After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the bad effect of the prolonged war has started showing on the whole world. The food crisis has increased in many countries because of the war. As the time of war is increasing, the concerns related to food security are increasing in front of the world. Most of the grain supplies for Middle Eastern and North African countries come from Russia and Ukraine. Egypt is considered the largest wheat importer in the world. Egypt bought 80 percent of its wheat from these two countries last year. The United Nations World Food Program also says that 50 percent of the grain it buys to feed the needy people in the world comes from Ukraine.
The survey has been done in 14 countries of the world regarding food insecurity. According to the report, 79 percent of the people interviewed said that they were facing some kind of food insecurity. 25% of the households have faced severe food insecurity.
The challenges of the food crisis are already looming due to the climate crisis. The Ukraine crisis has added to that. According to a new report by the ‘Global Alliance for the Future of Food’ (GAFF), the reason for food insecurity and dependence on imports is unstable food systems. This also increases the temperature on a global scale. This report shows that food systems are responsible for a third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world. A GAFF study shows how 14 countries can incorporate changes in the food system in the ‘Cap27’ to be held in November this year in Egypt.
In some countries the process of change is already underway. The first is Bangladesh. There, seasonal cyclones and tides cause regular damage in the flood-affected part of Bangladesh. Fish farming and paddy cultivation take place in this area. Recent floods have forced the world’s third largest rice-producing country to increase its imports of grain from outside. Every tenth man in Bangladesh is facing a food crisis.
Now the flood affected areas in this country are being better managed. By stopping the use of artificial fertilizers, fish residues are being used as natural fertilizers. Also, water is being stored in floodplains to prevent the decomposition of organic matter that emits greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
The second country in the process of change is Egypt, about 96 percent of which is desert. There is a severe shortage of cultivable land and fresh water in this country. It has also been estimated in Egypt that 12 to 15 percent of arable land will be adversely affected by salt water due to sea level rise. In such a situation, the ever-increasing dependence on imported food and especially cereals can be countered only when initiatives are taken to make this desert green.
The third country is Senegal. The West African country of Senegal is one of the few countries to adopt an agro-ecological food system with climate goals in mind and work towards sustainable food production. Reducing emissions from Senegal’s food sector would meet climate goals and help improve the food system. Senegal’s temperature is rising 1.5 times faster than the global average. Senegal has been a major exporter of fish in recent years.