Breaking from the past? Environmental narratives, logics of power, and the (re)production of food insecurity in South Sudan
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Recurrent famines are linked to how political elites view the water-energy-food nexus and environmental narratives. South Sudan
Area Of Science
- Political Economy
- Food Security Studies
- Environmental Narratives
Background
- Recent years have seen rising commodity prices and conflict-induced hunger, prompting renewed focus on recurring famines in vulnerable regions.
- Current interventions often overlook the interconnectedness of food security with the political economy of water and energy, and the historical influence of ideas.
- Understanding recurrent famines requires analyzing how political elites conceptualize the water-energy-food nexus and environmental narratives in power consolidation.
Purpose Of The Study
- To re-examine the drivers of recurrent food insecurity by analyzing South Sudanese history.
- To investigate how political elites in South Sudan have utilized the water-energy-food nexus and environmental narratives for political gain.
- To challenge the notion that integrating water, energy, and food resources into global markets guarantees food abundance.
Main Methods
- Historical analysis of South Sudanese political and economic strategies.
- Examination of elite discourse on resource management and environmental narratives.
- Case study approach focusing on the post-secession period in South Sudan.
Main Results
- South Sudan's post-independence leaders have adopted strategies similar to the state they opposed, focusing on exporting resources.
- Despite the aim to "feed the world," the strategy prioritizes global market integration over ensuring domestic food abundance.
- The political elite's conceptualization of the water-energy-food nexus and environmental narratives plays a crucial role in maintaining power.
Conclusions
- Recurrent food insecurity in South Sudan is perpetuated by elite strategies focused on resource export rather than domestic needs.
- The historical context and the political economy of the water-energy-food nexus are critical for understanding persistent famines.
- Rethinking interventions requires acknowledging the role of political ideas and historical power dynamics in shaping food (in)security.
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