Global food prices rose by 13% between February and March 2022, according to the latest data from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). That is by far the biggest monthly increase on record, a reflection of the severe supply chain issues plaguing the agricultural commodities sector. The most severe price rises are being seen in oils and cereals (which
An invasion. A war. A pandemic. A financial crisis. All have conspired to put unprecedented stress on global food systems. Ukraine and Russia produce a combined total of 14% of the world’s wheat and 30% of the world’s wheat exports, as well as 60% of the world’s sunflower oil. These supplies are under threat, with Russia suspending food and fertilizer
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely to have serious consequences for global food security. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that if there is a prolonged disruption in exports of wheat, fertilizer, and other items from Ukraine and Russia, the number of undernourished people worldwide could increase by 8 to 13 million people in 2022/23, with the most
It’s clear that the several-sided conditions of crisis that we are living through will be the driving force for further waves of struggle, writes John Clarke With the return of rates of inflation that we have not seen for decades, we have been told that the problem won’t last. The message in much of the media has been that
Monica Kariuki is about ready to give up on farming. What is driving her off her 10 acres of land outside Nairobi isn’t bad weather, pests or blight — the traditional agricultural curses — but fertilizer: It costs too much. Despite thousands of miles separating her from the battlefields of Ukraine, Kariuki and her cabbage, corn and spinach farm are
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has disrupted agricultural production and trade from one of the world’s major food exporting regions. The war threatens to drive rising food prices still higher and create scarcity, especially for regions most dependent on wheat and other exports from Russia and Ukraine. Particularly affected is the Middle East and North Africa region. These Arab countries consume
Global turmoil and supply shocks can increase a country’s vulnerability to food shortages. In the past, countries have often resorted to restrictive trade policies to address food supply disruptions. The Ukraine-Russia crisis is no exception; a number of countries have imposed export restrictions in various forms. With food prices already high due to COVID-related supply chain disruptions and drought-reduced yields last year,
BY JOSEPH GLAUBER,DAVID LABORDE AND ABDULLAH MAMUN Global turmoil and supply shocks can increase a country’s vulnerability to food shortages. In the past, countries have often resorted to restrictive trade policies to address food supply disruptions. The Ukraine-Russia crisis is no exception; a number of countries have imposed export restrictions in various forms. With food prices already high due to COVID-related supply