A food supply expert warns the world that there will be a crisis within 10 weeks. This is in line with a warning issued by President Volodymyr Zeleskyy of Ukraine. “Russia has blocked nearly all ports and all maritime opportunities to export food, including our grain, barley and sunflower. “A lot of things,” Zelenskyy stated Saturday. “There will be an international crisis. This is the second crisis, after the one involving energy. Russia provoked it.
He said, “Now it will cause a food shortage if we don’t unblock the routes to Ukraine, and do not help countries of Africa, Europe or Asia that need these food products.”
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine must regain control over the contested ports in the south. The country is responsible for a significant portion of the world’s food supply, including 25% to 30% of the world grain supply.
The Observatory of Economic Complexity also estimates that Ukraine accounts for 9.29% of world corn supplies.
Russia has blocked the ports of Odesa, Mariupol, and both countries continue to fight for it.
According to Sara Menker (CEO of Gro Intelligence), the world only has 10 weeks worth of wheat to address the crisis.
Menker stated that “this is seismic” during a special meeting the U.N. Security Council. “Even if war ended tomorrow, our food security issue isn’t going to go away anytime soon without concerted actions.”
Gro Intelligence is a company that uses artificial intelligence, public and private data, to forecast food supply trends. Menker emphasizes that Russia’s invasion didn’t cause a food shortage, but it did fuel what was already happening.