World food prices reached an unprecedented level in March due to the war in Ukraine, which seriously affects trade in cereals and vegetable oils, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations ).
The prices of agricultural raw materials, such as wheat, sunflower seeds and corn, continue to soar, with the intensification of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the main world exporters of these products.
The FAO index, which is based on the monthly variation of a basket of basic products, registered an increase of 12.6% in March, compared to February, when the indicator had already reached an unprecedented value since this statistic began to be collected. followed in 1990.
The FAO highlights that the price of cereals increased by 17.1% compared to February, mainly due to wheat and other secondary cereals, an increase caused by the war in Ukraine.
The blockade of Ukrainian ports explains this historic record. Ukraine is the world’s fifth largest wheat exporter.
Since the beginning of the conflict on February 24, the Sea of ​​Azov has been closed to navigation and exports from the Ukrainian ports of Berdiansk and Mariupol are blocked.
Corn prices also “recorded a monthly increase of 19.1%, reaching a record level, and the same goes for barley and sorghum”, the FAO points out in its March report.
Ukraine on Thursday appealed to the European Union for urgent assistance to its farmers.
The European Commission will coordinate assistance deliveries, which include “fuel, seeds and fertilisers”, as well as agricultural machinery.
Risk of world food crisis
Food prices also rose due to vegetable oils, which increased by 23.2% in one month, mainly driven by sunflower oil, whose main world exporter is Ukraine.
The prices of palm, soy and canola oil also rose, due to the lack of oil in supermarkets.
In France, for example, vegetable oil, flour and pasta are in short supply in some stores, mainly due to the increase in the volume of purchases by consumers, who fear shortages.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to “surveil” food deliveries to countries “hostile” to the Kremlin, which are tightening sanctions for Russian military operations in Ukraine.
FAO also indicates that, as a result of the conflict, the wave of famine in the Sahel and West Africa could worsen; the region is heavily dependent on Russian and Ukrainian grain imports.
If adequate measures are not taken, 38.3 million people could be affected by June, according to the institution.
In response to a request from the President of Niger, Mohamed Bazum, several countries, including the United States and France, pledged on Wednesday to increase their assistance to the populations of the region, with donations worth 1.79 billion euros ( US$ 1.95 billion, R$ 9.2 billion).
Translation by Paulo Migliacci
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