G7 countries pledge extra billions to fight global food crisis

The G7 countries want to mobilise an additional €4.3 billion to counter the global food crisis exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine, they said in a statement issued at the end of a summit in Germany on Tuesday (28 June).

Read the original article in German.

Leaders of the G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – vowed to spare no effort to “increase global food and nutrition security and to protect the most vulnerable, whom the food crisis threatens to hit the hardest,” according to the concluding statement from the G7’s three-day summit, presented by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday.

In a separate statement on global food security, the seven leaders also stressed their commitment to the goal agreed in 2015 of lifting 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

“We currently have 345 million people who we know do not have enough to eat. That is four times as many people as live in Germany,” Scholz, whose country currently chairs the G7, told journalists on Tuesday.

Germany intends to contribute to the promised additional funding with new commitments totalling approximately €450 million. Recently, Germany also pledged €430 million in addition to the planned development budget in response to the worsening situation in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.

The additional funds are intended to be coordinated by the so-called Global Alliance for Food Security, which German Development Minister Svenja Schulze recently launched together with World Bank President David Malpass.

Schulz welcomed the G7’s pledges as “important aid in the fight against the global food crisis.”

G7 gear up to counter Putin’s use of 'hunger as weapon'

Ahead of a G7 summit this weekend, the German government gathered ministers from 40 countries in Berlin on Friday (24 June) to draw up strategies for global food security in the face of Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Lifting the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports

In addition to providing emergency aid to countries affected by food insecurity, the seven leaders also agreed on a common position on Russia’s blockade of the Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which currently prevents the country from exporting much of its stored grain.

“We strongly support Ukraine in resuming its agricultural exports to world markets, as well as the UN’s efforts to establish a secure maritime corridor through the Black Sea,” the statement said.

The UN has recently been struggling to find a way for Ukrainian cargo ships to safely leave Black Sea ports and export grain out of the country.

However, German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir was sceptical about the possibility of such a safe export at the end of last week, warning that both Ukraine and its Western partners must focus on finding more long-term alternatives.

In fact, the seven nations also want to provide more support for the development of alternative transport routes, such as via rail or inland waterways, and help implement the so-called “solidarity lanes” envisaged by the EU.

The EU’s aim with this initiative is to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine via its EU neighbours such as Poland or Romania.

MEPs: more support for grain export at Polish-Ukrainian border needed

As issues with Ukraine’s exports of grain persist, MEPs asked the Commission to consider ways to grant financial support and insurance guarantees for the leasing of logistical equipment and staff in a letter obtained by EURACTIV.

Breaking away from Russia’s narrative and its fertilisers

In their concluding statement, the G7 also made a visible effort not to give any room to the Russian narrative that Western sanctions are preventing Russia from exporting food and are therefore to blame for the food crisis.

“We will continue to ensure that our sanctions packages do not target food or the free movement of agricultural products, including from Russia,” they stressed in their statement.

While EU sanctions have cut off trade with Russia in many areas, food products – with a few exceptions concerning luxury items – are exempt from the measures.

However, sanctions against Russia and Belarus do touch mineral fertilisers. Both countries are important exporters and prices in the EU and on world markets have risen sharply since the embargo.

Under these circumstances, the G7 are focusing on counteracting any shortages of fertilisers. According to the statement, more efficient and targeted use of these substances is to be supported and global production is to be increased on a transitional basis.

Strengthening alternatives, like fostering the use of biofertilisers, is also something the G7 countries want to push for.

[Edited by Daniel Eck/ Natasha Foote/Zoran Radosavljevic]

Czech FM: EU is losing debate on who is to blame for lack of food

African and Asian countries are facing food shortages due to the Russian blockade of the Black Sea, but often they blame the EU instead, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned.

Strategic communication towards African and Asian countries is a crucial …

Read more with Euractiv

EU auditors urge Commission to move into digital age on agri data collection

The European Commission continues to manually process agricultural data on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on Excel spreadsheets, a new report from the EU Court of Auditors said, calling on the EU executive to move into the digital age.