The war situation in Ukraine affects the food supply of the entire Earth

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 09. 18. 11:59

Almost 140,000 square kilometers of land have been demined in Ukraine, which is larger than the whole of Great Britain. The elimination of minefields not only hinders the reconstruction of Ukraine, but can also cause a global food crisis, since one of the world’s most important agricultural production areas is affected by the consequences of the war. According to The Economist, the removal of explosive devices requires investments and a change of attitude on a historic scale, which could take more than a hundred years if continued with current methods, reports Infostart.

The roots of the problem go back to 2014, to the Russian annexation of Crimea, but with the war that broke out in 2022, the situation worsened. Following their retreat, the Russian invasion forces mined vast areas to slow down the Ukrainian advance. The world-famous fertile lands of Ukraine thus became traps not only for mines, but also for unexploded bombs, rockets and grenades.

These explosive devices are also a long-term danger, as they can explode at any time. Agricultural production has become impossible in these areas, which means an annual loss of more than 11 billion dollars to Ukraine’s economy, which is 5.6 percent of the country’s GDP. Ukraine’s grain exports suffered the biggest blow: wheat and corn exports fell by 13.2 percent compared to the years before the war, causing a loss of $8.9 billion. All of this has serious consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for African and Asian countries that need food imports, where 90 percent of grain came from Ukraine in the pre-war period.

According to the World Bank’s estimate, demining would require at least 34.6 billion dollars, but with current methods it would take more than a hundred years. The goal of the Ukrainian government is for 80 percent of the land to be cultivated again within ten years, which would require 2.8 billion dollars annually.

The Ukrainians have already started the clearance work and have so far made 35,000 square kilometers of land arable again. However, the available financial resources are limited, so the process moves slowly. According to the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), accelerating demining requires international cooperation and two financial models can help. One would be to attract private capital by issuing bonds, while the other would be based on the issuance of long-term government bonds that would be purchased by foreign governments.

In addition to financial support, the Ukrainians are also experimenting with new technological solutions, such as drones and artificial intelligence, to speed up the process. Drones can detect the location of mines, and artificial intelligence can help to recognize them, thus reducing the risk to human life.