Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas appeal for regional coordination and unity to reinforce food security in light of the impact of the war in Ukraine; Africa fears food shortages

San José, 17 March 2020 (IICA)—Ministers of Agriculture of 34 American countries emphasized the importance of regional coordination and unity to strengthen agricultural production and food security in light of the instability of agricultural markets caused by the conflict in Eastern Europe, and requested full access to key inputs for production to prevent food shortages and mitigate price rises.

At a meeting called by Tereza Cristina, Brazilian Minister of Agriculture and Chair of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), the ministers and secretaries of Agriculture of the United States, Tom Vilsack; Guatemala, José Ángel López; Guyana, Zulfikar Mustapha; and Paraguay, Santiago Bertoni, spoke at the meeting in representation of the regions of the Americas after hearing the words of FAO Director General, Qu Dongyu; the UN Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, Agnes Kalibata; and the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Manuel Otero.

The meeting took place in the context of the crisis triggered by the conflict in Eastern Europe, which has affected the market of raw materials, especially wheat, energy and fertilizers, all key inputs for food production. A proposal was made for a renewed space of cooperation for countries of the Americas, with Brazil expressing a willingness to continue with the successful work undertaken in the region in preparation for the Food Systems Summit, with the consensus of the 34 countries of the Americas.

Opening the meeting, Minister Tereza Cristina said, “The crisis in Europe impacts all the world and places obstacles for the changes that we require in the production of foods and the sustainability of the land. We are one of the largest agricultural regions in the world and we have to stay together to overcome these challenges. We have the opportunity to consolidate ourselves as leaders in food production and care for the planet and we are here to continue working together to ensure global food production”.

She continued, “The countries have financial imbalances, farmers have difficulties in terms of inputs and the population is facing food shortages. Vulnerable groups such as women and indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately. Rising food prices aggravated by the crisis in Europe impacts the whole world and this situation imposes more obstacles”. The Minister made an appeal to “exclude fertilizers from sanctions” on trade, as “suppressing the trade of inputs affects agricultural productivity and reinforces the inflationary trend, affecting the availability of food and threatening food security”.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, stated that “although IICA members are distanced geographically (from Eastern Europe), the situation is undoubtedly going to impact the Western Hemisphere, which is home to the largest agricultural exporters”.

In this regard, Vilsack acknowledged that “supply chains are facing an unprecedented challenge, so it is important to tackle these challenges by working together with IICA and other organizations, such as the FAO, to provide accurate and timely market information to facilitate trade and guarantee global food security”.

He continued, “It is fundamental that we maintain transparency in our markets (…) Agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and commodity prices have shot up due to demand and disruption in the supply chain. The Russian invasion has accelerated this price rise (…) so it is important for us to be careful about interfering with the markets (…) We need transparent markets and clear pricing schemes because this is vital to increase supplies and maintain a healthy global trade network. It is important to avoid measures that restrict food trade”.

Agnes Kalibata, former Minister of Agriculture of Rwanda and President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), welcomed the growing cooperation between African Union countries and IICA countries and lamented that in light of the pandemic and the climate crisis, the situation in Eastern Europe should bring the world to the threshold of another global crisis.

“We hope that our alliance with the Americas can survive this crisis. We are starting to see now that in addition to price increases, there are problems with fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers. The situation is becoming increasingly complex. Shortages will affect many people especially if Ukraine continues in this situation. We depend on global trade and over 50 million people could be affected in the short term. Africa concerns us. We need to guarantee the inputs that are so essential for production”, she said.

In turn, IICA’s Director General expressed his concern at a situation that is threatening world peace and affects food security.

“The supply of inputs is jeopardized, there are risks in trade channels and in addition to this are the effects of La Niña, which has brought water stress and an excess of water in many of our countries. Agriculture has strategic importance; one in four tons and 28% of food exports come from our continent. The wheels of agriculture cannot stop turning. This is a time for dialogue, for action, and to highlight the fact that agriculture is an instrument for socioeconomic development and for peace”, said Otero, appealing for greater cooperation between the FAO and IICA.

Qu Dongyu focused his concerns on the persistent effects of the pandemic and pressures arising from the environment, natural resources and food production. “We are concerned about the issue of food prices. Challenges persist and agricultural systems must ensure their resilience”, he said.

Concern over a strategic sector and family farming

Paraguayan Minister Bertoni stated that, “in recent weeks, a grave situation has arisen: the war in Ukraine, the outcome of which is still uncertain. This war endangers the lives and well-being of many people, and is having an impact on the supply and prices of food and inputs for production which will trigger a very complex crisis, especially for the less developed countries in greatest need. We hope to engage in constructive dialogue and contribute strategies and actions to continue strengthening food systems in the Americas, especially in this difficult context that we are going through”.

The Guatemalan Agriculture Minister, José Ángel López, stated that his country “believes in working and aligning efforts at a national and regional scale”, saying that “we must seek complementarity and reduce the use of fertilizers to have less dependence. It is time for the world to recognize the role of farmers in global stability”.

Mustapha, representing Guyana and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), reminded participants that the current situation comes in addition to the extreme climate vulnerability his region suffers. “We need the support of international partners such as IICA and the FAO as we face the effects of climate change”, he said.

Subsequently, and reinforcing the need for the Americas to act as a bloc or coordinate positions with respect to the new situation affecting the trade of key inputs for food production, speeches were delivered by Juan Gonzalo Botero, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Affairs of Colombia; Edward Centeno, Minister of Agriculture of Nicaragua; Carlos Vaconez, Deputy Minister for Agriculture of Ecuador; Fernando Mattos, Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay; Carlo Rognoni, Deputy Minister of  Agricultural Development of Panama; Clay Glennford Sweeting, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources of The Bahamas; and Javier Bobadilla, Cabinet Chief of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation of Peru.

Fernando Mattos, the Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, agreed with his peers that the situation in Ukraine “brings as a consequence an important impact for food security and food prices, but also indirectly for agricultural inputs. It is a critical situation that must be resolved in the short term. We have to resolve it pragmatically so as to continue with agricultural production in the coming months”.

From Managua, Edward Centeno, Minister of Agriculture of Nicaragua, described the current scenario as “a complex situation especially for food production,” and said that “we all know that agriculture in most countries is in the hands of small families, of smallholder farmers, and we must direct actions under this premise and guarantee the supply of inputs so that food production continues”.

The meeting ended with an appeal by the Brazilian minister and hostess of the event: “We cannot have a conflict that impacts the global food chain.”

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