Science, Technologies, Innovations №1(37) 2026, 3-11 р

https://doi.org/10.35668/2520-6524-2026-1-01

Fedulova S. O. — D. Sc. in Economics, Professor, Head of the Department of Global Economy, Higher Education Institution “Alfred Nobel University”, 18, Sicheslavska Naberezhna Str., Dnipro, Ukraine, 49000; +38 (067) 775-76-89; fedulova.s@duan.edu.ua; ORCID: 0000-0002-5163-3890

Kholod S. B. — D. Sc. in Economics, Professor, Rector, Higher Education Institution “Alfred Nobel University”, 18, Sicheslavska Naberezhna Str., Dnipro, Ukraine, 49000; +38 (050) 320-23-20; kholod.sergii@gmail.com; ORCID: 0000-0003-2556-864X

Sokolova V. V. — PhD in Public Administration and Management, Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation, Higher Education Institution “Alfred Nobel University”, 18, Sicheslavska Naberezhna Str., Dnipro, Ukraine, 49000; +38 (067) 545-83-88; sokolova.v@duan.edu.ua; ORCID: 0000-0002-1162-2396.

GEOPOLITICAL FOOD SECURITY: THE TRANSFORMATION OF FOOD SYSTEMS

Abstract. This study aims to contribute to the academic discussion on the concept of geopolitical food security and to examine the related processes that are transforming global food systems. Today, food security has become one of the fundamental pillars of national sovereignty. Any vulnerabilities in this area can quickly be exploited by geopolitical rivals. The article emphasizes the growing role of geopolitics in the functioning of the global food system, a trend that raises increasing concern. It suggests that food resources are increasingly viewed as instruments of influence or even pressure – both in situations of open conflict and conditions of international competition. The authors propose conceptualizing geopolitical food security through the integration of the core dimensions of classical food security with geopolitical factors. In this context, the key components of geopolitical food security are identified as follows: food sovereignty; food self-sufficiency; control over agricultural production resources; resilience of food systems; geo-economic positioning in global markets; and the political use of food. The article also highlights the transformative processes currently reshaping food systems worldwide under the influence of food geopolitics. It is argued that the modern weaponization of hunger operates in far more complex ways than simply restricting access to food supplies. It may involve the deliberate destruction of agricultural infrastructure, the use of food aid as a tool of political manipulation, and even the strategic triggering of food inflation aimed at destabilizing governments. The study further demonstrates that food insecurity functions as a kind of risk multiplier, intensifying instability across several dimensions: social unrest, increased recruitment into armed groups, and intensified competition over resources. The analysis shows that food has become an integral component of hybrid warfare. These trends inevitably lead to the transformation of global food systems, driving a transition toward sustainable, healthy, and inclusive models that take into account geopolitical crises, climate challenges, and shifts in global trade.

Keywords: food security, food geopolitics, hunger, international conflicts, food power, food insecurity.

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