War in foreign lands, hunger at home

Abstract

The war between Russia and Ukraine pitted two major agricultural countries and threatened the African continent with food insecurity and hunger. The war came at a time when the world was emerging from another global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant effects of distorted food prices and disruptions of the food supply chain. Informed by the analysis of the literature available on the Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar databases and grey literature from United Nations (UN) agencies, this study explores the challenges that emanated from the global problem of conflict and its implications on food security and the fight against hunger in Africa. The study found that the Russo-Ukrainian war exposed the lack of progress in Africa towards the fight to eliminate hunger. The consequences of the war have been aggravated by this lack of progress towards achieving zero hunger in many African countries. The war disrupted the global supply chain and threatened Africa with hunger as the continent experienced food shortages, food inflation and general commodity price volatility.

Keywords: {'name': 'COVID-19, Conflict, SDGs, Hunger, Food Security'}

Authors & affiliations

Edwin Yingi
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100675

Abu Hatab, A., & Hess, S. (2021, August 17). Feed the mouth, the eye ashamed: Have food prices triggered social unrest in Egypt? Paper presented at the 31st conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economics (IAAE). https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/315082/

DOI: 10.35293/srsa.v44i1.4083

Agah, B. E., & Ikenga, F. A. (2019). The state control of economic resources, its distribution and electoral violence in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Ife Journal of Public Administration (IJOPA), 1(2), 197-212.

DOI: 10.2499/p15738coll2.136613

DOI: 10.3390/resources11110099

DOI: 10.1057/s41287-022-00571-9

DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v65.7686

Balbaa, M. E., Eshov, M., & Ismailova, N. (2022). The impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the global economy. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14965.24807

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01391-x

DOI: 10.3390/foods11152301

DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12369

DOI: 10.1080/01442872.2024.2329587

DOI: 10.1108/IJOES-06-2022-0136

DOI: 10.2499/9780896294394_30

CAPMAS (Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics), 2022. https://www. capmas.gov.eg/HomePage.aspx

DOI: 10.1007/s12571-017-0716-9

DOI: 10.25159/2520-9515/14528

Dongyu, Q. 2022. New Scenarios on Global Food Security based on Russia-Ukraine Conflict. Available online: https://www.fao.org/ director-general/news/news article/en/c/1476480 (accessed on 16 November 2022).

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4085903

Ehsas, H. 2022. Russian invasion of Ukraine and its impacts on food prices worldwide. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359184302.

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4058711

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpolmod.2022.06.004

FAO, 2019. Sustainable Development Goals; 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment. Available from: www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/ indicators/211/en/#:~:text=Indicator%202.1.,normal%20 active%20and%20healthy%20life

FAO, 2022a. FAO food balance database. Food. Agri. Organ. United Nations Stat (FAOSTAT). https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS. (Accessed 15 February 2023).

FAO, 2022b. FAO food price index. Food. Agri. Organ. United Nations. https://www.fao. org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/. (Accessed 10 January 2023).

FAO, IFAD, and WFP. 2011. The state of food insecurity in the world: How does international price volatility affect domestic economies and food security? Rome: FAO.

DOI: 10.4060/cc0639en

FAO. 2020. The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2020: Transforming food systems for affordable healthy diets. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2020

FAO. 2021. The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2021. https://www. fao.org/state-of-food-security-nutrition.

FAO. 2022b. Impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on global food security and related matters under the mandate of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Accessed May 11, 2022. https://www.fao.org/3/ni734en/ni734en.pdf.

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-018-1101-4

Global Nutrition Report, 2020. Global nutrition report. Available from: https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2020-global-nutrition-report (Accessed 28 February 2023).

DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009550

Hatab A.A. 2022. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jeopardises food security in Africa. The Nordic Africa Institute

DOI: 10.35293/srsa.v44i1.4083

DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2016.07.002

IMF, 2022. World economic outlook database: October 2022. International monetary Fund. Available at: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/weo. (Accessed 17 January 2023)

DOI: 10.3390/foods11142098

DOI: 10.1007/s12571-020-01058-3

DOI: 10.1038/nclimate2437

DOI: 10.1080/03066150.2022.2143351

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.12.006

DOI: 10.54648/GTCJ2022069

DOI: 10.26532/ijlr.v6i1.20490

DOI: 10.1057/s41291-022-00195-1

Mlaba, K. 2022. How will the Ukraine-Russia war impact Africa? Here’s what to know. Global Citizen, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ukrainerussia-war impact-africa-hunger poverty/. (Accessed 24/11/2022).

MSIT, 2019. Results of the tamween program in 2019. Official website of ministry of supply and internal trade. Available at: http://www.msit.gov.eg/details.html? topicID=574.

DOI: 10.1177/23210249241233068

DOI: 10.4102/jamba.v11i1.652

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14010054

Orhan, E. 2022. The effects of the Russia-Ukraine war on global trade. Journal of International Trade Logistics and Law, 8(1):141-146

DOI: 10.1038/d41586-022-01076-5

DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2019.08.001

DOI: 10.26596/wn.202011386-111

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4064770

DOI: 10.1016/j.geosus.2022.09.003

Pinto, T.N. 2022. Russia’s war exacerbates turmoil in fragile sub-Saharan Africa. Available online: https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/sub-saharan-africa-food-poverty/

Reuters. Exclusive: About 300,000 T of Wheat Bought by Egypt Stranded in Ukraine. Available online: https://www.reuters.com/ markets/commodities/exclusive-about 300000-tonnes-wheat-bought-by-egypt-stranded-ukraine-trade-2022-05-17 (accessed on 18 May 2022).

DOI: 10.2499/9780896294394_04

DOI: 10.51599/is.2022.06.01.05

Roy, G., Richard, H. S. & George, Q.H. 1997. Security Studies for the 21 Century. Virgina

Shapiro D, & Hinde A. 2018. Laggards in the global fertility transition. Wittgenstein Centre Conference 2018: 3rd Human Fertility Database Symposium. Available from: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/fileadmin/subsites/Institute/VID/PDF/Conferences/2018/Fer tility_across_time_and_space/Presentations/Shapiro_Hinde_ WIC2018-3rdHFD.pdf

Statista. 2023. Ukraine civilian war casualties 2023. Accessed April 6, 2023. https://www.statista. com/statistics/1293492/ukraine-war-casualties.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1259855

DOI: 10.1017/S1368980017003421

DOI: 10.14512/gaia.31.2.11

UN Press. 2023. Scale of destruction across Ukraine will require strong international support going far beyond humanitarian aid, Secretary-General tells conference. Accessed April 6, 2023. https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21628.doc.htm

UNComtrade, 2022. UN Comtrade database. https://comtrade.un.org/. (Accessed 15 February 2023).

UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group, 2018. Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Levels and trends in child malnutrition. Available from: https://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/2018 jme-brochure.pdf (Accessed 28 February 2023)

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 2022. “Trade Value and Volume Database.” UNCTADSTAT. https://unctadstat.unctad.org/wds/ReportFolders/ reportFolders.aspx?sCS_ChosenLang=en.

DOI: 10.20853/35-5-4099

Walker, N. (2022). Ukraine crisis: A timeline (2014 - present). Commons Library Research Briefing. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9474/

DOI: 10.1007/s12571-020-01078-z

Welsh, C. (2022). The Russia-Ukraine war and global food security: A seven-week assessment, and the way forward for policymakers. Center for Strategic and International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/russia-ukraine-war-and-global-food-security-seven-week-assessment-and-way-forward (Accessed on 30/11/2022)

WFP. (2022b). WFP market monitor - Sudan, March 2022. World Food Program’s VAM Office, Khartoum, Sudan. https://www.wfp.org/publications/global-report-food-crises-2022

WFP. (2022). Projected increase in acute food insecurity due to war in Ukraine. World Food Programme. https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000138289/download (Accessed on 18 May 2022)

WFP. (2022). War in Ukraine drives global food crisis. World Food Programme, Rome, Italy.

World Bank. (2022). Food security update, December 2022. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update (Accessed December 8, 2022)

World Bank. (2023). Food security update, January 2023. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update (Accessed January 18, 2023)

World Bank. (2022). Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass to the U.S. Treasury’s Event on “Tackling Food Insecurity: The Challenge and Call to Action”. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/speech/2022/04/19/remarks-by-world-bank-group-president-david-malpass-to-the-u-s-treasury-s-event-on-tackling-food-insecurity-the-challeng (Accessed on 27 May 2022)

World Food Summit. (1996). Report of the World Food Summit in Rome. Food and Agriculture Organization.

Zeb, K., & Habibullah, I. (2017). The Ukrainian conflict and options for conflict resolution. Journal of European Studies (JES), 33(1), 16–32. https://doi.org/10.3167/jes.2017.330102

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106657