President Joe Biden issued a dire warning about food shortages due to sanctions placed on Russia for its incursion into Ukraine on Thursday.
In terms of food scarcity, that was certainly a topic of discussion. And — and it’s going to be genuine,” Biden declared.
It’s not just Russia that bears the brunt of these sanctions, but “an awful lot of countries, including European countries and our own,” he said. When it comes to Europe’s breadbasket, “just to give you one example,” “and since both Russia and Ukraine have been the breadbasket of Europe in terms of wheat.”
With both the United States and Canada, we had a long conversation in the G7, which is the third-largest wheat producer in the world, about how to deal with this.” We also discussed ways to increase and distribute food more quickly. Lack of food.”
Other foreign leaders, including Biden, discussed removing trade prohibitions on delivering food abroad and “urging all European countries and everyone else to do so.”
When it comes to alleviating food scarcity concerns, “we’re in the midst of working out what it would be—what it would take” with our European allies, he said. On the subject of humanitarian aid, particularly food, we also discussed a big and major contribution from the United States.”
A “serious risk” is looming if the violence in Ukraine does not cease soon, according to UN World Food Programme Chief Economist Arif Husain. With planting season just one week away, the yield will be “sharply reduced,” he said.
It will only get worse if this battle isn’t resolved in the next few weeks, Husain warned, according to National Geographic. So, Ukraine won’t be able to plant grain this year.” The yield of the winter wheat in the ground will be greatly diminished if it is not fertilized.
That’s a serious threat. In spite of the fact that they only have about 40 million citizens, they are able to feed 400 million people. We live in a worldwide society where this is the norm. This is a team effort.”
It was noted by Husain that the world is considerably more dangerous today as the COVID-19 epidemic has followed prior food security crises that led to riots, upheavals, and the collapse of the government.
COVID wasn’t available in 2008, he noted. The conflict in Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, or northeast Nigeria did not occur.” COVID has caused governments to run out of money; debt levels in many underdeveloped countries have never been higher.
Inflation is reaching an all-time high in the United States. Food and fuel prices were already at 10-year highs and seven-year highs before Ukraine was invaded. When you combine the loss of jobs and money with rising costs, people are feeling the pinch on both sides. “It couldn’t have arrived at a worse time,” says the author.