Böll.Global 11 | War in Ukraine – Hunger Worldwide?

World market food prices that were already high have been climbing to record levels since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The FAO food price index reached a new all-time high in February.

War-related harvest failures in Ukraine, a unilateral export ban by Russia and climate-related harvest failures in North and South America - the reasons behind rising prices are manifold and the impact on food importing countries and the global south catastrophic. Warnings of an impending worldwide famine can be heard more and more clearly from international organisations and civil society.

The situation is particularly threatening for North African countries such as Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, as they import most of their grain from Ukraine and Russia. But the exploding food prices are also threatening for people in other importing countries like Kenya. Even for emerging markets and grain exporting countries such as Argentina, price rallies on the international market are causing prices to rise locally and having serious consequences for many people, in the face of increasing poverty rates. This has already led to initial export restrictions being put in place, the impacts of which are as yet incalculable.

In this eleventh issue of Böll.Global we are taking a look at the background and impact of the war on hunger and malnutrition worldwide as well as the political tensions that can arise now in North African and Middle Eastern countries. Our focus is also on how the global community, the EU and Germany can react adequately to the challenges.

Taking part in discussions on the panel are:

• Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development 
• Dr. Martin Frick, Head of the Berlin World Food Programme Office
• Dr. Bente Scheller, Head of Middle East and North Africa Division, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
• Dr. Christine Chemnitz, Head of International Agricultural Policy Division, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Barbara Unmüßig, President of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, will moderate the discussion.

Contact: Layla Al-Zubaidi, Head of International Department, layla.al-zubaidi@boell.de
 

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