The world’s breadbasket is being wrecked by war.
Ukraine and Russia together account for 30% of global wheat and barley exports, and they are leading exporters of other grains. The two countries also are the source of nearly 70% of the world’s sunflower oil exports, while Russia accounts for 13% of all crude petroleum exports.
As the conflict in Ukraine rages and sanctions on Russia escalate, food and energy prices — which were rising even before Russia invaded Ukraine — are spiking in countries far away from the front lines, with devastating implications for the world’s poor.