Ukraine Calls on PACE to Strengthen Global Food Security
Ukraine has appealed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to strengthen international mechanisms for ensuring food security worldwide, especially in light of the war and Russia’s deliberate use of hunger as a weapon.
This is reported by AgroReview
The Importance of Ukrainian Exports to the Global Food System
According to Taras Vysotsky, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine, before the full-scale war began, Ukraine provided food for about 400 million people around the world. Despite ongoing attacks from the enemy, the country remains one of the key players in the global food market. Since the full-scale invasion, approximately 250 million tons of food have been exported, of which over 165 million tons are grain crops. Ukrainian products account for 36% of the world’s sunflower oil exports, 38% of sunflower meal, 13% of corn, and 7% of wheat.
Vysotsky also highlighted the importance of humanitarian programs, particularly Grain from Ukraine, which has provided assistance to about 20 million people in the most vulnerable regions of Africa and Asia.
Ukraine’s Position and PACE’s Decision
At the meeting of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health, and Sustainable Development in Paris, a resolution titled “Ensuring Sustainable Food Security in Times of Crisis” was adopted. The document aligns with key international norms that prohibit the use of hunger as a method of warfare. Ukraine has called for strengthening international guarantees of food security and for holding Russia accountable for using hunger as a weapon.
“Today, international food security is a matter not only of the economy but also of survival. Russia deliberately uses hunger as a weapon, destroying Ukraine’s agricultural and energy infrastructure. Such actions threaten millions of people far beyond its borders,” Vysotsky noted.
He emphasized that the adopted resolution is an important step towards protecting the right to food and forming resilient food systems both in Europe and globally. Ukraine remains ready to be a guarantor of global food security; however, this requires unity within the international community and effective accountability mechanisms for the aggressor.