New 2026 Report Examines the Weaponization of Hunger and Grassroots Resistance

• The Global Network for the Right to Food and Nutrition has launched the 17th edition of its annual Right to Food and Nutrition Watch.
• The report investigates how food is used as a weapon for control and displacement while showcasing how local communities fight for food sovereignty.

Power Dynamics and Hunger

• Hunger is identified as a function of power rather than mere scarcity, influenced by control over land, labor recognition, and the marginalization of vulnerable groups.
• Food is increasingly weaponized in contexts of war and occupation to create dependency and undermine local ability to challenge systemic injustice.
• Structural violence, including climate breakdown and ecosystem destruction, causes long-term hunger that often goes unnoticed.

Community-Led Solutions

• Communities are building alternatives by reclaiming land, sharing knowledge, and establishing resilient care networks.
• Resistance efforts are focused on reclaiming the power to decide how food is produced, challenging systems that concentrate control in few hands.
• The report questions whether food systems can be made just through minor improvements or if a fundamental redistribution of power is necessary.

Publication Overview

• The 2026 edition utilizes a more accessible format, featuring conversations, interviews, and roundtables to amplify diverse lived experiences.
• Since its 2008 inception, the Watch has served as a monitoring tool to track global and local policies and hold systems accountable for the right to food.