By Shannon Pettypiece -
NBC News
TELFS, Austria — The G7 pledged Tuesday to spend up to $5 billion to tackle the global food crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The engagement came as leaders of the world's major developed economies, including President Joe Biden, wrapped up a three-day summit in Germany focused on supporting Ukraine and fighting Russia.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin's war has also fueled a growing global food crisis that has affected vulnerable people from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa, with the United States and its allies accusing the Kremlin of deliberately weaponizing hunger.
[The company that produces Sriracha sauce announces that there will be a shortage of this product during the summer]
According to a senior US administration official, “Putin's actions have been the core and the point from which a direct line can be drawn to all the vulnerability we are seeing around the world in terms of food security.
His actions have strangled food and agricultural production, and used food as a weapon of war.”
Ukraine has been a major supplier of wheat, corn and sunflower oil to many of the world's poorest countries, but the country's food exports have come to a standstill as a result of the Russian blockade of Black Sea ports and the destruction of facilities. and agricultural equipment.
The situation has caused the prices of these basic products to rise, putting them out of reach in many low-income countries.
The US Agency for International Development estimates that 750,000 people are at immediate risk of starvation worldwide as a result of the war in Ukraine.
From center to left: US President Joe Biden, Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Great Britain, Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission of the European Union (EU ), Charles Michel, President of the Council of the EU, Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Italy, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), on the last day of the G7 summit. Michael Kappeler / dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
In recent weeks there have been widespread protests around the world over the rising cost of food.
In Ecuador, protests over rising food and fuel prices have engulfed the country's capital for weeks and threaten to remove its president.
[“A Perfect Storm”: Food Prices Suffer Biggest Rise in 40 Years]
Of the total committed by the G7, the United States will allocate 2.76 billion dollars, which will come from the aid package for Ukraine approved by Congress earlier this year.
The funding will support efforts in more than 47 countries and regional organizations.
Of the US funds, $2 billion will go to immediate direct humanitarian interventions and $760 million will be used to help improve the resilience and productivity of the global food system, according to the official.
The images after missiles hit a shopping center in Ukraine
June 28, 202200:32
The G7 leaders wrapped up their summit on Tuesday, with Biden addressing a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain.
The meeting has largely focused on coordinating aid to Ukraine and efforts to pressure Russia to end the conflict.
[How the war in Ukraine can threaten the food security of countries like the US]
However, China has also been one of the main focuses of the group's attention during the three days of meetings, according to the US official.
In the group's statement to be released today, the leaders will address "harms caused by China's market-distorting industrial directives in a non-transparent manner," the official explained.
"The leaders will commit to working together to develop a coordinated approach to remedying China's non-market practices to help ensure a level playing field for businesses and workers," the official said.
The leaders will also address China's forced labor practices and "debt traps" created by China's planned infrastructure in low-income countries, according to the official.