UN Agencies, EU Discuss Food Security Challenges From Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The United Nations and European Union officials recently discussed cooperation to address the risks posed by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to global food supplies and called on the international community to increase support to vulnerable countries to jointly address food security challenges, the UN World Food Program said in a statement issued on 13. 

World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley, European Commission Commissioner for Crisis Management Yanez Lenarčić, the French EU Presidency Foreign Minister Le Drian and other officials met in the Italian capital Rome on December 12 to discuss the negative impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on global food security. 

Beasley said at a post-meeting press conference that the world is facing a food supply challenge that will "last for years" as the Russia-Ukraine conflict pushes up global food prices and disrupts production of major crops, and that the food crisis caused by the conflict is expected to cost the world $8 billion to $9 billion. 

According to WFP, UN and EU officials discussed a food security initiative proposed by France and the EU that aims to promote agricultural trade and the free flow of goods to support the provision of affordable food to the most vulnerable countries, while promoting local and regional sustainable food production to maintain long-term food security in vulnerable countries.