Name: Ukraine war putting pressure on global grain supply | DW News
Uploaded: 2022-04-18T17:00:31.000Z
Duration: 18 min 13 s
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EU Development ministers are meeting today just to discuss how the war in Ukraine is impacting global Food Security, A Ukraine is one of the world's most important suppliers of grain and sunflower oil.

Russia's blockade of Black sea ports has halted shipments.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has accused Russia of using food as a weapon with global consequences.

The colors of Ukraine, the country's endless golden wheat fields are reflected in its flag, but Russia's invasion means some of Ukraine's rich farmland now looks like this.

Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately targeting its agriculture sector, tearing up fields, planting landmines and destroying equipment and warehouses.

Farmers have been tasked with planting extra crops in a bid to make up for the losses elsewhere, but the threat to food security goes far beyond Ukraine.

The country is one of the world's biggest exporters of food products, like wheat, corn and sunflower oil.

But Russia has blocked Ukraine's key ports, leaving it unable to ship vital food supplies without our agricultural exports, dozens of countries in different parts of the world are already on the brink of food shortages and over time the situation could become, frankly speaking, terrible.

Politicians are already discussing the possible consequences of the sharp rise in prices, famine in African countries, Asian countries, Russia has blamed the situation on Western sanctions, but some experts suggest Russia is manipulating grain markets using wheat as a bargaining chip to its own advantage as the world's number one wheat exporter.

There are warnings Russia could withhold its own wheat exports for political gain.

Around 4.5 million tons of grain is stuck in silos at Ukrainian ports.

It's particularly disastrous for countries already suffering from food shortages.

Yemen, for example, gets more than half of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia.

This uh world, the Ukraine world has is overlapping.

The impact is overlapping with a crisis that has already been unfolding in several countries.

The EU is now racing to work out alternative routes across land to secure supply chains.

Is leading negotiations to get shipping routes reopened and get vital food supplies to where they are desperately needed and for more, I'm joined now by DWS brussels Bureau chief Alexandra von Namen, Good morning Alex Alexandra.

The main focus of today's summit is the threat to food security.

How great is the concern in brussels right now?

I think we have to say that the european union is very concerned, not so much about its own dependence on Ukrainian weed or sunflower oil, it's more about what could be happening soon in the neighboring countries or in the most vulnerable countries in parts of africa or in the Middle East.

So there is a major concern that we could see mass hunger and famine if this crisis is not going to be solved.

And we just have to remember as we saw in the report that Ukraine is one of the biggest exports of food.

The World Food Program for instance, that is feeding more than 120 million people buys 50% of its weed from Ukraine.

So the dimension is huge and Russia stands not only accused of blocking Ukrainian ports but also and we saw in the report of deliberately targeting Ukrainian food sector, the Eu foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell is chairing the meeting.

What proposals is he likely to put forward to tackle an issue of just such magnitude?

Well, the Ukrainian commission has already proposed to help Ukraine transport.

It's wheat and other grains on roads by road, by river and by rail and they are looking for alternative routes.

We have to keep in mind for instance, that there is a difference of gauge of tracks.

If we are speaking about railway ways of transporting weed so the weeds would need to be reloaded and border crossings between Ukraine and for instance, Poland the neighboring countries.

So the solution still needs to be found to be honest, how to deal with this huge crisis looming.

The EU foreign ministers are also meeting today in Turin, can you give us an idea of what we will be on the agenda there?

They will be meeting in a much broader format.

We're talking here about the council of europe and its members are not only members of the european union, but also countries outside the bloc like Turkey for an instance.

So, Ukraine is of course front and center of the agenda.

But I think this meeting is more about exchanging views and proposals on how to help Ukraine.

Dws Alexandra phenomenon brussels, thank you MS Urpilainen, you're attending a G seven Development Ministers meeting here in Berlin.

We had very constructive, a good meeting and several very timely topics we discussed on uh I would say that the main message is that even though the Ukrainian war or war in Ukraine is taking place in europe, the crisis is global and that's why we cannot turn our back to the rest of the world because we see that the consequences of the war are very, very serious.

For instance, in the Global South, are we turning the back on the Global South now?

And that's very important to tell also to our partners in the Global South um taking into account for instance, food security and food crisis, which is a huge challenge for instance, in the Horn of Africa or in the southern part of the Sahel in Africa, We are giving as the European Union and as a team Europe.

So commission and the member states or €1 billion, mainly humanitarian assistance to those regions so that they can really buy more food and they are able to feed their citizens.

Um but that's not the only action we are taking, we are also investing in the food production capacities in Africa because Africa imports 80% of the food it uses.

So Africa for instance, as a continent is very dependent on the import.

And that's why we also want to strengthen the capacity of production capacity in Africa.

And uh, and I'm personally front loading some of our EU Developing cooperation financing so that we can support food, sustainable food systems in our partner countries.

You just mentioned the dependence of several African countries when it comes to imports, it is believed that nearly 25 million tons of grains are in Ukraine.

What are you trying to do to get this food out to the international markets?

Well, of course, we also try to work with with Ukraine so that we could still export the food which is still existing in Ukraine.

So this is the first target we are we are working on then.

The second one is that we are working with the humanitarian organizations in order to provide humanitarian assistance, especially to the Horn of Africa, but also to to the Sahel at the southern part of Solon, also Lake Jack region.

And then like I said, it's always of course important too.

Two act rapidly and look at the current crisis, but I think it's also at the same time important too, to have this kind of a mid term perspective.

How would you define the relationship between the european union and Africa, Is it a relationship on an eyesight on a level or is it still europe telling africa how they should produce things, how they should import, how they should export.

I would define our partnership as equal and mutual partnerships.

So we definitely, mainly we share the same values most of the African citizens.

They try for democracy, rule of law and also respect of human rights, but at the same time Africa also shared the same challenges as as we are facing in terms of climate change but also digitalization.

And that's why we, the european union adopted a new global gateway strategy in in december where we wanted to really support green and digital transitions globally.

But our main focus is of course in Africa you said that the relationship is equal and mutual.

Do you think that your African counterparts seed like that as well?

There has been criticism that usually when the EU is helping, it's also a lot of value based, not with for example, chinese are also increasing their influence in Africa.

Do you think that there should be some way approach or some mistakes that were made by european union institutions regarding Africa, I think it's quite clear that everything the european union is doing is based on the values we represent because for me the european union is the community of values.

So that's why for instance is global gateway strategy and all those investments we are trying to accelerate through the global gateway strategy are very much linked to the values, how I see the strategy, it's a positive offer to our partner countries in the Global South not only africa globally really to to accelerate investments in energy but also to agriculture, transport, digital and also soft infrastructure like health and education.

So we are you know um combining those investments to high quality standards in terms of environment and and also social standards and and also to our values.

So I think I think this global gateway strategy at least the feedback I have received from the Global South East, the strategy is very much appreciated.

You spoke about values and as many western countries are trying to decrease the dependence to Russian all heading to other countries with dire human rights records like Venezuela like Iran like Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

Are you concerned about this development?

Well I think it's it's very understandable that because of the war in Ukraine we really want to decrease our dependence on the Russian energy and fossil fuels.

Um I think it's necessary really to create new new partnerships also in terms of energy.

Um how I see the partnership is that if you have a real partnership equal partnership then you can also raise uh difficult topics to your discussions and and tables.

So of course I personally hope that even though we are creating new contracts in terms of energy with different partners globally, we can also you know, despite that we can also raise those value value based topics to those in those discussions with them as well.

Do you think that should happen after the partnership?

So first the business, the economy to see when it comes to energy and then raise those topics or making a condition to go into a partnership?

I think at least from my own experience, I think you can do it parallel so you can you can have your own interest, you can also you know prom promote your own strategic interest.

And this is of course part of the global gateway.

We see that also as a as a strategic interest of the european union and the europe, but on the same time, you can also discuss on values and and where and what are the values the partnership is based on.

So I think you can do both german development Minister, Svenja Schulze accused Russia of using in hunger is a weapon.

Unfortunately, one can really have this kind of interpretation because as we've already discussed a little bit earlier, we see that there is a lot of food in the storage is in Ukraine and Ukraine is not able to export that.

And at the same time people are starving for instance in africa, but also in the Middle East in some countries because they are so dependent on on on the food uh import.

So I think my main message and and and also thinking is that we should try to end that war in Ukraine as soon as possible.

I think I think that's that's the benefit of people in Ukraine of course, because they are the ones who are suffering the most.

But that's also the benefit of the Global citizens in the Global South.

Because we see that every day of this war is causing more and more suffer also in the Global South.

I'd like to ask you about G20 because Russia is not part of the G7, but is part of the wider group of the G-20.

Do you think that that is a mistake, as many countries that are part of the G-20 are asking for Russia to be excluded?

Well, historically Russia has been part of the G20 and Russia has been part of the different international organization as well.

My uh my understanding is that Russia is probably going to participate in the G-20 meeting.

We'll see that in the autumn, Uh what kind of consequences it might cause.

I think it's still something uh different 20 members are discussing on.

But my personal wishes that hopefully we could end this war Sooner than later.

So that then we could also be in the new new situation, but also relating to my own portfolio.

We plan to have achieved 20 development ministers meeting in in the Indonesia in September and as far as I'm informed also, Russia is going to participate in it.