UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2022) Food and fertilizer products from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine must be brought to world markets in order to address rising food insecurity concerns, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.
"But let me be clear: a meaningful solution to global food insecurity requires reintegrating Ukraine's agricultural production and the food and fertilizer production of Russia and Belarus into world markets, despite the war," Guterres said during a briefing to the Security Council.
Guterres said that he will do his best to facilitate a dialogue to make such a move a reality.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Russia and Ukraine were among the top global exporters of various types of staple foods, including wheat and corn, in 2021, while Russia was also a leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers and the third largest supplier of phosphorus fertilizers.
The organization has noted that Ukraine's food production is being threatened by factors such as disruption of logistics, loss of access to agricultural lands, labor shortages, damage to crops due to hostilities, and destruction of food system assets and infrastructure.
In addition, Western sanctions on Russia have undermined the country's sales of agricultural products abroad and prompted Moscow to retaliate by freezing fertilizer exports.
As a result, global food prices soared to record highs in March, and the International Monetary Fund warned in April that global food prices would likely rise further in the future due to the conflict in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and climate issues.
The United States on Thursday in response to concerns appointed agriculturalist Cary Fowler as special envoy for food security to address recent disruptions to global supply chains caused by climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.
