HuffPost: Nutrition is political and civil society needs to shape those politics
Danny Sriskandarajah, secretary general at CIVICUS and member of the SUN Movement Lead Group

“…[M]alnutrition isn’t about food alone. Malnutrition is political. In Syria, South Sudan, and now Yemen, blocking food from reaching entire cities, and even entire countries, has become a tactic of war. These blockades are a harsh reminder: there is nothing natural about hunger, it is entirely man made. The deterioration in global hunger since 2014 also reflects the reality that climate change is already affecting crops, livestock, and fish stocks. … Addressing such problems requires global cooperation. … The political, social, and cultural nature of hunger manifests itself in many ways, including gender, racial and environmental inequalities. … It is [in these global policy discussions] that civil society is so sorely needed, as an independent actor, able to hold governments, corporations, and international organizations accountable for their roles in creating, and addressing these inequalities. We need to protect this role in nutrition — and in every other part of sustainable development” (11/16).