Washington, D.C. — The Center for American Progress will host a discussion on the national security implications of climate change and food security, featuring former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, retired Rear Admiral Jon White, and a panel of experts from the World Food Program and the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Defense. The event to be held on June 21 will draw upon current policy debates in the United States, as well as lessons learned from the November 2015 policy decision-making exercise, “Food Chain Reaction: A Global Food Security Game.”
Climate change, environmental deterioration, water management, and food security have become key concerns for national security and global governance. Food riots and water disputes in the Middle East illuminated the region’s extreme food insecurity. In the five years before the uprising in Syria, for example, the country experienced one of the worst droughts on record—decimating wheat production and wiping out livestock. There is little question that the effects of climate change will cause more extreme weather events and crop insecurities in the decades to come, and it is reasonable to expect that the secondary and tertiary effects will be magnified with time.
WHO:
Welcoming remarks:
Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), Chair of the Board of Directors, Center for American Progress; former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
Jon White, retired Rear Admiral, Navy; President and CEO, Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Panelists:
Nancy Stetson, U.S. Special Representative for Global Food Security, U.S. Department of State
Richard Leach, President and CEO, World Food Program USA
Sharon Burke, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, U.S. Department of Defense; Senior Advisor, New America
Moderated by:
Max Hoffman, Associate Director, National Security and International Policy, Center for American Progress
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
10:30 a.m. ET – 12:00 p.m. ET
RSVP:
RSVP for this event →
WHERE:
Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, D.C., 20005
Map and directions 
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.
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