This is one of the consequences of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, when these two countries are the major exporters of wheat.
Westerners came together on Thursday to respond to the risk of global food shortages.
They “will materialize”, warned the American president, Joe Biden, in Brussels after the G7 and NATO summits, assuring that his country like Canada, large producers of cereals, would increase their exports accordingly. .
The United States has announced that it will devote 11 billion dollars (about 10 billion euros) over the next five years to respond to threats to food security and malnutrition in the world.
Within the framework of the G7, the United States and Canada “talked about how (…) to increase and distribute food resources more quickly,” Joe Biden told the press.
"We are also talking with the Europeans and all other countries to suspend all restrictions on their food exports," he said.
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France, for its part, has proposed an emergency plan for food security at EU and G7 level.
Speaking as President of the Council of the EU "and in connection with the African Union", Emmanuel Macron proposed to Brussels an "initiative for food security" with first of all an "emergency plan for the liberation stocks in the event of a crisis to avoid shortages and moderate price increases.
Several avenues under study
The French president also called on Moscow to be "responsible" by allowing sowing in Ukraine to take place.
Otherwise the war will cause in 12 to 18 months "an inevitable famine", with shortages of cereals in the Middle East and North Africa - where Egypt depends in particular "80%" on Russian and Ukrainian cereals to feed his population.
Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh and Nigeria, very populous countries, are the main importers of cereals from Russia and Ukraine.
Another aspect, in unison with what Washington is calling for: "obtain a multilateral commitment not to impose restrictions on the export of agricultural raw materials", said Emmanuel Macron.
In addition, he called for "as of this summer coordinated action by producing countries to temporarily raise production thresholds when possible" and the establishment of a "volume allocation mechanism to guarantee access for all, in particular the most vulnerable, in sufficient quantity and at reasonable prices”, on the model of the initiative to distribute anti-Covid vaccines to the most deprived countries.
Read alsoSoaring prices, shortages of wheat: the war in Ukraine threatens world food security
Finally, Emmanuel Macron suggested helping production in the most affected countries, "by significantly increasing investments in sustainable food production and agricultural value chains".
He said he had presented this initiative to his counterparts in the G7, for many large agricultural producers, in order to engage them in this approach, which he wants to expand within the framework of the G20.
For 2021-2024, the EU has planned to dedicate at least €2.5 billion to an international cooperation program on nutrition, to support the food systems of some 70 partner countries.