Headline RoundupMay 31st, 2022

How Has the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Created a Global Food Crisis?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The months-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine is disrupting the area known as "Europe's breadbasket", leading to price hikes and supply issues for key food products worldwide.

Before the invasion, Russia and Ukraine were combining to produce roughly 25% of the world's wheat exports, 57% of sunflower seed oil exports and 14% of corn exports over the past several years, according to United Nations data. Much of that activity, especially in Ukraine, is now halted. Hundreds of thousands of acres of Ukrainian farmland is battle-torn, and Russia has also blockaded key export routes from Ukraine in the Black Sea. Some estimates suggest that 22-25 million metric tons of corn and wheat are sitting in Ukraine due to the blockades.

In the U.S., the Consumer Price Index for food is up 14.4% since the start of 2020. In other countries such as Lebanon, the food CPI has risen 3290% over the same span. In Africa, where nearly half of wheat imports come from Russia and Ukraine, reports across the spectrum say prices have risen as much as 45% due to the conflict. Some countries are responding by limiting their exports, especially oils and grain exports.

Outlets across the political spectrum, especially on the left and center but also on the right, have shown similarities in highlighting the conflict's impact on food security and access worldwide, and many have framed the situation as dire.

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