By Cyber Era NG Special Correspondent
In the context World Trade Organization’s Aid For Trade Global Review, the EBRD and FAO are co-organising a one-hour online session to discuss the implications of the war on Ukraine for agricultural markets, trade and food security. The event will feature representatives from the private sector, of international financial institutions and the international community, as well as leading experts in the field of agriculture and the global food systems.
Outline
The war on Ukraine is stifling trade within and from the Black Sea region. This results in a new threat to global food security that compounds the trend of rising food prices already observed in the months prior to the outbreak of the war, driving inflation globally and putting millions of people in low-income countries at risk of famine.
Ukraine and Russia are major producers and exporters of key agricultural commodities and therefore play a central role in global agricultural markets, especially for food net-importing countries. Among the economies where the EBRD invests, those facing the highest threats to their food security are concentrated in the MENA region.
The session brings together stakeholders to analyse the food security challenges caused by the war on Ukraine as well as other factors that continue to disrupt production and trade. The panel will discuss how to address the crisis and build greater resilience of food systems in the long term.
Emphasis will be put on the role of international financial institutions, such as the EBRD, in supporting public and private sector investment as well as policy dialogues to foster sustainable agricultural production and to improve vital transport infrastructure for food logistics and storage.
Key questions for which answers are to be proffered at the session include:
- How have countries responded so far to disruptions to trade flows from the Black Sea region caused by the war?
- What are the impacts of trade restrictions imposed by some countries?
- What are short-term and long-term options for net food importers in the most affected regions to diversify food imports?
- How can international financial institutions and donors effectively support the preservation of trade flows, the functioning of agricultural markets and the mitigation of the rising risks to food security?
- What lessons does 2022 hold so far for improving resilience of food supply chains and responding to future shocks?
Panellists lined up for the event are:
- Assistant Director General and Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Maximo Torero
- Vice President Policy & Partnership, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Mark Bowman
- Director Business Development and International Relations, Astarta integrated agriculture and food holding, Ukraine, Yuliya Bereshchenko
- Government Representative of G7 Global Alliance for Food Security
- Government Representative of an EBRD Country of Operations
- Moderator: Journalist, Speaker and Consultant, David Shukman
