Is the Russian-Ukrainian war endangering food security in the world?

Introduction

Russia has been blocking wheat exportation from Ukraine since March 2022, which jeopardizes the world food supply. Russia and Ukraine are some of the biggest wheat exporters in the world. In 2021, Russia produced more than 75 000 tons of wheat and Ukraine produced 33 000. Hence, Ukraine’s nickname is the “breadbasket” of the world. The Russian blockade has potential knock-on effects. The poorest and most vulnerable people are suffering greatly as a result of rising food prices, according to David Malpass, President of the World Bank Group1. The World Bank is expecting a food crisis reminiscent of the 1970s, with “every 1% increase in food prices risks nearly 10 million additional people living in extreme poverty”, said the President.

As the world is trying to prevent a global food crisis, Russia is continuing the war with Ukraine using food as a weapon, to react to sanctions imposed by other countries. The war has already impacted the global market with the rise in prices, but with the blockade of wheat shipments in the Black Sea, the world is now facing food shortages that affect particularly poor countries. As a result, to address the crisis, countries are looking for other suppliers and turning to international organizations for backup.

In this fold, first, we are going to see how the blockade is used as a ‘food weapon’ by Russia, and the consequences this weapon has had in the world since the start of the war. Secondly, we will address how the world is trying to reduce the damage caused by the war on food safety. This could be seen in the efforts made by countries at a national level and efforts made by international organizations to provide aid to vulnerable parties.

Read the entire file Is the Russian-Ukrainian war endangering food security in the world?