WHEAT AND WATER

Ancient, Present, and Future Geopolitical Challenges

Edited by Giuseppe Anzera and Tiberio Graziani

Among the numerous challenges posed by the ongoing shift in the geopolitical paradigm—characterized by the fragmentation of globalization and the consequent rise in conflict—those involving the acquisition, management, and control of food and water resources play a particularly critical role. Ensuring food security for a growing population, especially in newly developing areas of the planet, undoubtedly represents a cornerstone in the redefinition of power balances and management.

These changes, fostering new lifestyles and dietary patterns, position wheat as a central element in global food security. Closely linked to food security is the issue of water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, controversial privatization policies, and strategic efforts by states to reduce water deficits. The consequences of these dynamics could be dire, especially in light of global population growth.

The food crises of recent years, including those driven by policies prioritizing biofuel crops over food crops, have underscored these challenges, with severe implications for the number of people who have suffered—and continue to suffer—from hunger, often migrating to find essential resources. The strategic importance of food and water resources for future balances is also evident in phenomena like land grabbing—aggravating food shortages, migrations, and climate change—and the use of dams as geopolitical leverage between neighboring states.

To explore the complexity of these challenges, Geopolitica journal is launching a call for papers focusing on wheat and water resources, examining their interactions with geographical contexts, power dynamics, and crisis factors. This call aims for a multidimensional approach, integrating and systematizing diverse aspects—geographical, historical, political, cultural, sociological, economic, demographic, agronomic, and engineering—related to these topics.

Topics of Interest

Contributions may address, among others, the following themes:

• Resources as Tools of Geopolitical Power and Influence
  • The role of wheat and water in reshaping global balances.
  • Resources as instruments of coercion and diplomacy.
• Food Security and Changing Consumption Patterns
  • The importance of wheat in global food security.
  • The growing demand for food and evolving lifestyles and diets.
• Water Scarcity and Conflicts Over Water
  • Water emergencies and wars over water control.
  • The construction of water infrastructures as tools of geopolitical domination.
  • Water privatization processes and internal conflicts.
• Interconnections Between Resources, Climate, and Migration
  • The impact of climate change on food and water resources.
  • Migration and competition for essential resources.
  • The effects of biofuel production on food crop cultivation.
• Historical and Comparative Dimensions
  • Historical and methodological approaches to studying resources as geopolitical factors.
  • Lessons from the past on food and water resource management strategies.
• The Global South at the Center of Future Challenges
  • Emerging development areas and their roles in food and water balances.
  • Strategies and policies to address crises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Economic Speculation and Food Crises
  • The role of financial speculation in global resource markets.
  • Food crises and their geopolitical consequences.

Author Guidelines

• Contributions can be theoretical or empirical, employing interdisciplinary approaches in geography, political science, economics, history, agronomy, engineering, and other relevant fields.
• Works with a comparative approach and/or analysis of the Global South are particularly welcome.
• Unpublished articles written in Italian, English, French, or Spanish are accepted.

Deadlines

• Submission of abstracts (300 words max, in English, with three keywords): February 28 2025
• Notification of acceptance: March 20 2025
• Submission of full papers: June 15 2025
• Publication: December 2025

Submissions will undergo a double-blind peer-review process, typically taking two to three months. Authors will be informed of decisions (acceptance, revision, or rejection) upon completion of the review.

Abstracts and papers should be sent to Tiberio Graziani at tibgraziani@gmail.com, with the subject line: “Call for Papers – Wheat and Water.”

For further information, contact the editor at tibgraziani@gmail.com.

Submission Guidelines

• Articles must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Length should not exceed 70,000 characters (including spaces).
• Submissions must adhere to the journal’s formatting and ethical guidelines, available at: https://www.geopoliticarivista.it/author-guidelines/.

Manuscript Format

1. Title
2. Author(s)
3. Author(s) affiliation
4. Short author(s) bio
5. Abstract (in English): Up to 300 words summarizing the study’s purpose, methodology, results, and significance.
6. Three keywords (in English)
7. Introduction: Comprehensive review of the study’s context and objectives.
8. Methodology: Detailed description of research methods, data sources, and analytical techniques.
9. Results: Clear presentation of findings, supported by statistical analyses and visual aids, where appropriate.
10. Discussion: Interpretation of results, implications for theory and practice, and potential limitations.
11. Conclusion: Summary of findings and their impact on geopolitics.

Authors are invited to submit original research articles, reviews, case studies, and theoretical or methodological discussions meeting the journal’s scientific standards. Proposals should be well-grounded in the relevant literature and articulate a clear contribution to advancing geopolitical studies.