The hit on world grain supplies from Russia’s war in Ukraine compounds the ills of African conflicts, climate change and the aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic
The war in Ukraine kind of showed us all what happens when a house of cards starts to collapse. Countries dependent on each other for various resources (fuel from russia to the west for example) was something people thought nobody would cease because of the self harm imposed were the fuel to stop flowing. But then we get Putin thinking he is all big and bad and suddenly the oil stops and the house collapses. Countries from Africa aren’t magical. They work the same way.
Then you get the impact of Ukraine (known as the bread basket of Europe) suddenly being unable to supply the food it once could. So you get countries that once relied upon these sources being required to source it from elsewhere.
example;
About 6.26mn t of Ukrainian wheat was exported to Africa in the 2021-22 marketing year (June-July), accounting for nearly 12pc of African wheat imports. Egypt was the largest buyer, having purchased about 2.82mn t, followed by Tunisia and Morocco with 634,000t and 596,000t, respectively. In 2020, 15 African countries imported over 50 per cent of their wheat products from the Russian Federation or Ukraine. Six of these countries (Eritrea, Egypt, Benin, Sudan, Djibouti, and Tanzania) imported over 70 per cent of their wheat from the region.
The war in Ukraine kind of showed us all what happens when a house of cards starts to collapse. Countries dependent on each other for various resources (fuel from russia to the west for example) was something people thought nobody would cease because of the self harm imposed were the fuel to stop flowing. But then we get Putin thinking he is all big and bad and suddenly the oil stops and the house collapses. Countries from Africa aren’t magical. They work the same way.
Then you get the impact of Ukraine (known as the bread basket of Europe) suddenly being unable to supply the food it once could. So you get countries that once relied upon these sources being required to source it from elsewhere.
example;
About 6.26mn t of Ukrainian wheat was exported to Africa in the 2021-22 marketing year (June-July), accounting for nearly 12pc of African wheat imports. Egypt was the largest buyer, having purchased about 2.82mn t, followed by Tunisia and Morocco with 634,000t and 596,000t, respectively. In 2020, 15 African countries imported over 50 per cent of their wheat products from the Russian Federation or Ukraine. Six of these countries (Eritrea, Egypt, Benin, Sudan, Djibouti, and Tanzania) imported over 70 per cent of their wheat from the region.
At least this is my laymans understanding. Oh found this too. https://www.ifpri.org/blog/west-africa-faces-mixed-food-security-impacts-russia-ukraine-conflict
Russia is also the world’s largest (?second largest?) producer of fertilizer, which has also caused shortages.