Aide Memo about the global food security amid unilateral coercive measures

Efforts to end hunger, achieve food security, promote and raise productivity of sustainable agriculture are increasingly urgent at this point.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that hunger affects around 690 million or 8.9 per cent of the population globally which has seen an upswing of 10 million in one year and nearly 60 million in five years.

Acute food insecurity also tends to scale up which shows the scope of hunger. Three billion that is almost 40 per cent of the world population have no access to sufficient nutrition.

COVID-19 economic repercussions made the food situation even more dramatic – another 140 million have been faced up with a lack of food.

This is detrimental to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, leaving the world well behind the schedule in delivering Sustainable Development Goal 2 Zero Hunger. As long as the trend stands as it is, those suffering from starvation will have been more than 840 million by 2030.

FAO indicates that the FAO Food Price Index averaged at 130.0 in September 2021, a 32.8 per cent jump up from the September 2020 indicator. The Index growth in September was fueled by the mounting prices for grains and vegetable oils, in the first place. FAO predicts that albeit a historical high the volume of grains produced globally in 2021 will lag behind the level of consumption.

The UN Agencies’ estimates released on 4 October 2021 demonstrate that the world stands now on an unprecedented disastrous brink of food insecurity and needs an urgent allocation of around 6.6 billion USD to support 41 million people faced up with hunger.

Belarus has always been a significant contributor to global food security. We export agricultural produce and food to over 100 countries. But reckless sanction-based coercion exercised by Western nations against Belarus puts not only our country in jeopardy but undermines global food security. Amid the coronavirus pandemics, the outcomes of sanction-driven policies are unlikely to encourage development and end global hunger.

There is a clear direct link between the sectoral sanctions put in place by the European Union and other countries against the potash industry of Belarus and aggravating food risks across the globe along with a looming food crisis. Obviously, given the Belarusian share of 20 per cent in the global potash industry, the clampdown on exports will and (already does) lead to spiraling prices for both fertilizers and food products, scaling up those suffering from hunger in the world. This is not our viewpoint only. Similar conclusions are drawn by the UN, FAO and a number of international businesses and associations dealing with potash fertilizers and food. This is where we have to answer a question. Are the countries sanctioning the potash industry of Belarus truly aware about the clear threat for the world out there or do they prefer to give a blind eye to the exposure for the sake of elusive targets whatsoever and step up coercion against Belarus?

At the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, in September this year the UN Secretary General convened a Food Systems Summit resulting in the nations’ commitments to continue action to end hunger and make healthy nutrition more affordable. Importantly, as was indicated, Zero Hunger may not be delivered without farmers’ access to fertilizers on a scale deemed sufficient and affordable.

In the spirit of the World Food Security Summit’s Declaration, Belarus urges dismissal of sanctions which not only contravene international commitments, including those foreseen by the 2030 Agenda, but are also in clear breach of the UN Charter and UN General Assembly’s resolutions concerning unilateral coercive measures.

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