Op-Ed: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should not cause a hunger crisis
LA TimesUkraine is sometimes called the “breadbasket of Europe.” Even its yellow-and-blue flag connotes a flat wheat field beneath an azure sky. But lost in the discussion is what a wider conflict might do to global food prices amid a disruption to the supply chain of grains from Europe’s breadbasket. Countries that rely most heavily on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine don’t need a reminder that high food prices can fuel social unrest. The global food crisis of 2007–08, originally a result of drought and soaring oil prices, saw food prices surge, causing large food-producing countries to restrict food exports out of domestic supply concerns. While it helps nations meet food demand, it’s also vulnerable to the shocks in one country — a war, a pandemic, a natural catastrophe — that can ripple across borders instantly.