How EU countries are addressing the global food crisis
Russia’s military operations, blockade of the Black Sea ports and attacks on transport infrastructure and crops in Ukraine have hampered the export of Ukrainian agricultural products and caused prices to increase to record levels, putting food supply for millions of people at high risk.
Many countries, in particular in Africa and the Middle East, are dependent on Ukrainian exports – with Ukraine being the fifth largest exporter of wheat worldwide.
EU countries are coordinating actions to help European and global citizens, in particular the most vulnerable, to have enough nutritious food at affordable prices.
Infographic - The EU’s response to the global food crisis
In its unjustified war against Ukraine, Russia is using food as a weapon of war.
High food prices and scarcity of supplies are causing millions of people around the world to struggle to get food.
1. Support to Ukraine’s exports
EU countries are helping Ukraine export its agricultural products, following a months-long blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports by Russia.
Solidarity lanes
The EU has provided the infrastructure and means to transport Ukraine’s food via land mostly.
- trains, vessels and lorries provided
- better transport connections
- faster customs operations
- storage on EU territory
Since May 2022, more than 48 million tonnes of grain, oilseeds and other products have been exported via the EU-Ukraine solidarity lanes.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, coordinated by the United Nations, has also contributed to shipping Ukraine’s food to the most vulnerable countries worldwide. Yet, in July 2023, Russia decided unilaterally to terminate the initiative.
As of August 2023, around 80 million tonnes of agricultural products had been shipped from Ukraine via both the solidarity lanes and the initiative to alleviate the global food security crisis.
From March 2022 to June 2023, corn was the main agricultural product exported from Ukraine (32 million tonnes); the second one was wheat (17 million tonnes) and then sunflower oil (6 million tonnes). The data comes from Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
2. A common approach to the crisis
The 27 EU countries have agreed on coordinated actions to respond to the global food crisis setting four priorities:
Solidarity
- emergency and humanitarian relief to those most in need
€ 8 billion committed for food security for 2021-2024
Sustainable production
- help for developing countries to make their food production more sustainable and resilient to crises
Open trade
- collaboration with global partners for barrier-free trade of Ukraine ‘s agri-food products
Global cooperation
- coordination of response by supporting international initiatives, such as the international Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM).
3. In the EU
There is no risk of food shortages in the EU. This is thanks to the well-established EU agricultural sector which is supported by the EU common agricultural policy.
The EU-27’s self-sufficiency rate for selected agricultural products in 2022 equals:
- olive oil: 142%
- skimmed milk powder: 216%
- cereals: 116%
EU farmers are receiving additional support from the EU to ensure continuity of agricultural production and to cope with higher costs:
- €500 million for the most affected farmers
- advance payments
- possibility to use set-aside land for farming
At national level, to help citizens with increased food prices, EU countries can:
- reduce VAT rates
- encourage retailers to keep prices down
- use dedicated EU funds to help the most deprived