The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine is affecting the global agricultural markets – important grain deliveries are missing in parts of the world. The federal government is pressing for international support.
Before the G7 summit in Elmau, the federal government warned that the global hunger crisis would worsen and called for a determined fight for food security.
“It is a hunger crisis that is looming over us like a life-threatening wave,” said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at an international conference in Berlin on Friday. Around 345 million people are at risk of food shortages due to drought and crop failures caused by climate change and as a result of the corona pandemic. “But only Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine turned a wave into a tsunami,” said the Green politician.
Due to the lack of grain exports from Ukraine, a shortage of supplies is expected in some countries, for example in Africa and Asia. Lower volumes have pushed up prices on world markets. There are international efforts to create alternative transport routes for Ukraine’s exports in view of the Russian blockade of the seaports in the Black Sea. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had made it clear that the message from this Sunday’s G7 summit in Elmau should go out that the democracies of the world stand together in the fight against hunger.
Baerbock and her US colleague Antony Blinken made it clear that they want to do more to combat the hunger crisis. “Our message as the G7 is clear: we will not allow Russia’s war of aggression to plunge the world into hunger. We act together, »said Baerbock on Friday at a meeting with Blinken. He thanked Germany for taking the lead on this issue. “The only reason for this now is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s blockade of wheat and other food products to be exported from Ukraine,” he said.
“Disinformation” denied
At a meeting in Berlin, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries rejected the Russian claim that the sanctions against Russia were the reason for the blockade of wheat deliveries. This is “disinformation,” it said. “All G7 sanctions provide for exceptions to allow Russian food and agricultural products to enter world markets.”
Baerbock criticized: “Russia deliberately uses hunger as a weapon of war and makes the whole world hostage.” She also called for more financial support for international aid against hunger. “More than 44 billion euros will be needed this year, which are only half financed.” According to Baerbock, around 50 delegations had agreed to attend the international conference at short notice.
Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) spoke out in favor of creating permanent alternative routes for grain exports from Ukraine. This could also ensure that after the end of the war it would not be possible to blackmail them. As long as Russian President Vladimir Putin is in power, one must assume that the Black Sea is not a safe route. It would also be a signal to calm down the world markets if larger quantities could be transported away safely. However, capacities on alternative routes are limited and expensive.
Özdemir: “Don’t let Putin intimidate you”
Özdemir spoke of Putin’s “multidimensional warfare”. He wants to defeat Ukraine militarily, wage a hunger war against the global South and an energy war against the EU. The message is therefore also: “We will not be intimidated by Putin. Now it’s about showing what we’re made of.”
Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) explained that around 400 million people worldwide would normally be supplied with food from Ukraine. In many countries, these deliveries failed to materialize, and even more countries suffered from the high world market prices as a result of the war. “As always, it’s the poorest who suffer the most.” The federal government will invest a total of around four billion euros this year to combat hunger worldwide.
It is also about avoiding the next food crisis and the one after that, explained Schulze. More cultivation of more climate-adapted varieties such as millet in developing countries, more storage capacity on site and more regional trade are needed.
The G7 group of major industrialized countries includes the USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Germany. Germany is currently chairing and hosting the G7 summit in Schloss Elmau in Bavaria from Sunday to Tuesday.
Source: Stern
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