Council of Councils
Think Global Health
Energy and Environment
Food and Water Security
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How food is being used as a weapon in Gaza, Sudan, and UkraineExperts, physicians, and humanitarian workers point to an alarming pattern that spans across regions, countries, and conflicts: food is being weaponized. And that weaponization is evolving—shaped by technology, globalization, and the politics of power.
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Famine Declared in Gaza: What to KnowMalnutrition has reached alarming levels in Gaza, aid officials say, with famine declared in the territory’s most populated region, and hunger now reportedly affecting civilians as well as journalists, doctors, and other personnel on the ground.
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Why It Matters Live Podcast Taping on Food DiplomacyPlease join us for a LIVE! taping of the CFR Why It Matters podcast. During this special taping and livestream, host Gabrielle Sierra and podcast guests discuss food diplomacy and share stories from White House state dinners where food helped create a lasting partnership. Why It Matters explains some of the least-understood issues that are shaping our world. Every two weeks, host Gabrielle Sierra speaks to a diverse lineup of guests with the goal of simplifying a complicated global topic. Will the world run out of coffee? Will wars be fought by killer robots? Is Hollywood giving in to Chinese censorship? With a little bit of humor and a lot of curiosity, Why It Matters is here to dig in and find out. Please note Why It Matters LIVE! will appear on all podcast feeds and stream live through CFR.org. The CFR Young Professionals Briefing Series provides an opportunity for those early in their careers to engage with CFR. The briefings feature remarks by experts on critical global issues and lessons learned in their careers. These events are intended for individuals who have completed their undergraduate studies and have not yet reached the age of thirty to be eligible to apply for CFR term membership.
Experts in this Topic
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Why Expanded BRICS Is Backing a Russia-Initiated Grain ExchangeIn a move to reshape global agricultural trade, the 2024 BRICS Kazan Declaration has thrown its weight behind the creation of a BRICS Grain Exchange.
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Trade-offs in the Desert: RealEcon Visits ArizonaFrom semiconductors and water conservation to mining and the clean energy transition, Arizona is balancing trade-offs that will have important lessons for the country.
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Accelerating Solutions at the Intersection of Climate Change and Food SecurityPanelists discuss the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), a 5-year joint initiative launched in 2021 and co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and the importance of investing in climate-smart agriculture and food system innovation. For further information, please see www.aimforclimate.org.
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How U.S. Water Infrastructure WorksThe sprawling U.S. water system is central to the nation’s economy, but chronic underinvestment, increasing demand, and the consequences of climate change have revealed the system’s weaknesses.
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Special Event: Dinner of Extinction—A Taste of Climate ActionThe “Dinner of Extinction” will address the dangers the world faces due to climate change and rapidly deteriorating ecosystems. Sam Kass, former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition to President Barack Obama, will open the dinner with an introduction to the courses that will be served, highlighting the importance of the ingredients used. Those ingredients and other resources people rely on and enjoy will be depleted, if not extinct, within the next few decades if human beings do not act effectively and quickly. The dinner program will also include a panel discussion on the future of climate change and what can be done to protect food security and the world’s fragile ecosystems. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of the discussion portion of this event will be posted on the CFR website. Please note there is no virtual component to this meeting. **Space for this event is limited. Please respond to this invitation at your earliest convenience by clicking the Register or Decline button, responding to this email, or calling the Meetings Response Line at 646.558.8656.
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Climate Change and Regional Instability in the Middle East
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The Middle East has suffered from protracted instability in recent decades, and climate-related disasters compound existing suffering. Marwa Daoudy argues that the United States and its partners should center mitigation efforts in assistance to the region. -
The President’s Inbox Recap: Global Food InsecurityRussia’s decision to leave the Black Sea grain deal raises fresh fears about food shortages in the world’s poorest countries.
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Global Food Insecurity, With Caitlin WelshCaitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Kremlin’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative threaten global food security.
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Russia Killed the Black Sea Grain Deal. These Countries Could Suffer Most.Moscow’s exit from the deal generated alarm in a number of populous lower-income countries dependent on Ukrainian grain.
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Down and Dirty: The Global Fertilizer DilemmaFeeding the world's eight billion people has never been easy. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine shocked the market for fertilizer, that task has gotten even harder. The fertilizer crisis threatens to exacerbate food insecurity worldwide, especially in low-income countries already reeling from record-high inflation and rapidly depreciating currencies. What is fertilizer’s role in the food supply chain?
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Women This Week: Children in South Asia Represent Plurality of Global Child Brides, UNICEF ReportsWelcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers April 22 to April 28.
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Water Stress: A Global Problem That’s Getting WorseWater scarcity threatens the health and development of communities around the globe. Climate change is intensifying the problem, pushing governments to find more innovative, collaborative ways to address water stress.
