeks until it is moved once. I have significantly reduced my meat consumption – when I do eat meat, it’s from production that means something to me. And I try to keep food waste to an absolute minimum by cooking in a way that reuses leftovers from the night before. It’s also fun, as it forces you to be more creative.

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A narrow dirt path leads to a village with thatched-roof huts surrounded by lush greenery and a dark, cloudy sky.

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Women in colorful attire sift grains under a sunny sky, engaging in traditional agriculture. | © GIZ Joerg Boethling

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The image illustrates five climate-friendly agricultural methods with simple line drawings and highlighted text.

Five climate-friendly methods in agriculture

A Listicle for climate protection and adaptation

These five management practices can increase agricultural production and contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Lush green terraced fields curve around a winding river, showcasing nature's intricate patterns in action.

CompensACTION aims to reward farmers for climate performance

A Contribution of the Initiative

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A young plant grows in dry, sunlit soil, symbolizing agricultural resilience in Iraq.

“It created hope. It created a life”

An interview with Ally-Raza Qureshi, WFP

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A person drives a blue tractor through a lush cornfield on a sunny day.

Farmers reap big from Climate Smart Farming

An Article by Angeline Ochieng & Victor Raballa

Journalists Angeline Ochieng and Victor Raballa visited Ms Bilha Munyole, a Kenyan farmer in Kimilili, Bungoma County, on her maize plantation. About the important role of mechanisation in climate-smart agriculture and in building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Participants attentively listen during a policy briefing session in a well-lit conference room.

Think20 Policy Brief centres on Agroecology

Insights from the T20 Policy Brief

Given the urgency of transforming agricultural and food systems, GIZ India's Food Systems and Agroecology Working Group is exploring the potential of agroecology in collaboration with Think20 partners. A policy brief has now been published.

Sparse desert vegetation stretches across a vast, sandy landscape under a clear blue sky. | © GIZ Fouad Bestandji

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A Contribution by Jan Rübel

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A woman in a white shirt and colorful skirt smiles while sitting outdoors, surrounded by lush greenery, promoting Fairtrade.

Earth’s well, all’s well!

A Contribution by Fairtrade Germany

With the annual topic "Earth’s well, all’s well!", Fairtrade Germany is focusing on the concept of agroecology at all levels - and is thus taking the next step towards achieving greater global sustainability. At the Green Week trade fair, Fairtrade Germany will show how this can be achieved taking the cocoa supply chain as an example.

Sowing change

A Contribution by Brot für die Welt

Roughly 800 million people suffer from hunger worldwide. Change is needed - for people and for the environment. Brot für die Welt reports on the starting points offered by everyone's ecological footprint and handprint.

A Call to Action against Desertification

A contribution by GIZ

Every second, worldwide, we lose valuable and healthy soil with the size of four football fields. This was only one of the many facts being presented to a wide audience in Bonn and worldwide via livestream at the World Desertification and Drought Day on 17th June 2024. This was the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD), which was celebrated at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn.

A group of diverse professionals stands together at a CAADP event, with a presentation screen in the background.

African Union sets the Way for the Future

A Contribution by GIZ

From January 9 to 11, 2025, heads of state and government of the African Union met in Kampala, Uganda. With a clear vision and concrete measures, the Kampala Agenda aims to make the continent's agricultural and food systems climate-resilient, fair and future-proof by 2035.

Delegates sit around a large conference table at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, discussing sustainable practices.

Bioeconomy: Ready for a Joint Take-Off?

A Contribution by GIZ

The bioeconomy movement is fundamentally changing agriculture and food production: through innovative ideas, environmentally friendly approaches and the realization that we need to work together globally to ensure that change truly benefits everyone. At this years’ German Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) focused on this topic.

Participants engage in discussions during the SOILution P4C conference, with speakers addressing the audience from a stage.

Elevating Soil Health for a Sustainable Future

A Contribution by Kah Walla

In May, this year's "Partners for Change – SOILutions for a Food Secure, Resilient, and Sustainable Future" conference took place. Kah Walla, Moderator of the Conference and Director of Strategies!, summarises the discussions and declares that healthy soils are not just the foundation of agriculture, but the cornerstone of a resilient, equitable, and climate-smart future.

Two women in colorful headscarves bend over to harvest crops in a lush green field.

„You must be multisectoral in your thinking”

Interview with Adriano Campolina (FAO)

For years, place-based approaches to development have been considered important features in development cooperation, at the BMZ and in FAO. Both organisations are aiming at advancing these approaches: an interview with Adriano Campolina from the FAO on territorial and landscape perspectives.

Young corn plants grow in neat rows across a lush field under a cloudy sky, showcasing sustainable farming techniques.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES FOR MORE SOIL CONSERVATION

With the help of sustainable farming methods, soils can be preserved and made fertile again. The investment required is also worthwhile from a financial perspective.

A project of GIZ

People lead donkeys loaded with goods past tall cacti and a large tree in a dry, mountainous landscape under a clear blue sky.

Resilience in times of crisis

Yemen is currently experiencing one of the worst disasters, due to war, hunger and disease outbreaks. The GIZ is locally engaged to improve the nutrition and resilience of Yemenites.

A project of GIZ

Building our food systems back better

A contribution by Jes Weigelt and Alexander Müller

What is required to make food systems provide sufficient, healthy food while not harming the planet? How should food security be maintained given the threat posed by climate change? Our authors look at some aspects of tomorrow’s food systems against the backdrop of the corona crisis.

(c) Christoph Püschner/Zeitenspiegel — Deutschland / Stuttgart, Aug. 2019: Pflanzen, die auf Bienen zur Bestäubung angewiesen sind, sind häufig auffallend bunt.

One Health – What we are learning from the Corona crisis

A contribution by Dr. May Hokan and Dr. Arnulf Köhncke (WWF)

Due to the coronavirus crisis, the connection between human and animal health has gained new attention. Politicians and scientists are joining forces to propagate the solution: One Health. But what is behind the concept? And can it also guarantee food security for all people worldwide?

A large audience attentively listens to a speaker on stage during a conference in a well-lit auditorium.

Visions in agriculture

Video by Frank Schultze and Jan Rübel

At the beginning of December 2018, AGRA's board of directors met in Berlin. The "Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa" panel discussed the next steps in their policy of modernizing agriculture. How to go on in the next ten years? One question - many answers from experts.

The state of food security in Cape Town and St. Helena Bay

A study by Markus Hanisch, Agustina Malvido, Johanna Hansmann, Alexander Mewes, Moritz Reigl, Nicole Paganini (SLE)

Post-Covid-19 lockdown: How food governance processes could include marginalised communities - an extract of the results of an SLE study applying digital and participatory methods.

Four smiling children joyfully eat together at a table, sharing bowls of food in a warm, vibrant setting.

School Feeding: A unique platform to address gender inequalities

A contribution by Carmen Burbano de Lara (WFP)

Besides the well known impacts of Covid19 lockdowns for the adult population, the associated school closures led to 90 percent of the world’s children with no access to schools. However, school meals are in often the only daily meal for children. Without access to this safety net, issues like hunger, poverty and malnutrition are exacerbated for hundreds of millions of children.

Women in colorful attire are planting saplings in a training center garden.

Success story allotment garden: Food supply and women's empowerment

A contribution by Nadine Babatounde and Anne Floquet (MISEREOR)

To prevent malnutrition among young children and strengthen the role of women in their communities, Misereor, together with the local non-governmental organisation CEBEDES, is implementing a programme on integrated home gardens in Benin - a series of pictures.

A person wearing a face mask and red headband stands in a dusty environment with particles floating around. — Worker in the rice mill Labana Rice Limited in Birnin Kebbi / Nigeria. © Thomas Imo, GIZ

Not waiting for a savior

An article by Lidet Tadesse

While Africa is the least affected region by Covid-19 so far, the number of confirmed cases and deaths on the continent is quickly rising. Despite the challenges many African countries continue to face, the African response to the coronavirus pandemic displays innovation and ingenuity.

A partnership to fight hunger

A contribution by GAFSP

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) was launched by the G20 countries in 2010 in response to the 2008-09 food price crisis to increase both public and private investment in agriculture. An overview of the programme's approach, results and impact.

Good health is impossible without healthy food

A contribution by Heino von Meyer

Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.

A large group of people gather under a tree, engaging in a community meeting in a rural village setting.

Land Rights, Gender and Soil Fertility in Benin

A contribution by Dr. Karin Gaesing and Prof. Dr. Frank Bliss (INEF)

Especially in densely populated areas, land pressure leads to overexploitation of available land and a lack of conservation measures. The West African country of Benin, with heavily depleted soils in many places, is no exception.

A speaker addresses the audience at the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 Pre-Summit, standing at a podium.

UNFSS Pre-Summit: What did it achieve?

Interview with Martina Fleckenstein (WWF), Michael Kühn (WHH) and Christel Weller-Molongua (GIZ)

After the summit means pre-summit: It was the first time that the United Nations held a summit on food systems. Martina Fleckenstein, Michael Kühn and Christel Weller-Molongua reviewed the situation in this joint interview.

Women joyfully sell tomatoes and vegetables at a vibrant market stall, highlighted by a striking red and blue overlay.

How can the private sector prevent food loss and waste?

An interview with David Brand (GIZ)

From a circular food system in Rwanda to functioning cooled transports in Kenya: The lab of tomorrow addresses development challenges such as preventing food loss and waste

An elderly woman in traditional attire selects produce at a bustling outdoor market, surrounded by a group of onlookers.

Food System Transformation Starts and Ends with Diversity

A Contribution by Emile Frison and Nick Jacobs (IPES-Food)

While having failed to solve the hunger problem, industrial agriculture appears to be causing additional ones both in environmental and health terms. Emile Frison and Nick Jacobs call for a transformation.

5 Questions for Jann Lay: What is Corona doing to the economy?

Interview with Jann Lay (GIGA)

The Corona pandemic is hitting economies around the world very hard - but developments in African countries are quite diverse. There are different speeds, resiliences and vulnerabilities. What are the reasons for this? Apl. Prof. Jann Lay of the GIGA Institute provides answers.

Vendors in a bustling Bangladeshi market display vibrant vegetables in circular baskets on the ground.

Agricultural prices and food security – a complex relationship

A Contribution by Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem

High agricultural prices affect developed and developing countries alike, but the problem is aggravated for the latter through the lack of or inadequate resilience measures. Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem, AKADEMIYA2063, and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem, University of Hohenheim, explain what can be done to mitigate the negative effects on food security.

A person in boots pulls a hose across a field, preparing for fertilization under a clear blue sky.

What is needed for a long-term fertiliser strategy?

A contribution by Michael Brüntrup

The world is currently experiencing a historic food crisis. High fertiliser prices are part of the problem. In addition to the necessary short-term aid measures, the crisis ought to be made use of to develop and implement longer-term fertiliser strategies for sustainable, in particular smallholder increases in production in the Global South.

A woman in a pink shawl waters young plants in a garden, promoting sustainable agriculture. | © GIZ Climax Film Production

Gender Justice – a Precondition for Resilience

A contribution by IFPRI

Women and girls in poorer countries are affected in particular ways by the multiple crises the world is currently facing. Uncovering the linkages between gender, resilience and food security, experts from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) look at ways to support women and girls’ capacity to respond to crises.

A vibrant city skyline with modern skyscrapers under a clear blue sky.

The Power of the Urban

An Interview by Jan Rübel

Cities play an important role in the transformation of food systems. But what exactly are the potentials and challenges? A three-way discussion between Ruth Okowa (Gain), Delphine Larrousse (World Vegetable Center) and Conrad Graf von Hoyos (GIZ).

Cultivating tomorrow

A Contribution by GIZ

Africa’s largest youth generation has the potential to transform agriculture sustainably. Young entrepreneurs like Febelsa in Mozambique are building agricultural businesses that fuel local growth.

From Pledges to Progress: Nutrition at the Heart of Inclusive Development

A Contriution by GIZ

At the Nutrition for Growth 2025 Summit in Paris, Team Europe, comprising the European Commission and Member States, put nutrition at the centre of international politics as a driver for resilience, equality and human rights. There is a consensus on the results of the summit: to turn commitments into concrete progress through strong partnerships and innovative approaches.

A woman stands in a lush field holding freshly picked vegetables, with others in the background at the N4G Summit.

Working together to improve global nutrition

A Contribution by Jan Rübel

The global fight against malnutrition needs more than just words - as demonstrated by the Nutrition for Growth summit in Paris. With comprehensive commitments and clear receivables, a signal has been sent: Healthy nutrition must become a global priority. But what do participants from countries such as Yemen and Timor Leste think?

A group of five smiling individuals stands in a bakery, showcasing freshly baked goods on metal racks.

With the power of fried bread

A contribution of Jan Rübel and Fabio Rappenecker

With a simple but effective idea to combat malnutrition: in Nairobi, Fabio Rappenecker and his start-up TenX Nutrition produce mandazi, which become a real power biscuit thanks to added micronutrients. The aim is to strengthen food security through local, affordable and healthy food.

“Corona exposes the weaknesses of our nutritional systems"

Interview with Arif Husain (WFP)

The United Nations plan a Food Systems Summit - and now the Corona-Virus is dictating the agenda. The Chief Economist of the UN World Food Programme takes stock of the current situation: a conversation with Jan Rübel about pandemics, about the chromosomes of development - and about the conflicts that inhibit them.

A man in camouflage distributes food to people, including women and children, from a large pot outdoors.

5 questions to F. Patterson: Why is there more hunger?

Interview with Fraser Patterson

Every year in October, the "Welthungerhilfe" aid organisation, with the Irish "Concern Worldwide" NGO, publishes the Global Hunger Index, a tool with which the hunger situation is recorded. What are the trends - and what needs to be done?

Farmers work together threshing rice in a field with a makeshift machine under the clear sky.

Leveraging investment impacts

A contribution by Heike Baumüller, Christine Husmann, Julia Machovsky-Smid, Oliver Kirui, Justice Tambo

Any initiative whose aim is to reduce poverty in Africa should focus first on agriculture. But what kind of investment has the greatest impact? The use of scientific criteria provides some answers.

Do we have to dare a new food system?

A contribution by Dr. Felix zu Löwenstein (BÖLW)

Lack of seasonal workers and virus explosion in slaughterhouses, rising vegetable prices, climate crisis – all this demonstrates: Our food system is highly productive and (at least for the rich inhabitants of planet earth) guarantees an unprecedented rich and steady food supply - but it is not resilient.

(c) Christoph Pueschner/Zeitenspiegel — Somalia / Mogadischu, Juli 2011: diese Frau floh mit ihren Kindern aus dem 250 Kilometer entfernten Baidoa in das IDP-Camp Al-Hidaaya. © Christoph Püschner/Zeitenspiegel

Global responsibility: Tackling hunger is the only way forward

A contribution by Lisa Hücking (WHH)

Chancellor Merkel has begun an ambitious European political programme: Striving for compromise in budget negotiations, an orderly Brexit as well as an appropriate response to the corona crisis. Unfortunately, one of her positions that she previously held is nowhere to be found: Africa's prosperity is in the interest of Europe.

A man with a rifle stands before a crowd holding pots, illustrating a tense situation at a distribution point.

"Without peace, there will be no development"

Interview with Karina Mroß (DIE)

What contribution does development cooperation make to conflict prevention? What can it do for sustainable peace? Political scientist Karina Mroß talks to Raphael Thelen about post-conflict societies and their chances for peaceful development.

People walk along a red dirt road in a rural village, with greenery and buildings lining the path under a clear sky.

Land is Crucial for Development

A contribution by Roselyn Korleh and M. Sahr Nouwah (WHH)

The Liberian town of Kinjor is a picture-book example for what happens, if land rights aren’t protected, and it illustrates how to move forward from there. The keyword: Multi-Actor Partnership

A person uses a tablet in a greenhouse, symbolizing innovation with a lightbulb icon featuring a tree.

Innovation Challenge 2021

Competition for ideas by BMZ

Out of 40 consortia that applied from all over the world, 14 were invited to present their innovative concept on agroecological approaches in the form of an online pitch and to face the questions of an international jury of experts. Find out which six semi-finalists were selected by the jury and what happens next in this article.

Feminist development policy – A new beginning?

An Interview by Journalist Jan Rübel

Cameroonian gender and peace activist Marthe Wandou on the role of women and girls in development policy – then and in the future.

A stormy sky looms over a vast green wheat field in Ukraine, creating a dramatic and contrasting landscape.

From reaction to action

A contribtion by GIZ

A Year of Multiple Crises: Russian war against Ukraine, extreme weather events, high prices for energy and fertilizer, food crisis had severe implications for food security and agriculture globally and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Transformation of the food systems is needed.

How the War against Ukraine Destabilizes Global Grain Markets

A Contribution by GIZ

Since early February 2022, two of the biggest grain and oilseed exporters have been at war. An overview, which countries are affected most severely by the destabilized grain markets, and what comes next.

A vibrant yellow field stretches under a dramatic cloudy sky, with green trees lining the horizon. | © Unsplash

The Black Sea Breadbasket in Crisis: Facts and Figures

An infographic by ONEWORLD no Hunger

Rising food and gas prices, physical destruction and supply chain disruptions: Why the Black Sea region matters and how the war in Ukraine affects global food security.

A line of trucks carrying UNICEF-labeled boxes travels along a rural road under a clear blue sky.

What the Middle East conflict means for the children in Gaza

An Interview by Jan Rübel

The Gaza Strip depends heavily on humanitarian aid, more than ever with the current war. Gaza population is very young: Half of them are children. What is their situation on the ground? Questions for Lucia Elmi, Unicef Special Representative to the State of Palestine.

People walk and cycle down a bustling market street lined with makeshift stalls and shops under a clear sky.

Where can international cooperation in Gaza come in, Ms. Asseburg?

An Interview by Jan Rübel

The armed conflict between Israeli forces and the Hamas is escalating. What does this mean for a Gaza, region that was already heavily dependent on external aid? Questions for Dr. Muriel Asseburg, Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.

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How are transformation and crisis intervention related, Dr. Frick?

By Dr. Martin Frick

UN World Food Programme (WFP)

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