Looming Food Crisis- India’s Response

The War in Ukraine is already leading to inflated oil and food prices in several countries including India in oil markets. The world imports Sunflower Oil, Wheat, Corn,Barley, fertilisers from Russia,Ukraine. No wonder supermarkets across the nation have removed oil from their shelves. The West has aggravated the situation through relentless support to Ukraine supplying arms and training in the past few wars.

Russia has destroyed west-supported bio labs in Ukraine. Russia will not stop till it demilitarised Ukraine. Ukraine accounts for ten percent of Global Wheat Exports, fourteen percent of corn exports and over fifty percent of Global Sunflower oil. Many countries like Egypt,Lebanon,Tunisia, Libya,Iran,Turkey depend on Russia and Ukraine for Wheat. India is poised at a crucial junction for it has an opportunity to help these countries by exporting our wheat to these countries. , 

From Wheat to Oil, prices have gone up in the past 1 month since Russia entered Ukraine. Supply constraints with ongoing war which also affects future planting and harvesting seasons are increasing concerns. The corn planting season is just a few weeks away. The world was already hit by Pandemic & ensuing restrictions which crippled many economies, destroyed many small and medium sized businesses the world over. Petrol & Diesel prices have gone up across the globe leading to inflation in all industries which are dependent on oil. Wheat went up by 20 percent while barley went up by thirty percent in the past thirty days. All past regime changes have happened in such periods since people rise against increasing food prices and come out into the streets to protest. No government can survive those protests. 

Since there is a fertiliser shortage, it is time for India to avoid costly imports and switch to natural farming. India should look at this as an opportunity to move to natural farming the way Sikkim has done. Globally, countries are cutting back on fertilisers. India is on a safe footing as far as agriculture is concerned since it has enough wheat and rice in FCI godowns which it has been distributing to the poor as well since the pandemic. Countries now need to focus on ensuring domestic availability of food first before considering exports/aid to other countries. 

If the war is prolonged,the resulting food inflation will affect many countries directly. It could affect food availability in many developing nations, especially those who are dependent on Russia & Ukraine for food supplies. The world should stop sanctions and prevail upon both Ukraine and Russia to resolve issues through dialogue only and stop all military operations. The World should not precipitate a Global Food Crisis by sanctioning and blocking Russian Food & Oil exports on which many countries are dependent.The rich countries will anyway overcome these crisis but it is the smaller countries which will face the backlash in case of food inflation. Hence all western sanctions should exempt food and oil exports from Russia and allow Ukraine food exports to go through peacefully.