UKRAINE — As Russian forces continue to assail Ukrainians in both conflict and civilian zones alike, the food supply and livelihoods of people across Europe, Africa and Asia are also at stake: They all depend on Ukraine’s fertile farmlands, located in an area deemed the “breadbasket of the world.”
The Associated Press (AP) reported that although global disruptions to the wheat supply remain to be seen, prices have surged by 55% since a week prior to the Russian invasion, fueled by speculation and worry over what Russian president Vladimir Putin will do next. Many Ukrainian farmers have been forced to abandon their fields as millions of people flee the area, making it the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
Countries that rely on lower cost wheat exports from the region could start to feel the pinch as soon as July if the war continues, Arnaud Petit, the director of the International Grains Council told the AP. Several port cities along the Black Sea have been closed due to the invasion, making it difficult for the commodities to leave the region.
Both Russia and Ukraine produce nearly a third of the world’s wheat and barely exports, and Ukraine is the top exporter of sunflower oil, an ingredient that is commonly used in food processing. A Reuters report said that a recent government resolution from Ukraine introduced export licenses for several key agricultural commodities including wheat, corn and sunflower oil.
Ukrainian Railways, the state-run railway system for the country, announced yesterday that it was prepared to organize agricultural exports by rail as a matter of urgency due to the closure of many ports.
“Every tenth loaf of bread in the world is baked from Ukrainian grain,” the agency said on its website. “The war against Ukraine threatens the world with food shortages.”
The logistics of the export process are underway with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. The grain will be dispersed from there to other ports and hubs of Europe.
