EXPLAINED: How is Russia-Ukraine war causing a global food crisis?

The ongoing ravaging war in eastern Europe has not only affected Russia and Ukraine but the whole world in some way or the other, causing food crises and disruptions to energy supply chains. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that a global food catastrophe is looming as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Increasing food prices have worsened rising inflation, which has been driven by increased energy prices as the West disengages from Russian oil and gas supplies, raising fears that many of the world's poorest people would find it tough to feed themselves. 

How is the ongoing war causing a global food crisis?

The issue arises because Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of some of the world's most important staple foods. The Black Sea region is vital to world food security because of its importance in supplying food, fertilisers, and energy. Russia and Ukraine are key exporters of wheat and maize, as they account for at least 30% of the global supply across the world. They account for 20% of maize exports, according to the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). Wheat supplies have been harmed immensely since the onset of war in late February, as Ukrainian ports have been restricted by Russia for commercial shipping.

Furthermore, mounting sanctions on Russia, particularly its banks, have harmed merchants' access to credit. Meanwhile, the cost of insurance has risen significantly. Apart from all these factors, nearly 13.5 million tonnes of wheat are stuck in Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has blocked almost all Ukrainian ports and around 22 million tonnes of grain including wheat, barley, sunflowers and others. 

Ukraine supplies 50% of grain for World Food Programme

While Ukraine exports large amounts of grain to countries all over the world, Asia and Africa are its primary buyers. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), up to 25 African nations, including many least developed countries, import more than one-third of their wheat from the two warring countries. Meanwhile, for 15 of them, it is more than 50%. Furthermore, Ukraine supplies 50% of the grain for the World Food Programme (WFP), which feeds 125 million of the world's poorest people. In addition, fertiliser prices have reached an all-time high, with raw material prices for fertiliser production jumping by 30% since the onset of the war.

What can be done to mitigate the rising food crisis?

In an effort to resume Ukrainian grain exports, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was in "constant touch" with Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Guterres expressed "hope" for a solution, saying Russia would allow the shipment of grain stored at Ukrainian ports and ensure unhindered access to global markets. Meanwhile,  the Ukrainian government has proposed the Group of Seven (G7) countries create an influential organisation of grain exporting countries to tackle the global market challenges.

Mykola Solsky, Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy, urged that the world's leading grain exporting countries should consider the formation of a prominent organisation that would respond to challenges to food security, particularly from Russia. According to him, such an organisation would play a role in imposing export restrictions on grains to stabilise prices and market predictability.  Meanwhile, the Russian government has stated that it would consider opening access to Ukraine's Black Sea ports only "if sanctions against Moscow are reviewed."

(Image: AP)