The Ukrainian War’s Impact on Food Security

Abstract

The war in Ukraine is causing problematic disruptions far beyond the country’s national borders. Black Sea shipping routes have been disrupted to the extent the Ukrainian grain exports are being kept from global markets, thereby jeopardizing food security in some regions of the world. Introduction. As the war in Ukraine approaches its sixth month, the conflict appears to be threatening the supply of grain to several other nations, thereby endangering international food supplies. The disruption to Black Sea shipping routes as a result of the armed conflict not only hinders Ukrainian grain exports to other nations, but also impedes storage capacity for harvested grains since lack of exporting capability means silos remain full and unable to accept newer harvests. Discussion. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, has warned that the war in Ukraine will worsen food, energy and economic crises in poor countries (Bankova et al, 2022). “It threatens to tip tens of millions of people over the edge into food insecurity followed by malnutrition, mass hunger and famine, in a crisis that could last for years (ibid)” Guterres said.