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The conflict in Ukraine raises fears of wheat shortages for many countries. An emergency plan has been launched by the European Union. The 20 Hours takes a look at wheat in this new episode of the “Power Issues” section.
With the war in Ukraine, there is a shortage of wheat, and this raises fears of the risk of a shortage in several regions of the world. Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine is the fifth. Together, they represent a quarter of world trade. Since the start of the war, 7 million tonnes of wheat have been waiting in the two main Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Mariupol.
Due to the sanctions against Moscow, Russian wheat has become unsaleable. Result: the price soars. The ton of wheat was at 275 euros on January 1. It is now at 385 euros. For countries like Sudan or Indonesia, wheat has become too expensive, raising fears of a global food crisis. Despite the war, Ukrainian cereal farmers started sowing this week, with the hope of being able to harvest serenely in a few months.