As global food crisis looms large, West cannot shirk responsibility

A GLOBAL food crisis seems to be approaching amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, extreme weather and skyrocketing prices. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a global food crisis if the country cannot export its agricultural goods, while Sara Menker, a food supply expert, said at a recent UN Security Council meeting that there was only 10 weeks of wheat supply left in the world.

A lot of food supply analysis these days have been telling the public that the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which together account for about 30 percent of global wheat exports, has exacerbated the global food insecurity, sending shock waves across developing countries that rely heavily on imported grain. When it comes to wheat supply, the global market is indeed facing disruptions. Countries like Egypt, Lebanon and Pakistan, which are traditionally top importers of Ukrainian wheat, are likely to be affected.