Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung: The situation in Ukraine threatens to starve 100 million inhabitants of the Earth

The situation in Ukraine and its consequences may cause a famine that will affect up to 100 million people, especially those living in the world’s poorest countries. This was reported to the publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung by a German expert in the field of agricultural economics, professor at the University of Bonn Matin Kaim.

He reminds readers that about a third of all wheat sold on the world market, a fifth of corn and three-quarters of sunflower oil are grown in Russia and Ukraine. Both countries export large volumes of food to North Africa and to the countries of the Near and Middle East, in particular Egypt, Libya and Lebanon.

Along with food prices, prices for fertilizers are also rising, one of the most important suppliers of which is also Russia. “This is a serious problem, especially for the poorest countries in Africa. Unlike in Europe, most farmers do not have the opportunity to spend money on rising prices for fertilizers, although this would make sense at high grain prices,” the expert added. According to him, the refusal of fertilizers can reduce yields by 20-30%.

Berlin calls for help to developing countries that are facing the threat of famine. Thus, the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, called for the speedy implementation of an international assistance program to counter the threat of famine caused by the loss of seeds and grain from “the two most important granaries of the world.”