From Russia’s Izvestia to the London Economist, the world is waking up to the fact that a hunger crisis of unprecedented dimensions is facing the planet – now.
“Ukraine’s exports of grain and oilseeds have mostly stopped and Russia’s are threatened,” the Economist reported in its latest edition. According to the magazine, the two nations supply 12% of “traded calories.” Earlier this week, wheat prices – up 53% since the start of 2022 – reportedly soared by further 6% shortly after India prohibited all exports of the vital food commodity with immediate effect because of an alarming heatwave. Afghanistan has also announced that it is stopping all grain exports, in order to ensure domestic supply first. More than 22 million out of the 35 million population in Afghanistan face acute food shortages.
