Food insecurity is causing “outrage” in vulnerable countries in these areas, while Moscow portrays the crisis as a consequence of Western sanctions on Russia, said a European Union diplomat. That posed a potential threat to the EU’s influence, the diplomat added, which he plans to tackle with “food diplomacy and a battle of narratives”. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that Western sanctions had sparked a global food crisis and spiraling energy prices. The MENA countries, especially Egypt and Lebanon, are heavily dependent on wheat and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia. They are facing a spike in prices following the fall in supplies since Moscow launched what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine. “We can not take the risk of losing the region,” said a second European diplomat. The 27-member bloc also wants to step up international efforts to mitigate the effects of shortages and, together with the UN World Food Program, will soon announce new initiatives. France, the EU’s largest producer of agricultural products, has launched an initiative called “FARM”, which will include a global food distribution mechanism for the poorest nations. France intends to secure an international agreement on its plan before the end of its six-month EU presidency in June, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters after talks between EU officials and UN agencies on Tuesday. food in Rome. Hungary has proposed boosting EU agricultural production by changing its climate targets. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has also confirmed that it is considering a food import funding facility. However, the EU foreign service said co-operation with FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu on global food insecurity was “challenging”, an EU document seen by Reuters showed, adding that the EU was pressuring the FAO to act quickly. The FAO did not comment on Qu’s relations with the EU. “Countries dependent on food imports from Russia and Ukraine will have to look for alternative suppliers to absorb the shock,” Ku said in a list of recommendations on the FAO website.
Wheat storage bombing
Brussels views Russia’s food crisis communication campaigns as misinformation, the top diplomat said, adding that the EU does not restrict food trade with Russia. EU sanctions on Russian exports usually exempt food, but not fertilizers, whose exports from Belarus and Russia have been restricted. “It is not the sanctions that pose the risk of a future food crisis, it is the occupation of Ukraine by Russia,” said Frenchman Le Drian. Russia is also making it difficult for Ukraine to transport agricultural products by attacking ports and bombing grain depots, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday. Russia, which has cut grain exports, has bombed several fuel storage facilities in Ukraine. And while the grain storage facilities are full, Ukraine can not export due to lack of fuel, EU officials said. The EU is trying to facilitate food exports through Poland and is supporting the delivery of fuel to Ukrainian farmers to ease the situation, officials said. The EU is also providing financial support to the most vulnerable nations, announcing last week € 225 million ($ 244 million) in aid to the Middle East and North Africa. Nearly half of that will go to Egypt, while Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and the Palestinian Authority will receive emergency funds of between 15 and 25 million euros ($ 16.2 million and $ 27.1 million). each. Another 300m euros ($ 324.8m) in agricultural support will be provided to Western Balkan countries as part of regular EU funding in the region, with Serbia seen as concerned by intensive Russian communications there, EU officials said. .
