The global food security crisis: Council info and EU publications

Global food security :
Russia continues to use food as a weapon, thereby undermining global food security. EU leaders expressed their deep concern about Russia’s unilateral decision to end the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, its deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s grain storage and export facilities, and its actions to hinder the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. In this respect, the leaders expressed their support for efforts to facilitate exports of Ukraine’s grain and other agricultural products to countries in need, including in Africa and the Middle East. They also called for the capacity of the EU’s solidarity lanes to be further enhanced to facilitate transit and export, and invited the Commission to propose new measures to achieve this.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its weaponisation of food have undermined global food security. In that context, the European Council takes note of the extension of the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative. This initiative, the EU’s Solidarity Lanes and the Ukrainian ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative are instrumental in bolstering global food security. It stresses the need to ensure the continued availability and affordability of agricultural products for the countries most in need.

Ministers took stock of the market situation in member states, particularly in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine. They further received information from the Commission on the latest developments on agricultural markets. While recent months have shown more stability, energy and input prices remain high, weakening profitability and leading to high consumer prices. Ministers exchanged views on the possible actions to help ease the situation in Ukraine in the short and long-term, and renewed their commitment to continue to facilitate and strengthen land connectivity via the EU’s solidarity lanes. Ministers moreover acknowledged the impact of the war on EU markets, and discussed support measures for the most affected sectors, including the possible use of the agricultural reserve.

Ministers discussed the economic situation of the agricultural sector in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine. They exchanged views on prospects for harvest this year, taking into account the implication of the extreme drought over recent weeks, as well as the challenges facing each sector as a result of the Russian aggression of Ukraine. The shortage of raw materials and the high input prices are having a major impact on the agricultural production and downstream manufacturing in member states.

The European Council addressed the global food crisis. EU leaders urged Russia to immediately stop targeting agricultural facilities and to unblock the Black Sea ports to permit the export of Ukrainian grain and enable commercial shipping operations to resume. Leaders supported the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to this end. EU leaders underlined that EU sanctions against Russia allow the free flow of agricultural and food products and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Leaders expressed strong support for the ongoing work on the solidarity lanes, which are facilitating food exports from Ukraine via land routes and EU ports.

On 30-31 May 2022, the European Council adopted conclusions on Ukraine, food security, security and defence, and energy.
Regarding Food Security :
The European Council called on Russia to:
- end its attacks on transport infrastructure in Ukraine
- lift the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports
- allow food exports, in particular from Odesa
The European Council strongly condemns the destruction and illegal appropriation by Russia of agricultural production in Ukraine.
Russia is using food as a weapon of war. Destroying crops, blocking tonnes of grain, risking global famine.
EU leaders invited member states to accelerate work on the solidarity lanes put forward by the European Commission to facilitate food exports from Ukraine.

The European Council adopted conclusions on the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, security and defence, energy, economic issues, COVID-19 and external relations.
Regarding Global food security, EU leaders invited the Commission, in coordination with international partners, to prioritise work on global food security and affordability, particularly by supporting food security and agriculture in Ukraine and vulnerable third countries. This will be the core objective of the FARM (Food and Agricultural Resilience Mission) initiative.

The European Union condemns unequivocally Russia’s decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative. With its decision, Russia is further exacerbating the global food security crisis it created by its war of aggression against Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian sea ports. Russia must cease illegally blocking Ukrainian sea ports and allow freedom of navigation on the Black Sea.

The tragedy unfolding in Ukraine is having an impact all over the world as Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion is intensifying a global food crisis. EU countries are acting together to help people facing soaring food prices and bring some relief to the world’s poorest.

Russia’s unjustified decision to suspend its participation in the UN Black Sea Grain Initiative obstructs the export of much needed grain to address the global food crisis. Russia is solely responsible for the global food security crisis it has caused by its unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian sea ports.

On 20 September 2022, European Council President Michel co-chaired a summit on global food security, in the margins of the UN General Assembly week, together with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, the Chairperson of the African Union and President of Senegal, Macky Sall, and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez.

"We, the leaders of the Governments of Spain, and the United States of America, the African Union, the European Union, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, having met on September 20, 2022, affirm our commitment to act with urgency, at scale and in concert, to respond to the urgent food security and nutrition needs of hundreds of millions of people around the world..."

On this page you will find information about:
- What is the EU doing to address the food crisis?
- What is causing the food crisis?
- Why are Ukraine's crops key to global food security?
- Who is most affected by food insecurity and higher prices?

See the section of this page on food markets.
Russia's military aggression against Ukraine is having a direct impact on global food security and affordability.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian exports of grain have been severely disrupted. For over four months, Russian military vessels have been blocking Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. On 22 July 2022, an agreement was brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye to open a safe maritime humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea (the Black Sea Grain Initiative). Since then, over 500 ships full of grain and other foodstuffs have left three Ukrainian ports: Chornomorsk, Odesa and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. While unblocking the sea export route has helped to address the global food security crisis and lower grain prices, the export backlogs remain significant.

Russia’s military operations and attacks on transport infrastructure and crops in Ukraine have hampered the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, putting food supply for millions of people at high risk. Ukraine is the fifth exporter of wheat in the world. Many countries, in particular in Africa and the Middle East, are dependent on Ukrainian wheat exports.

Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine has caused significant human casualties and forced millions of people to flee their homes. The war has also a significant and lasting impact on the global food market. As a leading exporter of grain, Ukraine has seen a dramatic drop in its exports, resulting in major food security concerns for millions of people around the world. With the latest actions of the EU and the UN exports are growing and food prices are slightly dropping. However, food prices are still above 2021 levels and the outlook remains difficult.

This website gathers comprehensive resources. The knowledge reviews of the Knowledge Centre for Global Food and Nutrition Security analyses hundred of papers published recently. You can also browse by regions.

The European Commission will urgently dedicate EUR 250 million of grants to boost the Solidarity Lanes. For the short-term, the EC supports quick improvements, in particular with mobile equipment, to reduce waiting times and improve movement through the border crossing points and their access routes. For the medium-term, the EC will mobilise the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and EUR 50 million to support the infrastructure developments needed to increase further the capacity of the Solidarity Lanes.

Up to now, Solidarity Lanes have allowed to export over 15 million tonnes of grain, oilseeds and related products from Ukraine.

The measures presented by the Commission include:
- promoting an open and predictable trade environment for agricultural goods;
- stepping up emergency relief for vulnerable populations by mobilising financial support;
- scaling up sustainable production capacities.

The European Commission presented its communication setting out an action plan to establish solidarity lanes in May 2022. The goal is to develop alternative overland routes to help Ukraine export its agricultural products, following the Russian blockage of sea ports, by:
- providing additional freight rolling stock, vessels and lorries
more effectively using the existing capacity of transport networks and transhipment terminals;
- simplifying and speeding up customs operations and other inspections;
- enabling the storage of goods on EU territory.

The European Commission coordinates the response to crises affecting or threatening to affect food supply and food security in the EU and around the world. Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a commodity price surge and the Covid-19 pandemic have all posed a risk to food security around the world. While the resilience and self-sufficiency of the EU food system have ensured that the availability of food in the EU is not at risk, the Commission continues to take measures to prepare for and respond to potential threats to global food supply and food security.

According to this latest report the fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to impact global commodity markets and to represent a major threat to global food security. In a post-COVID-19 recovery already marked by market balance challenges and price surges, it brings additional instability and uncertainty. Ukrainian agriculture is directly impacted all along the supply chain, from production to trade, maintaining the pressure on the global supply of cereals and oilseeds.

Volatile food prices, climate-change-driven shocks, conflict, economic downturns, and high population growth continue to raise serious concerns about food security and nutrition in many parts of the world. The Food Security Portal (FSP), facilitated by IFPRI and supported by the European Commission, provides up-to-date data and information about dynamic developments in the world food system. The portal provides key data to monitor food security situations and food prices, as well as tools for policy analysis and capacity development – all with the aim of providing policymakers and other stakeholders with the information they need to make appropriate and timely responses to address food insecurity.

The knowledge service monitors news on the global food crisis.

The current food security crisis is the first to grab the attention of the European Council since it became a formal EU institution in December 2009. Looking at food security discourse in the European Council from 1981 to October 2022, this briefing will consider the main discussion drivers in each decade. Although food security has not been a regular item on the European Council agenda in recent years, it has drawn EU leaders' attention at various points in the past. The shock to the food system caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine however led to the reappearance of food security on the European Council agenda in the first half of this year, and 2022 has already been a peak year for European Council attention to food security issues, in terms both of meetings and the number of conclusions.

The European Parliament adopted a comprehensive resolution calling for an 'urgent EU action plan to ensure food security inside and outside the EU in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine', supporting many actions proposed in the Commission's package. Members emphasised the need to maintain security of food supplies, in both the EU and vulnerable countries. Parliament also called for safe food corridors to and from Ukraine to deliver aid and goods.

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a country known as the 'breadbasket of Europe', is raising fears of a global food crisis, further exacerbating existing food security challenges worldwide. Much depends on the response of the international community, including the EU, to a number of rapidly evolving scenarios.