NATALYA SHAGAIDA: “HUNGER WILL PRIMARILY AFFECT AFRICAN COUNTRIES, WHERE IT MAY GIVE RISE TO SERIOUS UNREST”
In order to prevent a famine in North Africa, the EU countries are discussing the issue of exporting barley, wheat and corn from Ukraine. Natalya Shagaida, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Agrarian Department, said in an interview with BFM.RU that the famine will primarily affect African countries, and could cause serious unrest there.
“Even in Egypt, 60% of calories in the diet comes from bread products. These bread products are more than 40% imported grain. Rising prices for grain increase the daily diet cost, which is fraught with mounting social tension. The escalating situation around exporting countries is pushing up the prices. Therefore, the sharp rise in prices triggered by the pandemic that we have been seeing since 2020, and then by the unsettled situation around the world, keeps prices at a high level. There are, of course, also multiple other factors, as the forecast for crop yields worsens first in one part of the world, then in another one. The food crisis will exacerbate the situation in those African countries that are involved in conflicts, in the countries suffering from droughts, and so on. Food has been supplied to African countries through many international aid channels. Now, donors are limited in their ability to provide aid: as bread prices are climbing, they can no longer buy it in the same amounts on their contributions to help these African countries. So yes, this is a big problem indeed”, the expert believes.
The main buyers of Ukrainian grain are the countries of Asia, Africa and Europe, and China is topmost on this list. In 2021, world grain exports exceeded 180 mn tons. Russia is in the lead, having shipped 30 mn tons. Ukraine ranks fifth with its 14 mn tons, after the USA, Canada, and France.
The main buyers of Ukrainian grain are the countries of Asia, Africa and Europe, and China is topmost on this list. In 2021, world grain exports exceeded 180 mn tons. Russia is in the lead, having shipped 30 mn tons. Ukraine ranks fifth with its 14 mn tons, after the USA, Canada, and France.