Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), warns the food crisis sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war might linger for years without intervention. African countries, she added, might be particularly badly struck by wheat and fertilizer shortages.
Due to the war, millions of tonnes of grain lie in storage and Ukrainian ports, unable to be shipped.
Ukraine is a significant worldwide wheat exporter, accounting for 9% of global production. In addition to that, it also controls 42% sunflower oil market and 16% of the global maize market.
Possible Remedy
The United Nations (UN) is driving attempts to build a “grain corridor” for tankers leaving Odessa and other Ukrainian ports, with a Turkish naval escort. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Ukraine must eliminate mines from its Black Sea ports for this attempt to succeed.
Source: GBC Online