Russia and Ukraine are major producers of grain. This means that in countries which depend on wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia, there is a threat of hunger. What is more, as a result of the war, food prices – which were already very high – have risen further.
The current food crises are also due in part to structural problems in agricultural and food systems. These problems include vulnerable supply chains and depending on too few suppliers and too few crop varieties. The BMZ is one of the driving forces behind efforts to transform agricultural and food systems to make them economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. Our programmes in the fields of food security, agriculture and rural development are aimed at strengthening local production and local and regional trade. Agricultural and food systems need to become more resilient – that is active crisis prevention.