MIPP - Food Insecurity
A cura di Flaminia Marchetti, Policy Analyst
Ukraine: the granary of Europe
The war in Ukraine puts at risk food security in the old continent, just as much as the rest of the World. This is what IFAD and the European Parliament have denounced in two recent articles.
Great part of the public opinion seems to be focusing on the impact of the recent Russian attack on Ukraine on the future of gas prices. However, while Russia is key to gas supplies in Europe, Europe is renowned for being dependent on Ukrainian grain.
Ukraine is the third largest exporter of grain and corn in the World. Moreover, according to the European Commission’s AGRI, together with Russia, they cover 50% of the global needs of sunflower oil and 30% of the market of wheat.
European high reliance on Ukrainian agricultural products is then put at risk by the current conflict. Both the conflict and the sanctions imposed towards Russia will be a hard hit on the EU's agri-food sector.
Export suspensions
Ukraine has suspended exports of some products due to the growing risk of food shortages. In particular, the government has blocked exports of rye, oats, buckwheat and millet. Permission from the Ministry of Economy is needed on wheat, corn and oil.
The situation was anything but rosy even before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. In February, the FAO Food Price Index recorded an increase of 3.9% compared to January. However, the prices skyrocketed as soon as the conflict broke out.
Similar implications were recorded on other food items too. Europe has in fact bilateral trade for meat and dairy products too. Moreover, the Commission’s concerns are focused on the far-reaching consequences of the war. As a matter of fact, there is no idea when trade will resume. On the other hand, the war has upset the sowing of crops.
A risk for global food security
The conflict in Ukraine calls for two main actions. On the one hand, it represents a wakeup call on the Union’s dependence on external products and people. On the other, it represents a risk for global food security as a whole.
As a matter of fact, the implications of the war do not only impact food provision, but workforce too. As pointed out by the EU Parliament, Ukraine provides considerable seasonal workforce for European farms. The conflict calls attention to the need to shift to a more sustainable source of food production, and safeguard people’s wellbeing.
Besides Europe, the conflict puts at risk Ukrainian food security and the food security of many other countries too. 40% of Ukrainian exports of cereals go to the Middle East and Africa, which are facing food insecurity already. This insecurity feeds African vulnerabilities and may fuel new conflicts.