Russian invasion in Ukraine leads to a global food crisis

14 June 2022

Ambassadors of France, European Union and Germany flanked by their officers

Share this story

by Ambassadors of Europe in Botswana*

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprecedented violation of the integrity of a sovereign state on 24th February, the EU and its member states, and their friends and allies all over the world, have started to defend the international rules-based order.

The EU has reacted to the Russian aggression with the largest sanctions package in its history. These sanctions are directed against the Russian Government, its financial sector, and its economic elites in order to undermine the Russian ability to finance its aggression against Ukraine.

None of these sanctions target the agricultural sector in
Russia. They are not linked to the declining food security we observe in some parts of the world.

The EU sanctions do not prevent imports of Russian agricultural goods, or the provision of seeds, or payment for agricultural exports from Russia.


What has caused shortages of agricultural products and price increases, is the Russian war in Ukraine. Ukrainian farmers cannot start planting crops as the most fertile parts of the country have been under military attack by Russia.

In addition, Russia is preventing Ukrainian exports from its Black Sea ports. Russia, Belarus, and China have introduced export restrictions or bans on fertilisers and their components, thus preventing farmers in other countries from getting more yield
from their crops.

It is Russia that is negatively affecting food security, not the EU.
The EU is dedicated to mitigating the consequences of the food crisis, and, together with its member states, is committed to fighting food insecurity.

On 23rd March, the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) Initiative was launched to safeguard food security in the most vulnerable countries.

Together with international partners like WTO, G7, and FAO we want to reinforce the resilience of food systems, first of all by getting
grains out of Ukraine and avoiding restrictions on the trade of agricultural products and secondly, by stepping up emergency relief for vulnerable populations as well as actions to support food affordability and macro-economic stability, especially in the Sahel and Chad region, at the Horn of Africa, and in Northern Africa.

Under no circumstances must agricultural products become a weapon of war used for geopolitical purposes.

Last but not least, the EU has dedicated 2.1 billion euros for sustainable agriculture to support sustainable production capacities as part and parcel of a transition to more resilient food systems.


Member states of the EU stand with Africa and continue to be reliable partners to respond jointly and effectively to the current global security challenges.


Laurence Beau, Ambassador of France
Margit Hellwig-Boette, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany
Jan Sadek, Ambassador of the European Union

Last Posts

HSDSP-MEMBERS

SADC PF Committee proposes bold  recommendations on prison oversight

Share this story

Share this storyBy Moses Magadza in Johannesburg, South Africa On Wednesday, a one-day meeting of the SADC Parliamentary Forum’s Standing Committee on Human and Social Development and Special Programmes (HSDSP) ended in Johannesburg with strong…

14 June 2022

Delegations of Russia and South Africa led by the two countries' Foreign Ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Ronald Lamola

Russia’s FM, Sergey Lavrov discussed a range of bilateral issues with his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola

Share this story

Share this storySergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia met with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on April 16. Lamola had arrived in Moscow for the 18th meeting of the…

14 June 2022

President Putin announces Easter ceasefire

President of Russia Vladimir Putin announces Easter ceasefire

Share this story

Share this storyDuring a meeting at the Kremlin with the Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov President Vladimir Putin declared that the Russian Side is ceasing all military action starting…

14 June 2022

On April 17, 2025, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a telephone conversation

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has a phone conversation with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio

Share this story

Share this storyOn April 17, 2025, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a telephone conversation. Secretary Rubio, who is currently in Paris, informed the Russian side…

14 June 2022

In the first installment of the Two Shores Dialogue series, two journalists — Ma Jiaying from China and Héribert Adjovi from Africa — exchange insights on the pressing issues of our time: rising trade protectionism, the shifting global order, and the long-term consequences of tariff wars. Reflecting on the legacy of the Bandung Conference, they advocate for renewed solidarity among the Global South, grounded in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. A powerful, thoughtful dialogue that bridges continents and visions.

Beyond the tariff crisis, it’s time to take a fair look at globalisation… 70 years after the Bandung Conference

Share this story

Share this story‘A LOOK FROM BOTH SIDES’ is first and foremost an interesting Dialogue between two Friends, two eminent Journalists and a crossed vision of two media professionals, one Chinese and the other African (Beninese)…

14 June 2022

South-Africas-Government-of-Natiomall-Unity-on-the-brink-of-collapse-Picture-credit-Malawi-24.

THERE’S A SENSE THAT SA’S GNU IS TEETERING ON THE EDGE COLLAPSE

Share this story

Share this storyBy ABBEY MAKOE By all accounts, South Africa’s conundrum that is the Government of National Unity (GNU) will likely fester into a debilitating wound before it gets healed anytime soon. The revelation of…

14 June 2022

Related Stories