Africa

World Food Import Bill to Reach ‘an All-Time High’ of $1.9Trln, FAO Says

An aerial photograph taken on October 31, 2022 shows cargo ships loaded with grain in the anchorage area of the southern entrance to the Bosphorus in IstanbulIn 2022, the world is facing a food and energy crisis. Together with the harsh consequences of ongoing global warming, this creates a situation where the Earth’s poorest regions are the main victims of world supply problems.The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expects the global food import bill to jump to a record $1.9 trillion, which is a 10 percent increase on last year’s high. The institution warned that the results of its analysis are “alarming signs from a food security perspective”.

“The bulk of the increase in the [global food import] bill is accounted for by high-income countries, mostly because of higher world prices, and volumes are expected to rise,” says the FAO report, published on Friday.

The organization expects poorer regions to become increasingly vulnerable. According to forecasts, sub-Saharan Africa, which is facing food shortages because of challenges wrought by climate change, is going to spend $4.8Bln more on food imports despite import volume decreases.“For instance, the aggregate food import bill for the group of low-income countries is expected to remain almost unchanged even though it is predicted to shrink by 10 percent in volume terms, pointing to a growing accessibility issue for these countries,” the FAO noted.The increase in world food prices is connected to the strong dollar and the crisis linked to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. Around 30 percent of the world’s export of wheat and 78 percent of sunflower oil is provided by the two countries engaged in the conflict.As a result of the so-called “grain deal”, a secure maritime corridor was opened. With some 10Mln tonnes of agricultural products leaving Ukraine, along with world wheat production that “should reach a record level of 784Mln tons in 2022/23″, driven mainly by Russian and Canadian agriculture, the world food prices slightly declined.However, African leaders have been critical of the measures concerning the grain deal, saying that the supplies are sent to rich nations instead of Africa.Russian President Vladimir Putin also noted that only up to 5 percent of the crops under the Black Sea grain deal reach the poorest countries with almost all of the Ukrainian grain being sent to the EU. He accused the European states of deceit and compared them with colonizers, underlining that the corridor was initially organized to fulfill the needs of countries most susceptible to food insecurity. He added that if Russia should leave the grain deal because Ukraine has violated its obligations, it will provide poorer countries with crops for nothing.According to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia sent about 10.5Mln tonnes of grain, mainly wheat, to the countries of Asia and Africa and is ready to export another 30Mln tonnes of grain, including wheat, by the end of the year, and bring this figure to 50Mln tonnes, taking into account the harvest.AfricaPutin Discusses Food Security With CAR President, Confirms Russia Is Ready to SupplyYesterday, 13:33 GMTIn its report, the FAO also warned that another factor of food vulnerability is the rising price for agricultural operations. For instance, fertilizer imports are expected to reach $424Bln in 2022, which is an almost 50 percent increase on 2021.Russia is one of the leading exporters of nitrogen and gas fertilizers. Recently, Denis Manturov, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, told reporters that the country is increasing the supply of mineral fertilizers to friendly countries. Vladimir Putin previously expressed Russia’s readiness to export 300,000 tons of fertilizers stuck in EU ports to developing countries for nothing.

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