While tragic for the millions of civilians living in Ukraine, the war also indirectly affects the rest of the world’s population. In 2022, the impact was immediate: Russia and Ukraine, which account for 30% of global wheat exports, saw their supply chains collapse.
A Systemic Impact:
- According to the IMF, imports account for around 85% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s food supply, with one-third coming from Russia or Ukraine.
- The world’s 45 poorest countries import at least one-third of their wheat from these two nations.
- At the height of the crisis, global wheat prices surged by 60%.
In 2019, 135 million people faced severe food insecurity. By early 2022, that number had risen to 298 million.— Gian Carlo Cirri, Deputy Director of the WFP Geneva Office, speaking at a SWISSAID conference.
The forecasts remain alarming: the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 318 million people could face an acute food crisis in 2026—more than double the 2019 figure.
Realities on the Ground: Skyrocketing Prices in the Global South
For SWISSAID’s partners, the Ukrainian crisis is not a statistic; it is a daily struggle. Whether through skyrocketing prices for staple foods in Niger (cooking oil up by 67%) and Chad (pressure on bread and flour prices), or the domino effect caused by oil prices in Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau, the reality is identical: massive increases in transport and logistics costs automatically drive up the cost of food and essential hygiene products.
Agroecology: A Shield Against Global Instability
This global crisis demonstrates one thing: relying on international markets creates a dangerous vulnerability. The solution lies in food sovereignty.
Agroecology makes it possible to break this chain of dependency:
- Autonomy: By prioritizing short supply chains, smallholder farmers no longer depend on fertilizers or seeds from multinationals.
- Resilience: Just as during the Covid-19 crisis, agroecological farms have remained productive despite isolation.
- Adaptation: Promoting local seeds and fast-growing seeds allows communities to better withstand both climate and geopolitical shocks.
We actively participated in the Food Systems Summit to place agroecology at the very top of the agenda. This paradigm shift is what will allow us to defeat hunger for good. — Sonja Tschirren, Head of Climate and Agriculture at SWISSAID.
Our Action: From Emergency to Sustainability
For SWISSAID, the fight against hunger can only be effective if it addresses both the symptoms and the root causes. When crises (whether climate-related or political) strike a country, we believe providing immediate emergency aid is essential. Distributing food kits and local seeds, or offering direct financial support to families in distress, is paramount to lifting vulnerable people out of crisis.
In parallel, long-term development projects strengthen the resilience of farming families. Through training in agroecological techniques, the establishment of local seed banks, and the promotion of traditional crops, farming families are better equipped and have been able to feed their families during the most critical periods.
The war in Ukraine shows that independent, local supply chains are the only path toward a crisis-resistant food system.
