Topic: Scientists say food insecurity drove international conflict 2000 years ago (Read 198 times)

If nations with powerful militaries are unable to feed their citizens in the future. Could it lead to them invading weaker nations in an effort to seize resources, supplies and farmland. In an effort to achieve sustainability?

I've heard that buzzphrase on the radio and on Youtube as well, I think, and I'm pretty sure that's all it is, a buzzphrase.  Doesn't the United States still have record numbers of obese citizens?  Sure, that could be from eating the wrong foods, but "food insecurity" does not equate to "actual food shortage".  Hell, I'd argue that people were insecure about their ability to buy certain foods at the start of the pandemic, due to panic buying and later because of those mysterious supply chain issues.

As to that second question there, I don't believe the world is headed toward starvation by a long shot.  I think this is a made up issue and simply by talking about it we're all feeding into the media or government's agenda--I have no idea what that agenda could be, but I don't doubt they have one.

With food insecurity headlines becoming known constants in the media. Is it possible that food shortages of the future could pave the war to violence, war and bloodshed on an international scale?

For many years, internet trolls have said if the united states government runs out of funding. They can simply invade a smaller and weaker nation to steal their wealth and generate liquidity. The US economy is backed by the US military. Which can happily steal whatever it needs from weaker nations, to render its economic policy sustainable, no matter how dire the conditions.

With food insecurity headlines becoming known constants in the media. Is it possible that food shortages of the future could pave the war to violence, war and bloodshed on an international scale?

If nations with powerful militaries are unable to feed their citizens in the future. Could it lead to them invading weaker nations in an effort to seize resources, supplies and farmland. In an effort to achieve sustainability?

Apologies in advance if this sounds depressing. I try to consider most scenarios no matter whether I like them or not. It might be somewhat negative. But can also be a good source of motivation.

It's not far from happening, although of course there is still some time to act before we get to the point wherein we have to fight for our basic needs and oppress other nations into giving us their resources. It's what a lot of generations before us did before we reached this point of "harmony" between nations and it's not impossible for us to revert back to that stage again. Imagine if everyone goes batshit crazy due to hunger. For damn sure they will do everything they can to survive another day, even if it means hurting someone for their food. It's still embedded within us for our own survival and pretty sure it'll exhibit once we reached our breaking point. The problem is, for sure the next conflict for survival will surely leave a lot of people dead—but not hungry, at least.

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For many years, internet trolls have said if the united states government runs out of funding. They can simply invade a smaller and weaker nation to steal their wealth and generate liquidity. The US economy is backed by the US military. Which can happily steal whatever it needs from weaker nations, to render its economic policy sustainable, no matter how dire the conditions.

With food insecurity headlines becoming known constants in the media. Is it possible that food shortages of the future could pave the war to violence, war and bloodshed on an international scale?

If nations with powerful militaries are unable to feed their citizens in the future. Could it lead to them invading weaker nations in an effort to seize resources, supplies and farmland. In an effort to achieve sustainability?

Apologies in advance if this sounds depressing. I try to consider most scenarios no matter whether I like them or not. It might be somewhat negative. But can also be a good source of motivation.

With food insecurity headlines becoming known constants in the media. Is it possible that food shortages of the future could pave the war to violence, war and bloodshed on an international scale?

If nations with powerful militaries are unable to feed their citizens in the future. Could it lead to them invading weaker nations in an effort to seize resources, supplies and farmland. In an effort to achieve sustainability?

Apologies in advance if this sounds depressing. I try to consider most scenarios no matter whether I like them or not. It might be somewhat negative. But can also be a good source of motivation.

For many years, internet trolls have said if the united states government runs out of funding. They can simply invade a smaller and weaker nation to steal their wealth and generate liquidity. The US economy is backed by the US military. Which can happily steal whatever it needs from weaker nations, to render its economic policy sustainable, no matter how dire the conditions.

With food insecurity headlines becoming known constants in the media. Is it possible that food shortages of the future could pave the war to violence, war and bloodshed on an international scale?

If nations with powerful militaries are unable to feed their citizens in the future. Could it lead to them invading weaker nations in an effort to seize resources, supplies and farmland. In an effort to achieve sustainability?

Returning to the story of the historical ancient city of Palmyra to try to narrate the hypothesis of the effect of hunger on politics is a long jump. We have recent models that show that even major countries can easily be subjected to shocks that force them to show their greedy authoritarian side.
Let's go back to the beginning of COVID-19 period, when some countries stole vaccines, distributing them to their citizens first, distributing them according to political loyalty, and finally using them as weapons.

I suppose anything is possible but consider how much food is gone to waste every single year, and that in developed countries there's hundreds of thousands of deaths associated with overconsumption (obesity) ranging from heart disease to hypertension to diabetes. You couldn't even begin to list the adverse effects of having too much food around.

Imagine if everyone goes batshit crazy due to hunger. For damn sure they will do everything they can to survive another day, even if it means hurting someone for their food. It's still embedded within us for our own survival and pretty sure it'll exhibit once we reached our breaking point. The problem is, for sure the next conflict for survival will surely leave a lot of people dead—but not hungry, at least.

Researchers have identified climate-driven changes to food availability as a factor behind dramatic historical events that led the oasis city of Palmyra in Syria to its ultimate demise.

Ancient Palmyra has gripped public imagination since its picturesque ruins were "rediscovered" in the seventeenth century by western travellers. The most legendary story of ancient Palmyra is that of Queen Zenobia ruling over a thriving city in the Syrian Desert who dared to challenge the Roman Empire but ultimately got defeated. Her kingdom was subjugated, and the city was reduced to a small settlement without any wide-ranging importance. This has only recently been overshadowed by the catastrophic events of the Syrian Civil War that saw the archaeological site and the museum plundered and many monuments destroyed.

Deteriorating climate and a growing population

Now, scientists from Aarhus University and the University of Bergen are questioning the historical narrative about the final blow given to the city solely by the Roman invasion in 272/273 CE.

"We can now see that food security, always the main concern for a large urban centre situated in a highly inhospitable environment, was gradually reduced with a deteriorating climate and a growing population of the city. The timing of this nexus matches exactly the time of the reign of Zenobia and of that of her husband, Odaenathus, marked by social shifts, militarisation, the rapid conquest of neighbouring lands and the dramatic conflict that led to the demise of Palmyra," says Dr Iza Romanowska, one of the authors behind the new study.

Interdisciplinary team effort unlocks complex data

The interdisciplinary research team reconstructed the hinterland of ancient Palmyra -- the area around the city that could provide it with basic foodstuff -- and used modern land-use models developed for dry and semi-dry environments to estimate the maximum productivity of the land. They then ran the model against existing climate records to determine how much food could be produced at different points in Palmyra's history and with what reliability. In order to do this, archaeologists, ancient historians and complexity scientists joined forces to unleash the knowledge locked in the otherwise impenetrable data. The results showed that a long-term climatic shift towards drier and hotter climate caused a gradual decrease in agricultural yields, reaching levels barely sufficient to feed the budding population of Palmyra around the middle of the third century.

Innovative new approach -- new angles

Co-author Professor Rubina Raja, Aarhus University's chair of classical archaeology and director of the DNRF-funded Centre of Excellence for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet) heads the Carlsberg Foundation-funded project "Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability in Antiquity" from which the study stems. Rubina Raja adds:

"While there have been numerous studies looking at Palmyra's history, social composition and infrastructure, it is thanks to the innovative new approach that we are able to look at the history of this important city and the whole region from an entirely new angle. By combining computational modelling with a wide range of archaeological data processed by humanities researchers with deep historical knowledge we are able to consider the circular economy and its long-term sustainability and resilience."

Learning from the past is key

The study sets up a research pipeline, including computer scripts and detailed instructions, that will enable other researchers to analyse other ancient cities and determine how often and under what circumstances food security played a key role in shaping historical trajectories of past peoples.

"This kind of study showcases that many challenges which our societies face today had equivalents in the past. Contrary to the often-repeated trope that humans never learn from history, we can and we should learn lessons from the past," says professor in Global History at the University of Bergen and one of the study's authors, Eivind Heldaas Seland.


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220921141529.htm