India should come forward to stop the bread-war

Wheat is one of the top foods worldwide. The main intake of any diet is wheat, but due to the varying climatic conditions there are very few countries that grow and export wheat. Ukraine and Russia account for about 33% of the world’s wheat exports. But, the war between them has not only affected farming but also disrupted the supply of wheat. In addition, the two countries together produce about one-third of the world’s exports of ammonia and potassium fertilizers, essential ingredients.

Disruption in the supply of these fertilizer ingredients will lead to further global food crisis. Recently, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio highlighted the serious ‘food emergency’ in the world due to war, saying that the global war for bread is already is going on and we must stop it. He also highlighted the African food crisis and the risk of political instability caused by these conditions. It is worth noting here that recently the top official of the African Union met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war-induced food crisis in Africa due to food shortages.

Disruptions in grain exports have led to food insecurity in many African countries, leaving 1.3 billion Africans starving. Last month the United Nations also announced that the COVID pandemic, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine war had caused havoc around the world. The number of food-insecure people in the U.S. has nearly doubled. Earlier in May, Director General Dongue was invited by the German President of the T7 to discuss the consequences of the conflict in Eastern Europe over global food security. The head of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (SNAHR) has urged the three nations to help anticipate future food shortages, as the war in Ukraine is bound to drive prices to record highs by slashing supplies. will do it. Already vulnerable countries in Africa and Asia are threatened from above.” Leave aside the support to fight the food crisis, the G7 countries are expanding the war with an endless supply of arms to Ukraine. They are not only provoking Russia and waging proxy war but the Russia-Ukraine crisis has triggered a ‘bread-war’ in the world! India’s ability to feed the worldIndia is the second largest wheat producer in the world. But, it is also the second most populous country in the world.

India requires more than 25 million tonnes of wheat every year for the world’s largest food security programme. The expected wheat crop in the finished rabi season (April to March) is at a record high of 111.32 million tonnes. India has the potential to support war-driven global food security, while maintaining its buffer stock and distribution under welfare schemes.
Moreover, due to price rise in the global food market, the Indian private sector is increasingly buying wheat from local farmers at higher than minimum support prices. Reports show that government procurement of wheat has come down to 53% in 2022-23 due to private trade in grains.