In a speech on Monday, Michael Higgens, President of Ireland, emphasized the importance of protecting community land and resources to prevent hunger in the context of increased acquisition by elites. “The institutional and structural reforms that are necessary are now more urgent than ever. We need both bottom-up and top-down processes to create an enabling environment where marginalised groups have the capacity to claim their rights. This means overcoming perceived constraints and ensuring that political processes towards the solutions are accountable, participative and courageous,” he said.