Links between food security and the environment occur at national and international levels, as well as locally. But perceptions of the relationship at global and village levels diverge widely. Considering a number of issues including the effect of global warming on food production and the possibility of green conditionality being imposed on aid flows, this article considers how the globalist perspective has come about; looks at some trade‐offs between global environmental concerns and food security; and discusses how planning constraints increase the likelihood of conflicts.